I just got a new laptop, a Macbook Pro. It is my first new computer in over ten years, so it has been a long time since I’ve had to set up a new system for myself. Maybe this is something that other Mac users solved a long time ago, but it was my first time encountering it. In Finder, I could click on a file, but when I tried to drag it into another folder to organize the files, nothing happened. I didn’t get the outline of the file name, folders didn’t highlight as I hovered over them, and when I let go, the file was not moved.
I tried looking in System Settings under TrackPad, but there were not options that related to being able to drag files around that I could find. I tried looking in the Finder options and in the File options. No dice. I finally found the setting I needed. Here’s how to fix this:
- Open System Settings
- Click on Accessibility in the left-hand menu
- In the “Motor” section, click on “Pointer Control”
- Click on “Trackpad Options”
- Toggle on “Use trackpad for dragging”
Now, you can drag files into folders within Finder again. Phew!