Move files using just keyboard in Mac Finder?

macos keyboard-shortcuts file-management

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Solution 1

I'm answering my own question but Mac OS X Lion has it now finally. in Lion, if you hold Option when pasting a copied Finder item (Command-Option-V), it really does move it. (via http://tidbits.com/article/12320)

Solution 2

OS X does not allow that. It's an Apple Design question. They don't believe in the metaphor of "cutting" something, no matter how much we (users) believe in it.*1
So we are left with what others can come up with. And a lot of them did.

Do it with a macro in QuickSilver (which, once you know it, you wouldn't want to live without anymore anywayz): http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20081112153330648

Do it with the Context Menu (QuickAccessCM): http://www.pure-mac.com/cmm.html#quickaccesscm

Do it with a droplet (nothing I'd suggest since it uses the mouse as well): http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/27818

Do it by replacing the finder as a whole: http://www.cocoatech.com/ (Pathfinder)

I've gone the QuickSilver way, since I am a keyboard junkie and QuickSilver ... well, everything and the kitchen sink.

*1 Except that since OS 3.0 on iPhone even Apple offers a "Cut" option. I still hope - after decades of waiting - that it will finally be available in a Desktop OS as well...

Solution 3

Cmd-X doesn't work on files by default. You can enable it by executing

defaults write com.apple.finder AllowCutForItems 1

in a terminal. But all it does it is just moving the file to trash.

As someone said before you can move files with Cmd+dragNDrop (or just drop&drag :)), but you need mouse to do that. Maybe there are some scripts that copies&paste and then deletes the original file? I dunno.

You may want to look for a 3rd party software, something that is equivalent to Total Commander or something like that...

Solution 4

use CMD + C to copy use CMD + V to paste

use CMD + ALT + V to Move (equivalent of cut and paste)

Solution 5

I suspect that you want a Finder solution, and others have written about that, but...

You can do hand-on-the-keyboard manipulation of the filesystem at the command prompt (either using Terminal.app or an xterm). All the usual unix tools are availible, and in particular files are moved with

mv <current path>  <destination path>

where both paths may be either relative or absolute. If the destination is a directory (folder) the file will be put in the destination, otherwise the file will be renamed.

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Tagussan

A programmer. Who: likes ruby, love Javascript, avoid java, use mac. Wants: faster ruby, clean javascript, disappear java, macbook air. (Yay, SSD version)

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

Tagussan almost 2 years

As a Windows user in previous life, I kind of miss moving files using just keyboard.

Is this possible with in Mac OS X?

Edit: Related problem is navigating in finder using just keyboard without that this really hard. You open two windows using mouse then use keyboard is just the same as using mouse
Assaf Levy almost 15 years

How do you do Cmd-Drag using just keyboard (see the question)?
Tagussan almost 15 years

Another problem is navigating in finder using just keyboard
Assaf Levy almost 15 years

@nexneo, I agree. For me it helped when I finally learned about Cmd-O (for opening e.g. subfolder)
Tagussan almost 15 years

Okay. after some research I found. Cmd+[ and Cmd+] shortcuts to for navigation. But still move seems like mouse only operation
Arjan almost 15 years

Like noted in earlier answers: Cmd-X won't work. The official shortcut to get to the menu bar is Ctrl-F2 (but invoking help using Cmd-? and then moving left works as well indeed).
Benjamin Dobson over 14 years

If you use column view, you can pretty much navigate using only the arrow keys (and, occasionally, command).
Tagussan over 14 years

This is not mac specific. Its unix shell
Arjan over 14 years

@nexneo, what do you mean with your comment?
Tagussan over 14 years

@Arjan, using command line is an option but no GUI. Its unix shell that does it. That is not mac specific interface, can be done that way in any posix compliant OS. And my question was "How to do that with Finder? " Not other application :) certainly not Non-GUI
dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten over 14 years

::looks at the title, then looks at the edit history, finally blushes:: When I wrote this I'd been perusing the existing answers and must have forgotten the title. I was thinking only in terms of a hands on the keyboard solution. It happens.
i-g over 14 years

Thanks for Ctrl+F2 -- I didn't know about that one!
Tagussan about 13 years

"Cut" is always available for Text editing on most Mac apps designed by Apple. So they believe in "Cut", I guess.
Wolf about 13 years

we're talking about files here. not text.
Tagussan about 13 years

read your answer you said They don't believe in the metaphor of "cutting" something, no matter how much we (users) believe in it."
Wolf about 13 years

I have answered in the context of the question. It asks "Move files using just keyboard in Mac Finder ?". I wonder why it is so important for you to point that out and lecture me about something, I haven't said. I'm sorry if I haven't answered your question to your satisfaction. I was only trying to help. Now I am sorry I did.
Nathaniel almost 13 years

Or map Caps Lock to the menu, like I did (self link).
Dmitry Gonchar about 6 years

So, that's basically pressing Cmd+C for the files you want to cut and then Cmd+Opt+V in the folder you want to paste to. Sorry, it was not clear from your answer that one should use Cmd+C and not Cmd+X