How to Add ‘Move To’ and ‘Copy To’ to the Windows 10 Context Menu

You can add “Copy To folder” and “Move To folder” to the Windows 10 right-click menu by registering Windows’ built-in shell handlers. The safer version of this tweak is to add the handlers for your user account under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, rather than writing through HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. Microsoft documents HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT as a merged view and recommends storing interactive-user class settings under HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

Before editing the Registry, remember that Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. The tweak can still be used on existing Windows 10 installations, but Microsoft recommends moving to a supported Windows version when possible.

Step 1: Back up the Registry key and open Registry Editor

Registry edits take effect at the shell level, so make a small backup first. Microsoft’s Registry backup instructions explain how to select a key and use File > Export.

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type regedit and press Enter.
3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\AllFileSystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers.

If AllFileSystemObjects, shellex, or ContextMenuHandlers is missing in your user branch, create the missing keys in that order. Microsoft’s documentation for registering shell extension handlers confirms that shortcut-menu handlers are registered beneath shellex\ContextMenuHandlers.

Step 2: Add “Copy To folder”

1. Right-click ContextMenuHandlers and choose New > Key.
2. Name the new key Copy To.
3. Select Copy To, then double-click (Default) in the right pane.
4. Set Value data to {C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13} and click OK.

The key name is mainly for readability; the default value identifies the Windows Copy To shell handler.

Step 3: Add “Move To folder”

Stay in the same ContextMenuHandlers location and create the second handler:

1. Right-click ContextMenuHandlers and choose New > Key.
2. Name it Move To.
3. Open its (Default) value and enter {C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}.
4. Click OK and close Registry Editor.

Microsoft notes that shell-handler changes may not be recognized until the shell is notified or restarted. In practice, first close and reopen File Explorer. If the commands still do not appear, sign out and back in or restart Windows.

Step 4: Use Copy To and Move To from File Explorer

Select a file, a folder, or several items in File Explorer and right-click the selection. Choose Copy To folder... to leave the originals in place, or Move To folder... to relocate them. Windows opens a folder picker; select the destination and click OK.

This can be convenient when the destination is not already open, because you do not need to cut or copy the items, browse to another folder, and paste them manually.

How to remove the two context-menu commands

Return to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\AllFileSystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers. Delete the Copy To key to remove Copy To folder, delete Move To to remove Move To folder, or delete both. Then reopen File Explorer or restart Windows if the menu does not refresh immediately.

If the commands do not appear

Check the spelling of both GUIDs first; a single missing character prevents the handler from loading. Also confirm that each named key contains a (Default) value of type REG_SZ with the matching GUID. If the Registry entries are correct, close all File Explorer windows and open Explorer again. A sign-out or restart is the next reasonable step because Microsoft notes that shell-extension registration changes are not always noticed immediately. On a work or school PC, do not try to bypass organization policies that block Registry changes; use the normal Cut, Copy, and Paste commands instead.

One limitation worth knowing

These are legacy Windows shell handlers, and they were not originally designed as general-purpose context-menu extensions. Microsoft engineer Raymond Chen documented that adding them to context menus can, in some shell scenarios, make a Copy To or Move To dialog appear when you did not expect it. If that happens on your PC, remove the keys above rather than trying to work around the unwanted prompts. See Microsoft’s technical explanation of the Copy To/Move To behavior.

For reference, Microsoft also explains why per-user class registrations belong under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes. Using that location keeps the change scoped to your account and avoids changing the default class registration for every user on the PC.

Windows 10 support note: Microsoft ended general Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025; see the Windows 10 lifecycle announcement for current support guidance.