Foolproof Copy
Most people eventually learn to use 'drag and drop' in one File Explorer window. If you are a beginner, the foolproof method to copy any file and immediately verify that it worked is a little more involved, but it really kicks up your confidence level. So, until you become a confident user of the 'drag and drop' technique, opening a second copy of the file manager makes 'drag and drop' foolproof.
Example:
You were given a flash drive with some photos on it. You want to copy the photos to an album on your computer (or from the computer to the flash drive!), AND at the same time, verify the copy worked!
For the example, we need two copies of Windows File Explorer. Open File Explorer the way you normally would (Windows 10: Find the 'file folder' icon on the task bar, and click it; see illustration below).
For the second copy, hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard, and click (select) the 'file folder' icon a second time.
You now should have two copies of the file explorer window open, but one overlays the other. We want to make each window occupy 1/2 of the screen so both are fully visible. Windows 10 makes the transition rather simple, but it takes practice. The idea is to grab the title bar of a window and use 'drag and drop' to move the window to and through the center of one side of the screen.
If you have NOT done 'drag and drop', pretend you are playing checkers. Move your cursor to a blank area of the window's title bar (top bar of the window).
Use your pointing finger as if you were going to touch the checker (title bar) and press your pointing finger down. Hold the mouse button down while you move the 'checker' (mouse, mouse cursor AND window) toward AND THROUGH the center of a side of the screen. The CURSOR must touch the side (see next illustration)!!!
When the cursor touches the side of the screen, a 'ghost' window 1/2 the size of the screen will appear. Release (drop) the 'checker' (lift your finger off the mouse button) and your window will fill the ghost.
You should now have one window filling 1/2 the screen. The other copy of File Explorer should now be visible as a small version on the other half of the screen. Click it to make it fill that half. If you now have each of the two copies of the File Explorer filling half the screen apiece, you are ready to go on. If not, close all your windows and try again!
In the window you want to copy the file (photo) >FROM<:
Use the navigation pane (left pane of the file explorer window) to find the folder that has the photo you wish to copy and select it (click on the folder name). You should then see the photo to copy in the content pane (right pane of the file explorer window; see next illustration, left window).
At this point, you may or may not be looking at photos in the content pane of the >FROM< window. If you want to see photos instead of file names, you need to change your view! Go up to the view menu (see next illustration, top of left window) and select the icon size you prefer. Go the the second window and select the same size for that one.
In the window you want to copy the file (photo) >TO<:
Use the navigation pane (leftpane of the file explorer window) to find the folder that you want the photo to appear IN, and select it (click on the folder name). If the folder you have selected had any files and folders in it, they will show up in the content pane (right pane of the file explorer window). If you made a new folder, the content pane will be blank. (See next illustration, right window)
NOW you are ready to do the copy. Remember 'drag and drop' is just like playing checkers. Find a photo in the >FROM< content pane, and drag it to the >TO< pane. Before you 'drop' the photo, notice the words attached to your cursor and the photo (see illustration below, right window)! It should say COPY. If it does, 'drop' the photo. If it says MOVE, move the photo back to where you got it and drop it there. Then see the last paragraph on this page.
Once you drop the file (photo), you should see the photo in BOTH content panes! If so, you now know how to: copy ANY file (both >FROM< and >TO<) internal hard drives, flash drives, external hard drives, camera flash memories (film), external CD/DVD drives and external floppy drives. Lucky for us, they ALL work the same way.
To MOVE or to COPY?
There is one 'gotcha' that is easy to fix and avoid. If you are working on the SAME storage unit, as in wanting to copy photos from one album (folder) on your hard drive to a second album (folder) on the same hard drive, your computer automatically MOVES the file. You can override this action to COPY by holding the CTRL key on the keyboard down when you are ready to 'drop' the photo.