How to select or highlight multiple files and folders

When working with Microsoft Windows, macOS, (or any operating system with a GUI), you may want to select multiple files to copy, delete, or move them all at once. The following sections describe different methods of selecting multiple files or folders.

Select all the files or folders in the current directory

«Select all» with shortcut keys

In most operating systems and programs, the shortcut key Ctrl + A ( Command + A on macOS) selects all available text in the current text area, or all files in a file navigator window.

«Select all» using menus

In Windows 8 or Windows 10, the File/Edit/View menu is not available in File Explorer. Use Ctrl + A instead.

1. Open a folder or directory in File Explorer or My Computer.
2. Click Edit in the menu bar at the top of the window.
3. Click Select All on the drop-down menu.

Once the files or folders are highlighted, right-click one of the highlighted files or folders to view available options to cut, copy, or delete. For additional help and information, see the below section on what can be done after the files or folders are highlighted.

Mouse drag and select multiple files or folders

You can click-and-drag a box around the files or folders you want to select. Doing so selects all files and folders within that box, as shown in the animated picture.

To do this, click and hold your left mouse button on the top-left portion of where you want to start highlighting. Next, drag the box until the last file or folder is highlighted. Once the files are selected, they can be copied, cut, or dragged to another window to move them. They can also be dragged to the Trash/Recycle Bin to be deleted.

Once the files or folders are highlighted, right-click one of the highlighted files or folders to view available options, including cut, copy, or delete. For additional help and information, see the below section on what can be done after the files or folders are highlighted.

Select multiple files or folders grouped together

1. Click the first file or folder, and then press and hold the Shift key.
2. While holding Shift , click the last file or folder.

See the other tips section on how you can select grouped and non-grouped files or folders at the same time.

Once the files or folders are highlighted, right-click one of the highlighted files or folders to view available options to cut, copy, or delete. For additional help and information, see the below section on what can be done after the files or folders are highlighted.

Select multiple files or folders that are not grouped together

1. Click the first file or folder, and then press and hold the Ctrl key.
2. While holding Ctrl , click each of the other files or folders you want to select.

See the other tips section on how you can select grouped and non-grouped files at the same time.

Once the files or folders are highlighted, right-click one of the highlighted files or folders to view available options to cut, copy, or delete. For additional help and information, see the below section on what can be done after the files or folders are highlighted.

How to select without using the mouse

1. Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
2. Press Tab until you’re in the section of the window containing the files or folders you want to select.
3. Use the arrow keys to move to the file or folder you want to select.
4. You can select more than one file or folder by holding down the Shift key and use the arrow keys highlight them.

Once the files or folders are highlighted, press the shortcut key Ctrl + X to cut or Ctrl + C to copy, or press the Delete key to delete. For additional help and information, see the below section on what can be done after the files or folders are highlighted.

Other tips

You can use a combination of selecting multiple files or folders and single files or folders at the same time by following the steps below.

1. Click the first file or folder you want to select.
2. Hold down the Shift key, select the last file or folder, and then let go of the Shift key.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key and click any other file(s) or folder(s) you would like to add to those already selected.

Holding Ctrl and clicking a file or folder a second time deselects the file or folder.

What can be done once the files or folders are highlighted?

After the files or folders are highlighted, they can be copied, moved, deleted, or compressed into a single archive file.

How to select all files in a folder

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I was looking for the best mouse replacement for the old right-click context menu option, now that Windows 8 did away with the Organize menu as well. And avoiding the ribbon menu which turns the simplest tasks into minutes of hunting for a needle in a haystack.

I knew about the Ctrl-A shortcut. Your post reminded me of this old method:

1. Select first item in folder

2. Hold Ctrl-Shift

3. Select last item in the folder

Not as quick as the methods they removed, but adequate.

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How to select multiple files on Windows

It’s essential to know how to select multiple files and folders on your Windows computer or device. Regardless of what you want to do with the highlighted items afterward (copy, move, delete, rename, etc.), it’s faster to use your mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen to select the files and/or folders you need, instead of managing them one by one. This tutorial illustrates how to select multiple files and folders, including how to select all on Windows:

How to select multiple files on Windows by clicking or tapping

The easiest and probably most popular way to select in Windows is by clicking or tapping. To select a single item, click or tap on that particular file or folder, and it is highlighted immediately. The icon’s background changes color to indicate that item is selected.

To select multiple files at once using only your mouse, you have to create a selection area around them. This only works with adjacent files and folders. Click and then hold down the mouse button while dragging the cursor to create the selection area. Release the button when the files and/or folders you want to select are highlighted.

On touch screens, you need to tap, and then immediately drag your finger to expand your selection area. Take the finger off the screen when you are satisfied with the selected files and folders.

After highlighting the items you need, you can right-click or press-and-hold on them to reveal more options, like deleting files or cutting, copying, and pasting. You can also drag them to another location, like the Recycle Bin.

How to select multiple files on Windows with Ctrl and Shift

By clicking or tapping, you can only highlight adjacent items. But what if you need to select multiple files and folders on Windows, and they are not next to each other? That is when the Ctrl key comes in. Make your first selection, and then press Ctrl on your keyboard while clicking or tapping on any additional items you want to highlight.

TIP: The Ctrl key is also used to deselect items. So, if you like, you can select a group of items, and then press Ctrl on your keyboard while clicking or tapping on the highlighted files or folders you want to remove.

The Shift key comes in handy when you want to select multiple files and folders that are next to each other, especially if there’s a lot of them. Click or tap on the first item you want to highlight, hold down the Shift key, and then click/tap on the last file. The items in between are also selected.

If you change your mind, hold down Shift again and click/tap on another file or folder to modify which items are highlighted. The selection now ends with the file or folder you clicked last and includes all the items in between.

How to select multiple files using the keyboard only

If you’re wondering “How do I select multiple files at once using the keyboard?”, the answer also includes the Ctrl and Shift keys. To highlight multiple adjacent files and/or folders, hold down Shift and use the arrow keys to extend your selection in either direction. The items between the first and the last one you highlight are also selected.

Same as before, Ctrl helps you select multiple files on Windows that are not next to each other.

Use Ctrl and the arrows on your keyboard to keep an item selected while moving through the folder. When you come across another item you want to highlight, press the Spacebar to select it. As long as you hold down Ctrl while moving with the arrow keys, you can select as many items as you like. Continue the process until everything is selected. If you change your mind about an item, press Ctrl + Spacebar to deselect it.

How to select all on Windows

To highlight every file and folder in a certain location on your Windows computer or device, it’s easiest to use the Select all shortcut: Ctrl + A.

This highlights everything in that folder immediately.

TIP: To rename all the items, check out How to rename all files in a folder in Windows 10.

In Windows 10, you can also use the Select all button from File Explorer’s Home tab to select all items in a certain location.

You can also use the Select none and Invert selection options. To learn about the Select section in Windows 10 and more, read 9 ways to manage files with File Explorer from the Home tab.

Bonus: Show checkboxes to select items in Windows 10

In Windows 10, you can use a visual aid to make your selected items more visible. Access File Explorer’s View tab and, in the Show/hide section, check the “Item check boxes” option.

While this option is activated, a check mark appears in a box in the upper-left corner of any selected item, as seen below.

Which way to select multiple files and folders do you prefer?

You can mix and match the methods illustrated in this tutorial to find a comfortable way to select multiple items in Windows. We rely heavily on the mouse and Ctrl key to select multiple files, but always use the Select All shortcut when we need everything in a folder. What about you? Which way to select multiple files and folders do you prefer? Let us know in the comments.

How To Select Multiple Files On Windows 10/8.1 Tablet Without Keyboard

Last Updated on March 13, 2020 by admin 17 Comments

Selecting multiple files or folders in Windows has always been a simple task. To select a consecutive group of files or folders, we first select the first item, hold down the Shift key, and then select the last item. To select non-consecutive files or folders, we hold down the Ctrl key and select each item we wish to select.

And as all of you know, pressing Ctrl + A hotkey selects all items. But how to select multiple files on a tablet running Windows 8 or the recently released Windows 10? Even though many tablets such as Microsoft Surface ship with a physical keyboard, not every manufacturer includes a physical keyboard.

So, how to select multiple files on a touch screen device running Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 without using the keyboard and mouse?

Easily select multiple files on touch devices on Windows 10/8.1

Simply follow the given below instructions to select multiple files on Windows 1o Windows 8.1.

Step 1: First, open up the folder or drive where you have your files/folders.

Step 2: Switch to Details view by clicking on the Details view button located in the lower-right of the window. You can also change the current view by clicking on the View tab and then selecting Details.

Step 3: You should now see an item checkbox on the left of the column header (see the picture). If the item checkbox isn’t appearing, open the View tab and then enable the option named Item checkboxes.

NOTE: The option “Use checkboxes to select items” (under Folder Options) to show checkboxes next to all files/folders is present on non-touch devices only. Windows operating system doesn’t show the option on a touch screen device, or at least it’s not available on my tablet.

Step 4: Tap on the checkbox in the column header to select all files. To select non-consecutive files, first, select all files by tapping on the checkbox and then deselect files that you don’t wish to select by tapping on the checkboxes next to your files/folders. As simple as that!

Do let us know if you know any other better methods to select multiple files on a touch screen.

How to select multiple files on a Windows 10 computer at once, in 2 different ways

Whether you need to move work reports to a different folder on your PC or you’re deleting old documents off your computer, you don’t have to move each file individually. Windows 10 allows you to select multiple files at once so that you can organize them quickly.

Selecting multiple files simultaneously on Windows is simple and can be done in two main ways, depending on if they are in a folder or on your desktop.

Here’s how to do both.

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How to select multiple files on Windows 10 from a folder

1. Click one time on the first file you want to select while viewing your files in List mode. It will be highlighted blue to indicate that it’s been selected.

2. Move your mouse down to the last file on the list you want to select and hold down the Shift key on your keyboard while clicking on the final file. This will highlight all files in between the first and last clicked.

How to select multiple files on Windows 10 from your desktop

1. Single click the first file you wish to select.

2. Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and using your trackpad or external mouse, click on all the other files you wish to select one by one.

3. When you’ve clicked all the files you wish to select, let go of the Ctrl key. Your files will then be selected, and they should appear highlighted with a check mark on the top left.