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8 Ways to Fix Mouse Not Dragging or Dropping

By palistha

8 Ways to Fix Mouse Not Dragging or Dropping

Isn’t it surprising when you’re just trying to drag and drop using your mouse as before but now it’s not working anymore? Many Windows users have faced this problem which is why we’re here with this article to help you fix it.

This is mostly caused due to bugs in the mouse drivers. But it is not something that can’t be fixed with a simple troubleshoot. Other times, it could be because your device requires updates on your windows and mouse drivers.

Here in this article, we have mentioned more solutions in detail for you to try out.

Why Can’t My Mouse Drag and Drop?

Mouse not dragging and dropping is an issue that can be caused by many things. Let’s list it out to find out which one is the reason for your mouse to not drag and drop.

  • USB Port Not Working: If you use a wired mouse then there is a possibility that the USB port is not working or there could be problems with the wire itself. You need to check whether the USB ports, hubs, and cables are working properly.
  • Previously Selected Files: If you used to drag and drop before but now it has suddenly stopped working then it could be because the previously selected file is not cleared or dismissed. If the previous file is still still stored then the new file can not take its place. Hence, you need to clear the previous one first.
  • Pending Updates: Keeping your software updates pending is the biggest mistake you could make. Doing this will bring many problems with your computer which you will need to fix time-to-time. Trust me, you would rather just keep your computer updated.

How to Fix the Mouse Not Dragging and Dropping?

Although mouse not dragging and dropping is an issue experienced by many users, it is not something that can not be fixed. You can easily fix it by simply following the mentioned steps below:

Press Esc Key

The Esc key is very useful when canceling out previous selections. Sometimes the previous selections get stuck in your mouse which makes drag and drops look like it’s not working.

Select the file you wish and press the Esc key. This should dismiss the older selection of drag and drop. Now, try dragging and dropping and see if this worked for you.

Update Windows 10/11

You need to always stay up-to-date on your windows updates. When your Windows is updated, many bugs and errors on the system, programs, or apps are fixed. Here’s how to check for updates.

On Windows 10

  1. Press on the Windows + R button.
  2. Run this command: ms-settings:windowsupdate
  3. Press Enter
  4. Click on Check for Updates.
    win-10-update

Now, windows will check for any updates if there are any. Now, click on the Restart now button.

On Windows 11

  1. Press on the Windows + R button.
  2. Run this command: ms-settings:windowsupdate
  3. Press Enter
  4. Check for updates and install.
    windows-update-6

Use Hardware and Device Troubleshooter

Use the windows troubleshooter to see what is wrong with the mouse drivers and fix them. Follow these steps to perform troubleshooting on hardware and devices.

Here’re the steps you can follow on your Windows 10:

  1. Press Windows key + R to open Run.
  2. Type, cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
  3. Type this command  msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
    hardware-and-devices-troubleshoot
  4. Click on Next and follow the prompts.

Uninstall and Reinstall Mouse Drivers

A mouse driver works as a communicator between the mouse and the computer. Sometimes the problem lies with the mouse drivers. Most of the time, uninstalling and reinstalling the mouse drivers works if mouse drivers have issues.

Do this to uninstall and reinstall the mouse drivers:

  1. Press Windows + X
  2. Select Device Manager and click on it
  3. Click on Mice and Other Pointing Devices.
  4. Right-click on the device you want to uninstall.
  5. Click on Uninstall Device
    Uninstall-device-5
  6. Restart your device.
  7. The mouse pointer will be reinstalled again.

Restart File Explorer

Restarting file explorer is one of the most helpful solutions to fix drag and drop not working. When you restart the file explorer, your desktop might disappear for a few moments. But don’t get worried when this happens because this is normal and your desktop will appear again.

Now, follow these steps to restart file explorer:

  1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del to open windows task manager.
  2. Open Details tab
  3. Scroll and find Explorer.exe
  4. Right-click on Explorer.exe
  5. Click on End Process Tree
    Your desktop will disappear now
    end-process-tree
  6. Click on File at the top left corner
  7. Click on Run New Task
  8. Enter Explorer.exe
  9. Click OK.

Edit Registry Entries

If your mouse is not dragging and dropping then you can also try editing registry entries. Make sure you backup the registry before making any changes to the registry values. Let’s check the value of attributes value by following these steps:

  1. Press Windows + R
  2. Type this command: Regedit
  3. Click on yes if it shows you a popup box.
  4. Type this command in the address bar: Computer > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > System
  5. Press Enter
  6. Double-click on EnableLUA.
    regedit-3
  7. Under Base, select Hexadecimal.
  8. Input 0 and click on OK.
  9. Restart your system.

Perform SFC and DISM

The System File Checker command is used to detect and fix any system-related issues. If there are any corrupted or damaged files in your system, it will find and correct them. DISM(Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is used to service Windows images.

  1. Search for Command Prompt in the search bar. You can use the shortcut Windows+S to open the search bar.
  2. Now, click on Run as Administrator.
  3. Enter sfc /scannow and press Enter.
    sfcscan
  4. Wait for the verification to complete and find any damaged files.
  5. If, after this, a message that says “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files” is shown, move on to the DISM command. 
  6. Type dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth and press Enter.
    running-dism-command
  7. Wait till it’s 100% complete. Then, restart your device.

Change Drag Height and Width

The preference of drag height and width might have been changed or the value data might be not enough. In this case, you can open the task manager and change the preferences easily. Follow these steps to change preferences:

  1. Press Windows + R
  2. Type this command: Regedit
  3. Click on yes if it shows you a popup box.
  4. Type this command in the address bar: Computer\HKEY _CURRENT_USER\Control panel\Desktop
  5. Press Enter
    drag-height
  6. On the right side list, double click on Drag Height
  7. Change value to a higher number
  8. Double click on Drag Width
  9. Change value to a higher number

Why Is My Mouse Dragging but Not Dropping?

If you are facing problems with your mouse dragging but not dropping then it could be because you are trying to drop the file in restricted areas. For instance, you can not drop files on websites or browsers unless they ask for it.