How to Cut, Copy, Paste, and Rename Files/Folders in Windows 11?

Upon downloading and installing Windows 11 on your machine, you cannot employ the Windows 10 techniques to directly cut, copy, paste, rename, or delete a file or folder through the context menu. So, how do you accomplish these tasks in Windows 11? You can find some practical guidance in this MiniTool article.

Microsoft has altered the context menu in Windows 11. Therefore, if you've upgraded your computer to Windows 11, you need to adjust your Windows 10 habits regarding the context menu usage. Specifically, the methods to cut, copy, paste, rename, and delete a file or folder via the context menu have been modified.

To assist you in adapting to this change swiftly, here's how you can cut, copy, paste, rename, and delete a file or folder on a Windows 11 computer.

Tip: You have the option to disable the new context menu in Windows 11.

How to Cut and Paste Files in Windows 11?

Method 1: Use the Context Menu or the Top Ribbon Bar

1. Right-click the file/folder you wish to cut.

2. Click the cut icon from the context menu to cut the file/folder. Alternatively, you can select the target item and then click the cut icon from the ribbon bar to achieve the same result.

   

3. Navigate to the location where you want to paste the file/folder.

4. Right-click on the free space and select the paste icon to paste the item into that folder. Alternatively, you can directly click the paste icon on the top ribbon to paste the file/folder.

   

Method 2: Use Keyboard Shortcuts

A quicker way to cut and paste a file/folder in Windows is by using keyboard shortcuts.

1. Select the file/folder you want to cut and press Ctrl X to cut the selected item.
2. Move to the destination folder and press Ctrl V to paste the item.

How to Copy and Paste Files in Windows 11?

Method 1: Use the Context Menu or the Top Ribbon Bar

1. Right-click the file/folder you wish to copy.

2. Click the copy icon from the context menu. Similarly, you can select the target file/folder and then click the copy icon from the top ribbon bar to copy it.

   

3. Open the destination folder where you want to save the copied file/folder.

4. Right-click the free space and click the paste icon. Alternatively, you can directly click the paste button from the top ribbon bar in File Explorer to paste that file/folder.

   

Method 2: Use Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Select the target item and press Ctrl C to copy it.
2. Go to the destination location and press Ctrl V to paste the file/folder.

How to Rename Files in Windows 11?

Method 1: Use the Context Menu or the Top Ribbon Bar

1. Right-click the file/folder you want to rename and select the rename icon from the context menu. You can also select that item and then click the rename icon from the top ribbon bar.
2. Type a new name for the selected item.
3. Press Enter or click any free space to save the new name.

Method 2: Use the F2 Key

1. Select the file/folder you want to rename.
2. Press the F2 key.
3. You can now type a new name for the selected item.

Method 3: Use Your Mouse

You can also use your mouse to rename a file/folder in Windows 11/10/8/7.

1. Select the file/folder you want to rename.
2. Click again on that file/folder. The name will become editable.
3. Type a new name and press Enter to save it.

How to Delete Files in Windows 11?

Method 1: Use the Context Menu or the Top Ribbon Bar

• Right-click the target file/folder and select the trash can icon to delete that file.
• You can also select the file/folder you want to delete and click the trash can icon from the top Ribbon bar to perform a file/folder deletion.

Method 2: Use the Delete Key

A faster way is to use the Delete key on your keyboard.

Select the file you want to delete and press the Delete key on your keyboard to move the selected file to the Recycle Bin.

Method 3: Permanently Delete a File/Folder in Windows 11

The deleted file/folder will be moved to the Recycle Bin in Windows 11/10/8/7 unless you have permanently deleted it. The file still occupies disk space on your computer. This is why deleting files does not free up disk space on your PC.

The good news is that you can directly permanently delete files/folders on your Windows computer.

If you only want to permanently delete a certain file/folder

Press the Shift button when you click the Delete key or select Delete from the right-click menu of the file/folder.

If you want to skip the Recycle Bin when deleting all files

1. Right-click the Recycle Bin on the desktop and select Properties.
2. Select Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted.
3. Click Apply.
4. Click OK.

You can choose a method based on your needs.

Tip: If You Want to Recover the Permanently Deleted Files

If you accidentally delete important files permanently, you can use a free file recovery tool, MiniTool Power Data Recovery, to retrieve them. This software is designed to recover lost and deleted files from various data storage devices, including the computer’s internal hard drives.

With the free edition of this software, you can recover up to 1GB of files. For recovering more files, you can opt for an advanced edition.

Bottom Line

Now, you know how to cut, copy, paste, rename, and delete a file/folder in Windows 11. If you accidentally delete a file, you can use MiniTool Power Data Recovery to retrieve it. Should you have any other related issues, feel free to let us know in the comments.

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