Kindle Skills - No Dragging and Dropping - Copy and Paste

If you have difficulty dragging files from one place on your computer and dropping them elsewhere, you aren't alone. I hear more complaints from people whose "mouse got away" from them than probably anything else.

Dragging and dropping is a learned skill, takes lots of practice, and as simple as it may sound to some, can be a real curse for others. Fortunately, with Windows there is always more than one way to do something. And - believe it or not - this applies to your favorite Mac users too.

One of the most valuable skills you can ever learn on a computer is the old Copy and Paste routine. Copy something from one place, then Paste it somewhere else. When you think about it, this little skill can really help you if you have difficulty dragging files from one place to another. If you can highlight (select) something, you can right click and Copy it. Then you can right click somewhere else (where there is a blinking cursor) and Paste it. Don't you just love it?.

The right mouse button is the key. This button gives you choices wherever you decide to use it. On a Mac, you can press the CTRL key and click with your single mouse button and get your choices that way (think CTRL+click). Once you right click something and see the choices, move the mouse pointer to what you want, then choose it with a single left click.

When you are copying text or images, the key to perfect pasting is making sure you always know where that blinking cursor is. The blinking cursor is the indicator that tells you where you can type. If you don't see it, you can bang on that keyboard all you want and you won't see a thing. If you see a blinking cursor and type, you will see what you type immediately, with the blinking cursor to the right.

When you are copying Files, you don't need to worry about the blinking cursor, but you do need to right click on the file to select it, then choose Copy. Then you need to open the folder where you want that file to be sent to and right click in a white (empty) area within the folder where the other files are. You must be careful not to right click on any of the actual files in that folder or when you choose Paste, you could end up replacing a file with the one you want to simply add to the list.

The difference between Cut and Copy:
When you have something highlighted and use the right click to see your choices, you should see Cut as well as Copy. If you choose to Copy something, the original will be left alone. If you choose to Cut instead, the original highlighted material will be removed (deleted). Then when you paste it somewhere else, it will be effectively moved.

Keyboard Commands:
CTRL+C = Copy (whatever is highlighted/selected) This includes images in most instances, and certainly text and files.
CTRL+V = Paste (wherever you see a blinking cursor - pasting replaces typing)


On a Mac:
command+C = Copy (whatever is highlighted/selected) This includes images in most instances, and certainly text and files.
command+V = Paste (wherever you see a blinking cursor - pasting replaces typing)

Kindle Skills - From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard - If you have a Kindle you will love this book! Get a sample and see.

Ask Mrs. Wizard: Please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) if you have any questions. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a more valuable resource to anyone who reads it. 

If you are reading this on your computer and would like to have this blog delivered to your Kindle wirelessly every day, click the link below. New subscribers will get the first two weeks free! If you know of a fellow Kindle owner, please share a good word and let them know about From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard - A Kindle Blog

Kindle Skills - Copy a file to your Kindle

To transfer (copy) a file to your Kindle:

1. Connect the Kindle to your computer with the supplied USB cable
2. If you are using Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7), a little popup window will appear asking you what you want to do... Choose Open folder to view files by left clicking those words.
3. This will cause another window to appear with the folders on your Kindle showing. Look for and double click to open the Documents folder. You should see your books listed. The best view is Details. Click the word View at the top of the window, then the word Details. This way you can see your books listed alphabetically, straight down the window. Make sure this window is NOT filling your screen. You need to be able to put your mouse in the Title Bar of the window and (while holding down the left mouse button) drag it to move it. The Title Bar is the very top part of any window. You should see the title of the window you are working with in it. The X to close the window is on the same level. If your window is filling the screen you will not be able to drag it anywhere.
4. Move the Kindle window out of the way and find the book file you want to put on it. This will be a file you downloaded from somewhere other than Amazon... perhaps manybooks.net. Make sure you know where your file is.
5. Right click on the book file and choose the word (single left click) Copy.
6. Move your mouse pointer to the Kindle Documents folder and right click in an empty white area inside that folder. Choose Paste.
7. You should see your book file listed in your Kindle folder now. Disconnect your Kindle and your new book should be listed at the top of your Home page.

Another way to copy files from one place to another is to left click on the file and (while holding down the left mouse button) drag it to the other window. When you have your pointer where you want to drop the file, let go of the mouse button. For some people, this can get messy. Files can be accidentally dropped in the wrong place and even lost. Using the copy and paste technique can be a neater solution.


The way to really learn something new is to practice, practice, practice! After a few times, it will be more natural.

Ask Mrs. Wizard:
Please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) if you have any questions. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a more valuable resource to anyone who reads it. 

If you are reading this on your computer and would like to have this blog delivered to your Kindle wirelessly every day, click the link below. New subscribers will get the first two weeks free! If you know of a fellow Kindle owner, please share a good word and let them know about From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard.

Kindle Skills - Copy and Paste

June 10, 2010 Cindy O'Neal

Copy and Paste
If you are File Management Challenged and have a hard time finding the Documents folder or your Desktop, or any other folder, learning the basic skill of Copy and Paste can make it all better. Copy and Paste is not just for bits of text. It can work great for files too, and can free your mind from all the confusion and having to drag and drop from one folder to another. For many, the thought of multitasking can turn them into a screaming mimi. Copy and Paste will allow you to concentrate on one thing at a time, and transfer books to your Kindle without making you crazy. This and making the right mouse button your best friend will make you the boss of your computer.

Right click and Copy
Yep... it is that easy. Right click on any file (CTRL+Click if you have a Mac) and choose (single left click) the word Copy. If you can see it and select it, you can copy it, and that includes files. Once you choose Copy, it won't look as though anything in particular has happened, but a nice copy of your file has just been tucked into the memory of your computer. You can close whatever window or folder you are working in. You don't need it any more and are perfectly free to move on to the next step.

Right click and Paste
Connect your Kindle to your computer with the USB connector. If you connect it to a PC, a little window will appear asking if you want to view the folders on this device. You do. If it is a Mac, you will see a little Kindle icon appear on your Desktop. Double click it to view the folders on your Kindle.

Click the Documents folder on your Kindle to open it. Right click in any empty (white) area inside the Documents folder to see what your choices are. One of your choices should be to paste the file. Go for it.
Your file will appear in the Documents folder where it belongs. You can now safely eject and disconnect your Kindle and your book file should be listed on the Home screen.

The nice thing about copying and pasting files is you are less likely to miss and have the file end up God knows where. Everything is slow and deliberate with copy and paste, and if you right click and don't see the choice you are expecting, it is nothing to back away and try again. Your file will be safely ensconced in the memory of your computer until you copy something else... you can paste it any time you are ready.

You know you have gone bonkers for your Kindle...
When you find yourself shopping for a nifty little Kindle light... Now when on earth did you ever read in the dark before?
Oh... my Kindle light works great!

Kindle Skills

Originally posted April 13, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

If Dragging and Dropping files is a bit much, here is another way to physically transfer files from your computer to your Kindle.

Copy and Paste...
You still need to know where your files are. Make sure you know (and can see) the file on your computer. It might be a .txt file or a .mobi file you downloaded from manybooks.net. Right click on the file (if you are using a Mac, control+click) and choose Copy. It won't feel or look as though a thing has happened. Don't worry (trust me).

Connect your Kindle with the USB cable to your computer. Wait a few seconds until you see a small window appear with choices. Choose to view folders with Explorer. When you see the folders on your Kindle, double click on the Documents folder to open it.

Here's where the magic happens... Right click any white area inside the Documents folder. Choose (single left click) Paste. And voila! *that's FRENCH for OMG! you should see your book file appear in your Documents folder contents.

View Details...When you have the Documents folder of your Kindle open, you may see your files listed as icons. You can change this to a more readable view if you like. Click the word View at the top of the window, then click the word Details. This will cause your files to be listed straight up and down, in nice alphabetical order. Take a good look at this window while you have your mouse nice and handy. This is a great learning opportunity. See how the files are lined up with the information in columns? Move your mouse pointer to the Date column (at the top where the word describing the column is) and left click once in that top header area. Notice how your files are now listed by date order. Click the same header area again and you should see the files reorganize by date again, only reversed. Do this with the Name column and see your files instantly organized by file name alphabetically (and reverse alphabetically). You will love the detail view!