How Do I Select Multiple Files at Once?
You have to select files and folders before you can cut, copy, or move them elsewhere. The fastest method to select all files in a folder is to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A. But follow the steps below if you want to choose a specific first and last file in a series and leave out the others.
Select Multiple Files on the Desktop
Selecting consecutive files on the desktop with the Shift key is difficult because you can end up highlighting files you don’t need. The Ctrl key is a better option to select the correct files.
Select Multiple Files With Only the Mouse
Use a click and drag box to select multiple files by dragging your mouse over them.
Select Multiple Files From the Ribbon
The File Explorer ribbon has a couple of menu commands to make selecting multiple files easier without touching the keyboard.
Select Multiple Files With the Arrow Keys
You can use a combination of the Shift and arrow keys on the keyboard to select files and folders.
How Do I Select Multiple Files to Copy and Paste?
Follow any of the above methods to select multiple files. Once the files or folders are highlighted, right-click on any of the highlighted files to display the context menu with the file options you can then choose to perform like Copy, Paste, or Move.
