Can’t Move the Folder Because There is A Folder in the Same Location in Windows 11

Being unable to move a folder from one location to another can be annoying. Recently, users have reported facing the issue ‘Can’t move the folder because there is a folder in the same location’ on a Windows 11 PC. Such an issue, especially on a day when you have a lot of work to do, is what one wouldn’t expect.

Well, this error is common on Windows 11. It is mostly encountered when users try to copy or move a personal folder to OneDrive. Facing this issue will prevent you from copying the folder to the location. If you cannot move the folder and get this error message, this article will help you fix it.

Also Read- How to Fix Access Denied Error Code 16 on Windows 11

Fix Can’t Move the Folder Because There is A Folder in the Same Location in Windows 11

Suppose you are unable to move the folder from one location to another. In that case, this may occur due to corrupted system files, restrictions on items, or when you don’t have administrator permission to transfer the data. Given below are some troubleshooting steps to fix the can’t move folder because there is a folder in the same location error on Windows 11-

1. Relink OneDrive

Firstly, you should try relinking the OneDrive. If you have been facing this issue, you can fix it by relinking OneDrive. Below are the steps to do so-

1. Click on the OneDrive icon in the taskbar
2. Now, click on the Gear icon at the top and click on settings.
3. Head to the Account tab, and click on the Unlink this PC option.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to unlink your account and then restart your PC.
5. Open OneDrive and then log in to your account again.

Once this process has been completed, you will be able to move your folders.

2. Set The Default Path

Setting the default path of the folder you are facing the issue with can also help solve the issue. Follow the given steps given below to do so.

1. Open File Explorer, right-click on the folder with the issue and click on the Properties.
2. Head to the Location tab, and click on Restore Default.
3. Click on Apply and then on OK to save the changes.

3. Run SFC Scan

Corrupted files on your system can also be responsible for this issue. SFC scans the corrupted files and repairs any damages caused due to them. To do so, follow the steps given below-

1. Open Start Menusearch for CMD and run it as administrator.
2. Here, type and execute the command sfc /scannow
3. Once the process is complete, restart your PC and the issue will be fixed.

4. Run DISM Scan

If you cannot change the location of the document folder, this issue can also occur due to a corrupted system image. If a corrupted system image is the reason behind encountering this error, you should run the DISM Scan.

1. Run the Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Here, execute the following commands one-by-one
   • DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
   • DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
   • DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Once done, Restart your device.

5. Tweak The Registry

Even after trying all the above steps, tweaking the registry is the last resort if you still face the issue.

1. In the Start Menu, search for and open Registry Editor.
2. Head to the following address-
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
3. Now, replace all the current value data present there with the default value data by the following list.
   • Desktop – %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
   • Favorites – %USERPROFILE%\Favorites
   • Music – %USERPROFILE%\Music
   • Pictures – %USERPROFILE%\Pictures
   • Videos – %USERPROFILE%\Videos
   • Documents – %USERPROFILE%\Documents
   • Downloads – %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
4. After doing so, close the Registry Editor and restart your PC. This should most probably fix the issue you have been facing.

Conclusion

These were the troubleshooting methods for fixing the ‘Can’t move the folder from one location to another’ error. If you encounter this error while trying to move a folder or files from one location to another, the steps in this article will help you fix it.