I’m unable to use the drag-and-drop file feature.

Question

I’m unable to use the drag-and-drop file feature.

Riustina 白久 20

Windows11 26200.9168

I have a program that automatically compresses video files to reduce their size. One convenient feature is that I can simply drag and drop files into the program (Drag and Drop). However, when I try to do this, the mouse pointer changes to a prohibited symbol 🚫, preventing me from dropping the files into the program.

There is a rather drastic workaround: changing EnableLUA under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System to 0 in Registry Editor (regedit). This does work, but when I asked an AI what would happen if I changed this value to 0, it warned me that doing so is essentially equivalent to disabling UAC, which could potentially put my computer at risk.

What would be a more elegant and secure way to resolve this drag-and-drop issue?

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Answer 1

(Please note that this is Chinese Q&A Forum, any threads should be posted in Chinese. However, I will still provide an answer in English based on your initial response.)

Hi, Riustina 白久

This usually happens because the compression program is running as administrator while File Explorer is running normally. Windows blocks drag-and-drop between different permission levels for security reasons. Disabling EnableLUA removes that protection and should not be used as the permanent fix.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

Restore EnableLUA to 1, then restart the computer.

Right-click the compression program’s shortcut and select Properties > Compatibility. Clear Run this program as an administrator.

If that option is already clear, select Change settings for all users and check again. Also open Shortcut > Advanced and clear Run as administrator if shown.

Start the program normally from the Start menu, then test dragging a file directly from File Explorer.

If the program genuinely requires administrator rights, drag-and-drop from normal File Explorer will remain blocked. In that case, use the program’s Open, Add files, or Browse button instead, or ask the developer for an updated version that does not require elevation for normal file processing. Keeping UAC enabled is the safer configuration.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you.

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