PerchShelf
A temporary shelf for your files · Windows 10 & 11

Park your files mid-drag.

Start dragging a file and a shelf appears right beside your cursor. Drop it there, find the destination at your own pace, then drag it out again. No more juggling two Explorer windows.

Get it from Microsoft Store

Free 30-day trialthen a one-time purchase

  • Works offline
  • Collects no data
  • No subscription
  1. 1Drag
  2. 2Shake
  3. 3Park it
  4. 4Deliver

  1. Start dragging any file.
  2. Give the mouse a quick shake, or head for a screen edge. The shelf pops up beside your cursor.
  3. Drop it on the shelf. Nothing is copied: it is held by reference.
  4. Switch apps at your own pace, then drag it out. Drag moves, Ctrl+drag copies.

Made for real work

A shelf that shows up exactly when your hands are full.

Appears mid-drag

Give the mouse a quick shake while dragging, or head for a screen edge. It takes files, and images, links and text dragged out of a browser. Selecting text or moving a window never sets it off.

Held by reference

Nothing is copied, so even huge files land instantly. Later, drag them out to move, or hold Ctrl to copy.

Shelves as tabs

Keep "for the report" and "for the client" apart. Drop a file on + to start a new shelf, or drag an item onto another tab to move it there. Grab the "All" row to take everything at once.

Feels like Windows

Real Explorer icons and image thumbnails, light and dark mode, seven accent colors. Reorder by dragging, and your shelves are still there after a restart.

Photos from your phone

New in 1.1: click the phone button on the shelf and scan the QR code. The photos you take arrive on the shelf, ready to drag into an email or a folder. Only over your own Wi-Fi, encrypted, with no app or account on the phone.

Stays out of your way

Quiet until you need it.

PerchShelf waits in the tray and only steps in when you are actually dragging files. Everything about when and where it appears is yours to tune.

  • Lives in the system tray

    No window to manage. The shelf hides itself when it is empty.

  • Fullscreen-aware

    Never pops up over fullscreen games, videos or presentations.

  • Per-app exclusions

    Name any app where the shelf should never appear on its own.

  • A hotkey and your own rules

    Ctrl+Shift+F shows or hides the shelf (changeable). Pick which screen edges summon it, the shake sensitivity and the distance to your cursor.

Private by design.

PerchShelf works entirely on your PC. It collects nothing and sends nothing. Your files stay where they are; the shelf only remembers where to find them. Read the privacy policy

  • Works offline
  • Sends nothing
  • No analytics

Pricing

Try everything. Pay once if you love it.

First 30 days

Free trial

Every feature, unlocked, from the first launch.

After that

One-time purchase

A single purchase unlocks PerchShelf for good. No recurring fees, no subscription.

If you don't buy

It keeps working

PerchShelf stays usable with one shelf and up to three items.

Get it from Microsoft Store

The price for your region is shown in the Microsoft Store.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Does putting a file on the shelf copy it?

No. The shelf holds files and folders by reference, so even huge files land instantly. When you drag them out, a plain drag moves them and Ctrl+drag copies them.

Why not just copy and paste?

Copy and paste works between two folders. The shelf helps where it doesn’t: collecting files from several folders, since the clipboard holds only one set at a time, and targets that take a drag but not a paste, such as many upload boxes on websites.

Can I keep images, links and text from a web page?

Yes. Drag an image, a link or selected text out of Chrome or Edge onto the shelf: images are saved as image files, links as Internet shortcuts and text as a .txt file, in PerchShelf’s own folder rather than on your desktop. Drag them out later into a document, a mail, a chat or an upload page. More about web content.

Will it pop up while I'm gaming or presenting?

No. It never appears over fullscreen games, videos or presentations, and you can exclude any app you like. It only appears during a drag, never when you select text or move a window.

Can I open the shelf without dragging?

Yes. Press Ctrl+Shift+F (you can change it) to show or hide the shelf at any time.

What happens after the 30-day trial?

A one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store unlocks everything for good. If you don't buy, PerchShelf keeps working with one shelf and up to three items.

Does it need an internet connection or collect data?

Neither. PerchShelf works entirely on your PC and sends nothing anywhere.

Which languages and versions of Windows are supported?

The app is available in English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, German, French and Spanish. It follows your Windows display language, and you can change it in Settings. It runs on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Guides

Stop holding the mouse button while you hunt for a folder.

Free for 30 days. One purchase after that, or keep the free mode.

Get it from Microsoft Store