{"id":"moving-folders.can-data-parking-copy-instead-of-move","url":"/faq/moving-folders/can-data-parking-copy-instead-of-move","category":{"id":"moving-folders","title":"Moving folders"},"subcategory":{"id":"data-parking","title":"Data Parking (the two-pane mover)"},"question":"Can Data Parking copy files instead of moving them?","alt_questions":["Copy to external drive and keep the original","Can I keep a copy on my Mac and the drive?","storage studio copy files to ssd","Duplicate a folder to the fast drive","Back up a folder with Data Parking"],"short_answer":"Yes. Use Send here and choose Copy — the selected items are copied into the folder shown in the other pane and the originals stay put. For regular, versioned copies, Data Backup is the better tool.","answer_markdown":"Yes — use **Send here** and choose **Copy**. The selected items are copied into the folder the other pane is showing and the originals stay where they are. You can copy as a merge (keeps extra files already at the destination) or as an exact mirror (removes files the destination has that the source doesn't).\n\nThe paired Move, Merge and Relocate buttons all remove or replace the original, because Data Parking's main job is freeing space. For regular, versioned copies of folders, Data Backup is the better tool.\n\nSee [What is Send here?](/faq/moving-folders/what-is-send-here-in-data-parking) and [backups](/faq/backups/).","answer_html":"

Yes — use Send here and choose Copy. The selected items are copied into the folder the other pane is showing and the originals stay where they are. You can copy as a merge (keeps extra files already at the destination) or as an exact mirror (removes files the destination has that the source doesn't).

\n

The paired Move, Merge and Relocate buttons all remove or replace the original, because Data Parking's main job is freeing space. For regular, versioned copies of folders, Data Backup is the better tool.

\n

See What is Send here? and backups.

","answer_text":"Yes — use Send here and choose Copy. The selected items are copied into the folder the other pane is showing and the originals stay where they are. You can copy as a merge (keeps extra files already at the destination) or as an exact mirror (removes files the destination has that the source doesn't).\n\nThe paired Move, Merge and Relocate buttons all remove or replace the original, because Data Parking's main job is freeing space. For regular, versioned copies of folders, Data Backup is the better tool.\n\nSee What is Send here? and backups.","tags":["copy","send here","data parking"],"related":[{"id":"moving-folders.what-is-send-here-in-data-parking","question":"What is \"Send here\" in Data Parking?","url":"/faq/moving-folders/what-is-send-here-in-data-parking"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Can Data Parking copy files instead of moving them? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Yes. Use Send here and choose Copy — the selected items are copied into the folder shown in the other pane and the originals stay put. For regular, versioned copies, Data Backup is the better tool.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Moving folders","path":"/faq/moving-folders/"},{"name":"Can Data Parking copy files instead of moving them?","path":"/faq/moving-folders/can-data-parking-copy-instead-of-move"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/can-data-parking-copy-instead-of-move","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can Data Parking copy files instead of moving them?","alternateName":["Copy to external drive and keep the original","Can I keep a copy on my Mac and the drive?","storage studio copy files to ssd","Duplicate a folder to the fast drive","Back up a folder with Data Parking"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes — use Send here and choose Copy. The selected items are copied into the folder the other pane is showing and the originals stay where they are. You can copy as a merge (keeps extra files already at the destination) or as an exact mirror (removes files the destination has that the source doesn't).\n\nThe paired Move, Merge and Relocate buttons all remove or replace the original, because Data Parking's main job is freeing space. For regular, versioned copies of folders, Data Backup is the better tool.\n\nSee What is Send here? and backups.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/can-data-parking-copy-instead-of-move"}}]},"fragment":"
\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Moving folders · Data Parking (the two-pane mover)

\n

Can Data Parking copy files instead of moving them?

\n

Short answer: Yes. Use Send here and choose Copy — the selected items are copied into the folder shown in the other pane and the originals stay put. For regular, versioned copies, Data Backup is the better tool.

\n

Yes — use Send here and choose Copy. The selected items are copied into the folder the other pane is showing and the originals stay where they are. You can copy as a merge (keeps extra files already at the destination) or as an exact mirror (removes files the destination has that the source doesn't).

\n

The paired Move, Merge and Relocate buttons all remove or replace the original, because Data Parking's main job is freeing space. For regular, versioned copies of folders, Data Backup is the better tool.

\n

See What is Send here? and backups.

\n\n

Last reviewed

\n\n

Related questions

\n

Also available as Markdown and JSON.

\n
"}