I posted the following in TenForums a day or so ago but despite some
helpful replies there the quirk described so far remains unsolved. Most recently I've confirmed that it continues in either Safe Mode and a new
user account. Hardly a big deal, but it bugs me...

--------------------

A few days ago an annoying issue arose. With a file or folder selected
in File Explorer, Ctl + x no longer works. Or Right click > Cut. On any keyboard. Yet it does work in text apps or editors, like Notepad, Word,
etc.

I can work around it by doing the FE cut in steps: copy, paste to
target, select original again, delete.

But it's had me spending hours trying to fix it, in vain. I could
retrace and list here as many of those attempts as I can remember
(including obscure ones like removing redundant versions of Visual C++ Redistributables, or uninstalling Acrobat Reader!). But any advice
meanwhile which might add to my repertoire would be much appreciated
please

Terry, UK

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Fri, 10/11/2024 7:03 AM, Terry Pinnell wrote:

I posted the following in TenForums a day or so ago but despite some
helpful replies there the quirk described so far remains unsolved. Most recently I've confirmed that it continues in either Safe Mode and a new
user account. Hardly a big deal, but it bugs me...

--------------------

A few days ago an annoying issue arose. With a file or folder selected
in File Explorer, Ctl + x no longer works. Or Right click > Cut. On any keyboard. Yet it does work in text apps or editors, like Notepad, Word,
etc.

I can work around it by doing the FE cut in steps: copy, paste to
target, select original again, delete.

But it's had me spending hours trying to fix it, in vain. I could
retrace and list here as many of those attempts as I can remember
(including obscure ones like removing redundant versions of Visual C++ Redistributables, or uninstalling Acrobat Reader!). But any advice
meanwhile which might add to my repertoire would be much appreciated
please

Terry, UK

You got a good respondent over there.

https://www.tenforums.com/general-support/216028-ctrl-x-not-working-file-explorer.html

Now, I can't remember the name of the utility, but there is a keyboard remapper available for windows. Would the key sequence be remapped ?

OK, don't bother with that. There is a worse symptom. I am running Win11 here, I opened my Explorer window to the Test Folder For Screwups, I made a new
text file, I highlighted the file, then I used the right-click menu
and *not even the scissors icon worked*. Both ctrl-x and the scissors fail
to work in Windows 11 Explorer. I expect the same patch has been sent
to both.

Remember, that a recent "improvement" was pushed, where the icons on
the menu were given "balloon help". If you hold your mouse cursor over
the scissors icon on the right-click context menu entry for a file,
it says that the shortcut is Cut (Ctrl+X) and neither that shortcut,
nor the scissors icon, works.

However, the Delete key does work, as does the Trash can symbol in the
Windows 11 Explorer menu. And the Balloon help says that the Trash Can
shortcut is the Delete key, which is why I pressed the Delete key.

Now my file is gone, and in the trash. To bring it back, I type the
undo shortcut (and without checking any balloons) that is ctrl-Z for Undo.
And now my file is plucked from trash and back into the folder.

(Picture of some previous design intent
Cut , Copy , Paste , Rename , Share , and Delete
There is no Undo in the list, but your 4D memory bank will provide...)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/finding-items-in-the-file-explorer-context-menu-2c458eb5-d27a-4b69-9301-60df221caaa0

Conclusion: Why do we have a scissors icon again ?
Design intent or what ?
I think it is in preparation for a Paste, but enables easy file loss as well.
That does not excuse a symbol to "not work" in an interface.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

On Fri, 10/11/2024 7:03 AM, Terry Pinnell wrote:

I posted the following in TenForums a day or so ago but despite some
helpful replies there the quirk described so far remains unsolved. Most
recently I've confirmed that it continues in either Safe Mode and a new
user account. Hardly a big deal, but it bugs me...

--------------------

A few days ago an annoying issue arose. With a file or folder selected
in File Explorer, Ctl + x no longer works. Or Right click > Cut. On any
keyboard. Yet it does work in text apps or editors, like Notepad, Word,
etc.

I can work around it by doing the FE cut in steps: copy, paste to
target, select original again, delete.

But it's had me spending hours trying to fix it, in vain. I could
retrace and list here as many of those attempts as I can remember
(including obscure ones like removing redundant versions of Visual C++
Redistributables, or uninstalling Acrobat Reader!). But any advice
meanwhile which might add to my repertoire would be much appreciated
please

Terry, UK

You got a good respondent over there.

https://www.tenforums.com/general-support/216028-ctrl-x-not-working-file-explorer.html

Now, I can't remember the name of the utility, but there is a keyboard remapper
available for windows. Would the key sequence be remapped ?

OK, don't bother with that. There is a worse symptom. I am running Win11 here, >I opened my Explorer window to the Test Folder For Screwups, I made a new >text file, I highlighted the file, then I used the right-click menu
and *not even the scissors icon worked*. Both ctrl-x and the scissors fail
to work in Windows 11 Explorer. I expect the same patch has been sent
to both.

Remember, that a recent "improvement" was pushed, where the icons on
the menu were given "balloon help". If you hold your mouse cursor over
the scissors icon on the right-click context menu entry for a file,
it says that the shortcut is Cut (Ctrl+X) and neither that shortcut,
nor the scissors icon, works.

However, the Delete key does work, as does the Trash can symbol in the >Windows 11 Explorer menu. And the Balloon help says that the Trash Can >shortcut is the Delete key, which is why I pressed the Delete key.

Now my file is gone, and in the trash. To bring it back, I type the
undo shortcut (and without checking any balloons) that is ctrl-Z for Undo. >And now my file is plucked from trash and back into the folder.

(Picture of some previous design intent
Cut , Copy , Paste , Rename , Share , and Delete
There is no Undo in the list, but your 4D memory bank will provide...)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/finding-items-in-the-file-explorer-context-menu-2c458eb5-d27a-4b69-9301-60df221caaa0

Conclusion: Why do we have a scissors icon again ?
Design intent or what ?
I think it is in preparation for a Paste, but enables easy file loss as well.
That does not excuse a symbol to "not work" in an interface.

Paul

Many thanks Paul, very interesting. I'm sure your suggestion is right,
in which case my efforts were bound to fail.

Can any Win 10 user here can reproduce my problem please?

Terry

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Fri, 10/11/2024 5:18 PM, Terry Pinnell wrote:

Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

On Fri, 10/11/2024 7:03 AM, Terry Pinnell wrote:

I posted the following in TenForums a day or so ago but despite some
helpful replies there the quirk described so far remains unsolved. Most
recently I've confirmed that it continues in either Safe Mode and a new
user account. Hardly a big deal, but it bugs me...

--------------------

A few days ago an annoying issue arose. With a file or folder selected
in File Explorer, Ctl + x no longer works. Or Right click > Cut. On any
keyboard. Yet it does work in text apps or editors, like Notepad, Word,
etc.

I can work around it by doing the FE cut in steps: copy, paste to
target, select original again, delete.

But it's had me spending hours trying to fix it, in vain. I could
retrace and list here as many of those attempts as I can remember
(including obscure ones like removing redundant versions of Visual C++
Redistributables, or uninstalling Acrobat Reader!). But any advice
meanwhile which might add to my repertoire would be much appreciated
please

Terry, UK

You got a good respondent over there.

https://www.tenforums.com/general-support/216028-ctrl-x-not-working-file-explorer.html

Now, I can't remember the name of the utility, but there is a keyboard remapper
available for windows. Would the key sequence be remapped ?

OK, don't bother with that. There is a worse symptom. I am running Win11 here,
I opened my Explorer window to the Test Folder For Screwups, I made a new
text file, I highlighted the file, then I used the right-click menu
and *not even the scissors icon worked*. Both ctrl-x and the scissors fail >> to work in Windows 11 Explorer. I expect the same patch has been sent
to both.

Remember, that a recent "improvement" was pushed, where the icons on
the menu were given "balloon help". If you hold your mouse cursor over
the scissors icon on the right-click context menu entry for a file,
it says that the shortcut is Cut (Ctrl+X) and neither that shortcut,
nor the scissors icon, works.

However, the Delete key does work, as does the Trash can symbol in the
Windows 11 Explorer menu. And the Balloon help says that the Trash Can
shortcut is the Delete key, which is why I pressed the Delete key.

Now my file is gone, and in the trash. To bring it back, I type the
undo shortcut (and without checking any balloons) that is ctrl-Z for Undo. >> And now my file is plucked from trash and back into the folder.

(Picture of some previous design intent
Cut , Copy , Paste , Rename , Share , and Delete
There is no Undo in the list, but your 4D memory bank will provide...)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/finding-items-in-the-file-explorer-context-menu-2c458eb5-d27a-4b69-9301-60df221caaa0

Conclusion: Why do we have a scissors icon again ?
Design intent or what ?
I think it is in preparation for a Paste, but enables easy file loss as well.
That does not excuse a symbol to "not work" in an interface.

Paul

Many thanks Paul, very interesting. I'm sure your suggestion is right,
in which case my efforts were bound to fail.

Can any Win 10 user here can reproduce my problem please?

Terry

Your suggestion to try it out on Win10, shows that the Win10 has
an additional comment in the balloon help for the Cut.

Cut (Ctrl+X)
Move the selected items to the Clipboard

[Picture]

https://i.postimg.cc/RFvVC3yM/cut-explorer-win10.gif

Of course, it does not really do it that way. That's a description
of the "logical" operation, to not baffle the user. The thing is,
the Cut does not remove the file from view in the source folder.
The file continues to sit in its folder.

The Clipboard will instead, have a kind of metadata, sort of like
an I.O.U. for the file.

It's when you click Paste, that the clipboard is examined, the
metadata indicates "Hey, I owe you a file, and the name is ...".
It is at that point, the Cut happens and the Paste happens, in
one step. This is intended to not have a physical file "sitting in limbo".
Like if the power goes off in the computer, while the metadata
is in the Clipboard, nothing bad happens. The metadata is lost.
But the physical file has not moved, and nothing is damaged.

These are the semantics of an "atomic" operation.

Windows 11 lacks the additional sentence, and I wasn't clever
enough while testing on Win11, to realize this. You have to
think about "how do you make an atomic operation", in order
to figure out "how it must work". While the Clipboard does
have substantial capabilities, the idea is not to make up
"dangerous capabilities" :-) Like, if the file disappeared,
and the user does not know where the overflow clipboard area
is, they'd never find their file. The file could also be
too large for this sort of thing, to be doing it physically.

Both Win10 and Win11 work the same way. Visually, the interface
isn't exactly the same. And on both, the operation is atomic,
for safety reasons. So your file never ends up in limbo.
If they made the file disappear during the Cut, then,
they could lose the file on you, which would not be
a good side effect.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

"...winston" <winstonmvp@gmail.com> wrote:

Terry Pinnell wrote:

Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

On Fri, 10/11/2024 7:03 AM, Terry Pinnell wrote:

I posted the following in TenForums a day or so ago but despite some
helpful replies there the quirk described so far remains unsolved. Most >>>> recently I've confirmed that it continues in either Safe Mode and a new >>>> user account. Hardly a big deal, but it bugs me...

--------------------

A few days ago an annoying issue arose. With a file or folder selected >>>> in File Explorer, Ctl + x no longer works. Or Right click > Cut. On any >>>> keyboard. Yet it does work in text apps or editors, like Notepad, Word, >>>> etc.

I can work around it by doing the FE cut in steps: copy, paste to
target, select original again, delete.

But it's had me spending hours trying to fix it, in vain. I could
retrace and list here as many of those attempts as I can remember
(including obscure ones like removing redundant versions of Visual C++ >>>> Redistributables, or uninstalling Acrobat Reader!). But any advice
meanwhile which might add to my repertoire would be much appreciated
please

Terry, UK

If you hold your mouse cursor over
the scissors icon on the right-click context menu entry for a file,
it says that the shortcut is Cut (Ctrl+X) and neither that shortcut, >>> nor the scissors icon, works.

Many thanks Paul, very interesting. I'm sure your suggestion is right,
in which case my efforts were bound to fail.

Can any Win 10 user here can reproduce my problem please?

Terry

Win10 Pro 22H2 full updated through Oct. 2024

This is how I understood Control X on different objects.

Control X on a folder or file holds the contents in memory.

Yes, the Clipboard!

Control X is not a delete option(at least not immediately)

Of course not, but it should immediately delete the selected file of
folder from display

- After selecting a folder or file, and then pasting it
elsewhere(different location), the file or folder are
created(pasted/moved) to the new location, the file or folder no longer >present(deleted/removed) in the original location.

Control X does not copy a folder or file to the clipboard.

Yes, it does, always has AFAIK. And that should happen at once. The
clipboard is also a section of 'memory'. Or call it a 'virtual
clipboard if you want to make some sort of distinction.

- the clipboard afiak is not designed(nor is it capable of accepting a
file or folder with a Control X command

Eh?

Control X does accept selected text cut from within a file
- it also does accept selected text from a file name(click filename or
click filename and select filename and its extension), then Control X,

You can see the clipboard status/results of any of the above by:
- selecting a folder or file,then press Window key V(=> clipboard void
of folder or file)
- selecting text in a file or of a filename/filename.ext, then Windows
key V(clipboard contains the selected text)

Note: To view Clipboard content, the 'Clipboard History' feature setting >needs to be enabled(Settings/Clipboard/Clipboard History)

i.e. maybe all those extra steps depending upon your objective are not >neccessary ??

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

On Fri, 10/11/2024 5:18 PM, Terry Pinnell wrote:

Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

On Fri, 10/11/2024 7:03 AM, Terry Pinnell wrote:

I posted the following in TenForums a day or so ago but despite some
helpful replies there the quirk described so far remains unsolved. Most >>>> recently I've confirmed that it continues in either Safe Mode and a new >>>> user account. Hardly a big deal, but it bugs me...

--------------------

A few days ago an annoying issue arose. With a file or folder selected >>>> in File Explorer, Ctl + x no longer works. Or Right click > Cut. On any >>>> keyboard. Yet it does work in text apps or editors, like Notepad, Word, >>>> etc.

I can work around it by doing the FE cut in steps: copy, paste to
target, select original again, delete.

But it's had me spending hours trying to fix it, in vain. I could
retrace and list here as many of those attempts as I can remember
(including obscure ones like removing redundant versions of Visual C++ >>>> Redistributables, or uninstalling Acrobat Reader!). But any advice
meanwhile which might add to my repertoire would be much appreciated
please

Terry, UK

You got a good respondent over there.

https://www.tenforums.com/general-support/216028-ctrl-x-not-working-file-explorer.html

Now, I can't remember the name of the utility, but there is a keyboard remapper
available for windows. Would the key sequence be remapped ?

OK, don't bother with that. There is a worse symptom. I am running Win11 here,
I opened my Explorer window to the Test Folder For Screwups, I made a new >>> text file, I highlighted the file, then I used the right-click menu
and *not even the scissors icon worked*. Both ctrl-x and the scissors fail >>> to work in Windows 11 Explorer. I expect the same patch has been sent
to both.

Remember, that a recent "improvement" was pushed, where the icons on
the menu were given "balloon help". If you hold your mouse cursor over
the scissors icon on the right-click context menu entry for a file,
it says that the shortcut is Cut (Ctrl+X) and neither that shortcut, >>> nor the scissors icon, works.

However, the Delete key does work, as does the Trash can symbol in the
Windows 11 Explorer menu. And the Balloon help says that the Trash Can
shortcut is the Delete key, which is why I pressed the Delete key.

Now my file is gone, and in the trash. To bring it back, I type the
undo shortcut (and without checking any balloons) that is ctrl-Z for Undo. >>> And now my file is plucked from trash and back into the folder.

(Picture of some previous design intent
Cut , Copy , Paste , Rename , Share , and Delete
There is no Undo in the list, but your 4D memory bank will provide...)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/finding-items-in-the-file-explorer-context-menu-2c458eb5-d27a-4b69-9301-60df221caaa0

Conclusion: Why do we have a scissors icon again ?
Design intent or what ?
I think it is in preparation for a Paste, but enables easy file loss as well.
That does not excuse a symbol to "not work" in an interface.

Paul

Many thanks Paul, very interesting. I'm sure your suggestion is right,
in which case my efforts were bound to fail.

Can any Win 10 user here can reproduce my problem please?

Terry

Your suggestion to try it out on Win10, shows that the Win10 has
an additional comment in the balloon help for the Cut.

Cut (Ctrl+X)
Move the selected items to the Clipboard

[Picture]

https://i.postimg.cc/RFvVC3yM/cut-explorer-win10.gif

I'm not seeing any such messages (or any FE pop-ups) here in my
19045.5011. Checked and this is enabled in
Folder Options > View: 'Show pop-up description for folder and desktop
items'
Also FWIW 'Show sync provider notifications'. Am I missing some other
setting, as I'd like them back for a while so that we're singing from
the same hymn sheet.

--------------------

BREAKING NEWS Sat 12 Oct 2024 1028, UK
After yet another reboot (reluctant - I'm a 24/7 user) I have Ctrl + X
back in File Explorer!
Still an unsolved mystery, but I can move on now ;-)

FWIW here is my recent WU history.

Recent 'Quality Updates'
2024-10 Update for Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64—based Systems
(K85001716)
Successfully installed on 12/10/24

Security Update for Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Service Pack1
Redistributable Package (KB2538243)
Successfully installed on 10/10/24

2024-10 Cumulative Update for \Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based
Systems (KB5044273)
Successfully installed on 09/10/24

2024-10 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1 for
Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64 (KBSO44091)
Successfully installed on 09/10/24

2024-10 Security Update for \Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64—based
Systems (KB5046400)
Successfully installed on 08/10/24

2024-09 Cumulative Update for \Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64—based
Systems (KB5043064)
Successfully installed on 12/09/24


--------------------

I'll be staying with Win 10 anyway, largely for its familiarity, but
this sort of issue sure wouldn't encourage me.

BTW, the registry hack mentioned by the respondent looks helpful?

'How to restore cut and paste right click availability in windows 11 - Microsoft Community'

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-restore-cut-and-paste-right-click/070458f0-0c43-4dc9-b5b7-084eac260a18

Terry

Of course, it does not really do it that way. That's a description
of the "logical" operation, to not baffle the user. The thing is,
the Cut does not remove the file from view in the source folder.
The file continues to sit in its folder.

The Clipboard will instead, have a kind of metadata, sort of like
an I.O.U. for the file.

It's when you click Paste, that the clipboard is examined, the
metadata indicates "Hey, I owe you a file, and the name is ...".
It is at that point, the Cut happens and the Paste happens, in
one step. This is intended to not have a physical file "sitting in limbo". >Like if the power goes off in the computer, while the metadata
is in the Clipboard, nothing bad happens. The metadata is lost.
But the physical file has not moved, and nothing is damaged.

These are the semantics of an "atomic" operation.

Windows 11 lacks the additional sentence, and I wasn't clever
enough while testing on Win11, to realize this. You have to
think about "how do you make an atomic operation", in order
to figure out "how it must work". While the Clipboard does
have substantial capabilities, the idea is not to make up
"dangerous capabilities" :-) Like, if the file disappeared,
and the user does not know where the overflow clipboard area
is, they'd never find their file. The file could also be
too large for this sort of thing, to be doing it physically.

Both Win10 and Win11 work the same way. Visually, the interface
isn't exactly the same. And on both, the operation is atomic,
for safety reasons. So your file never ends up in limbo.
If they made the file disappear during the Cut, then,
they could lose the file on you, which would not be
a good side effect.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 10/12/24 05:37 AM, Terry Pinnell wrote:
<snip>

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-restore-cut-and-paste-right-click/070458f0-0c43-4dc9-b5b7-084eac260a18

Thanks Terry, I like the simplicity of the patch. I've created both a Do and Undo reg file for
myself. I'll test it on next boot up of Windows. I too like the cut paste etc front and center.
--
Linux Mint 21.3, Cinnamon 6.0.4, Kernel 5.15.0-122-generic
Al

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Fri, 11 Oct 2024 22:18:44 +0100, Terry Pinnell wrote:

A few days ago an annoying issue arose. With a file or folder selected
in File Explorer, Ctl + x no longer works.

Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

[quoted text muted]
I think it is in preparation for a Paste, but enables easy file loss as well.
That does not excuse a symbol to "not work" in an interface.

Paul

Many thanks Paul, very interesting. I'm sure your suggestion is right,
in which case my efforts were bound to fail.

Can any Win 10 user here can reproduce my problem please?

I can, and I have more information.

First off, you said Ctrl+X "no longer works". Does it actually do
nothing on your system, or does it copy the file to the clipboard? It
dopes the latter for me:

1. Select a file in File Explorer.
2. Press Ctrl+X or right-click and Cut.
3. The file is not deleted.
4. Move to another directory, and press Ctrl+V. A copy of the file
appears.

So Ctrl+X and right-click Cut now work like Ctrl+C or right-click
Copy.

As has already been mentioned, the Delete key still works.

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Sun, 13 Oct 2024 13:06:07 -0700, Stan Brown wrote:

On Fri, 11 Oct 2024 22:18:44 +0100, Terry Pinnell wrote:

A few days ago an annoying issue arose. With a file or folder selected
in File Explorer, Ctl + x no longer works.

Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

[quoted text muted]
I think it is in preparation for a Paste, but enables easy file loss as well.
That does not excuse a symbol to "not work" in an interface.

Paul

Many thanks Paul, very interesting. I'm sure your suggestion is right,
in which case my efforts were bound to fail.

Can any Win 10 user here can reproduce my problem please?

I can, and I have more information.

First off, you said Ctrl+X "no longer works". Does it actually do
nothing on your system, or does it copy the file to the clipboard? It
dopes the latter for me:

1. Select a file in File Explorer.
2. Press Ctrl+X or right-click and Cut.
3. The file is not deleted.
4. Move to another directory, and press Ctrl+V. A copy of the file
appears.

So Ctrl+X and right-click Cut now work like Ctrl+C or right-click
Copy.

As has already been mentioned, the Delete key still works.

I should have read to the end of the thread before I answered. My
Windows 10 works just as Paul described in his "atomic operation"
post, <vecd9g$3rm59$1@dont-email.me>.

I wonder: has it always been that way and I just never noticed,
because Cut/Paste was already an "atomic operation" in my head, or is
this is a recent change?

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Sun, 10/13/2024 4:17 PM, Stan Brown wrote:

On Sun, 13 Oct 2024 13:06:07 -0700, Stan Brown wrote:

On Fri, 11 Oct 2024 22:18:44 +0100, Terry Pinnell wrote:

A few days ago an annoying issue arose. With a file or folder selected
in File Explorer, Ctl + x no longer works.

Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

[quoted text muted]
I think it is in preparation for a Paste, but enables easy file loss as well.
That does not excuse a symbol to "not work" in an interface. >>>>
Paul

Many thanks Paul, very interesting. I'm sure your suggestion is right,
in which case my efforts were bound to fail.

Can any Win 10 user here can reproduce my problem please?

I can, and I have more information.

First off, you said Ctrl+X "no longer works". Does it actually do
nothing on your system, or does it copy the file to the clipboard? It
dopes the latter for me:

1. Select a file in File Explorer.
2. Press Ctrl+X or right-click and Cut.
3. The file is not deleted.
4. Move to another directory, and press Ctrl+V. A copy of the file
appears.

So Ctrl+X and right-click Cut now work like Ctrl+C or right-click
Copy.

As has already been mentioned, the Delete key still works.

I should have read to the end of the thread before I answered. My
Windows 10 works just as Paul described in his "atomic operation"
post, <vecd9g$3rm59$1@dont-email.me>.

I wonder: has it always been that way and I just never noticed,
because Cut/Paste was already an "atomic operation" in my head, or is
this is a recent change?

The shading of the file, is a slight bit lighter after you
do the Scissor Cut, but the text is the same density as before.

Cut and Paste of text, that used the Clipboard (RAM) up to a
certain size, but OSes used a disk file, once the amount of text
was gargantuan. Since the material was "preserved" up to a point,
maybe there was less fear that the operation was not atomic. It used
two steps. If the power went off while the text was in the Clipboard,
then it could be lost. But then, the file would be unlikely to be
saved off at that point, and the changes might get lost too.

It's because of the uncertainties around how it works, that I
don't use it often enough to be comparing WinXP mode to current OSes.
It does seem to be working now, has a barely visible notation
that "something happened on the Cut", and the actual file operation
is atomic on the Paste step. There is not an attempt at least, to put
the file in a limbo state, have the power go off, and stand the chance
of losing it.

But the concept just gives me the creeps :-) Don't like it particularly.
And especially these OSes, where "everything changes once a week".

But at least for the file operation, it looks like someone put thought into
it. No matter what you do to the icon on the "Cut" step, there's always
going to be someone who will ask "one of my icons is a lighter color
than normal, what does this mean?". And of course, nobody will be
thinking about the representations that way, and realize the individual
has done a "Cut".

If you do a File Cut, flip to a text document and do a Paste,
what happens then ? :-) It seems nothing happens. So what if
a person asks "I pressed Paste and nothing happened", then we have
to remember that a File Cut could interfere with it.

I suppose the other thing a person could do, is use a Clipboard
Manager, to display the type of information currently on the Clipboard.
That might explain things a bit better, than fiddling the density of
the icon as a signal. It just defies good GUI design (discoverability).

A similar thing happened, when they started putting descenders on icons,
to indicate some sort of state change. Not a lot of people would recognize
all those representations, and be able to tell you what they are for.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)