how to properly enable drag-and-drop in Windows 7 (with iTunes in particular)

Question

On two computers with Windows 7 at work and at home with the same version of iTunes (10.1.0.56) at work I can drag-and-drop files into iPod, and I can not at home. At home only adding them first through a dialog box to a Library and only after that drag-and-dropping into iPod (or iPad) works.

Initially I thought the problem is in iTunes, but looks like it's the same version, so most likely it's the Windows 7 config parameters.

It's 64-bit W7, and I have admin privileges in both cases. The only difference I could think of is it's an enterprise version at work and ultimate at home.

What should I change at home to enable that drag-and-drop-ing files into the application?

Answer 1

There's nothing to enable in Windows. Drag and drop just works.

Applications have to register themselves (in code at runtime) as drag-drop targets, basically telling Windows they support drag and drop operations. If iTunes isn't working, it apparently doesn't do so.

Saying that iTunes on the two machines "looks like it's the same version" isn't good enough. Check to make sure the version numbers are identical, or have iTunes itself check for software updates to make sure both are the latest.

Answer 2

Are you starting iTunes on the computer where drag-and-drop doesn't work with the option Run this program as an administrator enabled (.exe > Properties > Compatibility tab) ?

I found that with a text editor, enabling this property (so that I could more conveniently edit application configuration files) consequently broke drag-and-drop (by which I mean I couldn't drag from Windows Explorer into that application).

The reason confounded me for a while, until I realised that another (less frequently used) text editor opened files via drag-and-drop just fine.

According to another superuser post, post-UAC, you can't drag from a program without elevated privileges to an application that has been started with elevated privileges. And it's not possible to start Windows Explorer (the application from which you're dragging) with elevated privileges. Ergo, enabling that option breaks drag-and-drop.

My workaround? I'm a SlickRun addict, and have set up SlickRun shortcuts to the most frequently edited configuration files using my favourite text editor, metapad. In the shortcut, just enable the Run as administrator option. You have to hit Yes in the UAC prompt, but it means that you can leave the option unset on the metapad executable, which keeps drag-and-drop working.

Answer 3

Where are you dragging from, Windows Explorer?

It's W7 x64 on both systems?

Does iPod/iTunes... come in both x64 & x32 varieties?

Thinking it may be an x64 vs x32 issue & or you're running under different user/privilege levels (for Explorer vs iPod).