Fixing Nautilus File Manager: Cannot Move Files to and from Desktop on Ubuntu 20.04

In this article, we will be discussing several solutions to address the issue of not being able to move files to and from the desktop on Ubuntu 20.04 using the Nautilus file manager. The Nautilus file manager, also known as GNOME Files, is the default file manager for the GNOME desktop environment in Ubuntu.

Solution 1: Use the “Show in Files” Option

One of the simplest solutions to this problem is to use the “Show in Files” option. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Right-click on the file or directory on the desktop.
2. Select the “Show in Files” option from the context menu.

This will open the file or directory in a new Files window, from where you can easily drag and drop the file or directory to the desired location.

Solution 2: Disable the Experimental View in Nautilus Preferences

The issue might be due to the experimental view feature in the Nautilus file manager. Here’s how you can disable it:

1. Open the Nautilus file manager.
2. Click on the “Files” option at the top left of the window.
3. From the dropdown menu, select “Preferences”.
4. Go to the “Experimental” section.
5. Clear the “Use the new views” option.

Disabling the experimental view can potentially fix the drag and drop issue.

Solution 3: Use Terminal to Disable the Experimental View

If you are comfortable using the terminal, you can also disable the experimental view using a command. Here’s how:

1. Open a terminal.
2. Run the following command: gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences use-experimental-views false

This command uses the gsettings utility, which is a command-line interface to GSettings. It sets the value of the use-experimental-views key in the org.gnome.nautilus.preferences schema to false, thereby disabling the experimental view.

Workaround: Use Control or Shift Key for Drag and Drop

If the above solutions do not work, here’s a workaround that you can try:

1. Click and drag to select the desired files on the desktop.
2. Press and hold the Control or Shift key.
3. Click once on the file you want to use as a pivot (while still holding the Control or Shift key).
4. Release the Control or Shift key.
5. Click and drag the pivot file, and all the selected files should move along with it.

Solution 4: Use the “Desktop Icons NG (DING)” Shell Extension

Another solution is to disable the default GNOME shell extension responsible for desktop icons and use the “Desktop Icons NG (DING)” shell extension instead. Here’s how:

1. Disable the default GNOME shell extension for desktop icons.
2. Install the “Desktop Icons NG (DING)” shell extension. You can find the extension here.

The “Desktop Icons NG (DING)” shell extension provides a more functional desktop icon experience and might resolve the drag and drop issue.

Solution 5: Use Keyboard Shortcuts for Cut and Paste

If all else fails, you can use keyboard shortcuts to cut and paste files:

1. Select the file on the desktop.
2. Use the Ctrl+X shortcut to cut the file.
3. Open the destination folder.
4. Use the Ctrl+V shortcut to paste the file.

These solutions are based on user experiences and may vary depending on your system configuration. If you continue to experience issues, it might be worth reaching out to the Ubuntu community or the GNOME team for further assistance.