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In Windows 8 I find I can't drag files to applications like I've been able to do for as long as I can remember. Example:

  • Drag MP3s to Winamp
  • Drag folder full of music to Winamp
  • Drag videos to VLC
  • Drag txt, reg etc files to Notepad

I have tried various combinations of:

  • Running Explorer as administrator
  • Running drop target as administrator
  • Taking ownership of drop target application's folder
  • Taking ownership of Explorer
  • Changing user account to administrator
  • Create a new user account
  • Lowering UAC level
  • Disabling UAC in GUI
  • Disabling UAC in registry
  • Running Explorer folders in a separate thread

This is the last straw if there's no known proper (ie non hacky compromise) fix for this. "Little" things like this combined are a productivity nightmare and if I have to relearn so much and configure so much to get basic things done with an OS I might as well just move to Linux once and for all.

nathanchere
  • 2,396

2 Answers2

4

OK, finally worked out what it is. Any applications opened directly from Explorer seem to be fine. Any applications opened from an application launcher anywhere in their history (eg: Launchy, Classic Shell start menu etc) exhibit the above behaviour. Running the application launcher as Administrator mostly fixes the problem, though it still occurs infrequently and I still can't work out why.

nathanchere
  • 2,396
2

Sounds like the applications cannot hook into explorer.

Try to refresh the PC, which takes 5 minutes(don't forget to back up of course) and if that does not work reinstall. I know it is a sucky solution but it definitely is a software problem specific to you.

cmplieger
  • 688