Copying and Moving Files

Path Finder makes copying and moving files more flexible than Finder, while still supporting familiar macOS actions like drag-and-drop and keyboard shortcuts.

Basic copy and move actions

Copy files

• Select one or more files or folders.

• Press Command + C, or

• Right-click and choose Copy.

• Navigate to the destination folder and press Command + V or choose Paste from the context menu.

Move files

• Drag and drop items to the desired folder in the same disk to move them.

• Or use Command + X (cut), then Command + V to paste into the new location (if enabled in your settings).

These behaviors are similar to Finder, so you can switch to Path Finder without relearning the basics.

Using drag and drop

You can drag items:

• Onto folders in the Sidebar

• Between tabs

• Between dual panes

• Into modules like Drop Stack or Trash

Path Finder supports spring-loaded folders:
when you drag a file over a folder and hold it there for a moment, the folder will open automatically, letting you drop the file deeper in the hierarchy.

Using the Drop Stack for complex moves

The Drop Stack module is a temporary holding area for files you want to copy or move.

To use Drop Stack:

1. Show the Drop Stack module (via Window > Modules > Drop Stack, if not visible).

2. Drag files from different folders into the Drop Stack.

3. Navigate to your final destination folder.

4. Drag the items from Drop Stack into that folder.

This is ideal when:

• Collecting files from multiple locations

• Preparing attachments or resources for a single destination

• Avoiding constant back-and-forth navigation

Using the Path Navigator

At the top of the browser area, the path navigator (breadcrumb) lets you quickly jump to parent folders while working with files:

• Click any segment of the path to jump directly to that folder.

• Combine this with drag-and-drop for very fast movement up and down your folder tree.

Using a mix of keyboard shortcuts, drag and drop, Drop Stack, and the path navigator, you can handle both simple and complex file operations efficiently in Path Finder.