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On your computer, you copy and paste text, files, and folders every day. So, when the Copy and Paste Not Working, it’s a big problem. Even though this is one of Windows‘ most basic features and has been around since the beginning, it doesn’t always work.
Copy and paste is one of the most-used features on all computer systems. No one wants to deal with copy and paste not working in Windows, no matter how useful it is. Most of the time, all you need to do is press Ctrl + C to copy and Ctrl + V to paste. You can also use the menu that comes up when you right-click with your mouse to copy and paste. But when they don’t work, it’s annoying and time to fix it.
Copy and Paste Not Working on windows
Update Windows
- Choose the thing you’d like to copy. You can select multiple files or chunks of text by holding down the
- Shift key while using the arrow keys.
- Press the Ctrl and C keys on your keyboard.
- Go to the place where you want to paste the item….
- Press the Ctrl and V keys on your keyboard.
Temporarily Disable Antivirus Software
A good antivirus software is very important for the security of your computer, but it can sometimes cause problems with the system and stop copy and paste from working. To fix this, temporarily turn off some of your antivirus’s features. If that doesn’t work, turn it off completely.
If changing your antivirus software solves the problem, you might want to do that. There are a lot of options that won’t mess up your system but will still protect it well. If you’ve been using the same antivirus for a while, it’s probably not the problem.
Run rdpclip.exe
If you can’t copy or paste, you may need to stop the “rdpclicp.exe” process and start it up again. The RDP Clip process controls copy-paste function between the local PC and a remote desktop. If something’s not working right with the process, you can’t copy and paste on the local machine – only the remote desktop. It helps to fix the problem if you restart it.
- To open Task Manager, press Ctrl + Shift + ESC.
- Go to the tab labelled “Details.”
- Right-click on the process called “rdpclip.exe.”
- Choose “Complete task.”
- Go to the “Windows/system32” folder to start it up again.
- Find the file “rdpclip.exe” and open it.
Scan for Corrupt System Files
When system files get corrupted, they mess up how Windows works. Another way to fix Windows so that copy and paste work is to run the System File Checker (SFC) and the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM). Run SFC first, and if that doesn’t work, run DISM. On both, you need to use Command Prompt or PowerShell.
- Press Win+R, then choose Windows Terminal (Admin). You can choose PowerShell or Command Prompt from Terminal, but PowerShell is the default. Depending on your version of Windows 10, you’ll need to choose either PowerShell (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
- At the prompt, type the following: sfc /scannowIf that doesn’t fix the problem or there are still corrupt files, it’s time to use DISM. At the next prompt, type the following:
- /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- DISM may take a while to run and may look like it’s frozen at times, but just be patient. The tool is looking through files and fixing them, so it stops at certain percentages to fix problems.
You can get more help at the Microsoft Support Center.
Copy and Paste Not Working on Mac
Force Close the Pboard Server
Pasteboard is what “Pboard” stands for. The Pasteboard server is an important background process that helps you copy and paste data on your Mac in a big way. Pboard is the daemon for the clipboard in macOS. The clipboard is a temporary place to store and send data copied from one place to another.
- Double-click Activity Monitor in Finder > Applications > Utilities.
- Tap the search icon in the upper right corner.
- window.
- Select Quit.
- Choose the button that says Force Quit.
Start up your Mac
If you can’t copy and paste even after trying the above solutions, restart your Mac and try again. Make sure you close all open apps before you restart your Mac so you don’t lose any data that hasn’t been saved. Choose Restart from the Apple logo on the menu bar.
Force Close the WindowServer
WindowServer is another important part of the Mac operating system that is needed for it to work. Stopping WindowServer can help fix problems with your Mac’s system that make copy and paste not work.
Before you force-quit the WindowServer, you should close all open programmes and save any work you are doing. This is because the operation will log you out of your Mac, close all open programmes, and refresh your Mac’s operating system. When you sign in to your Mac, all of the closed apps will automatically open, but you may lose any data that wasn’t saved.
- Open the Activity Monitor, type windowserver in the search box, and then double-click WindowServer.
- Select Quit.
Update or Downgrade Your Mac
Most of the time, the first version of a major macOS update has the most bugs and problems. One of the biggest problems with the macOS Big Sur is that it doesn’t work well when you copy and paste. When using Finder, some Mac users who recently updated to macOS Big Sur couldn’t find the “paste” option in the context menu. Since then, Apple has put out an update that fixed this problem.
Check to see if the problem goes away after you update your Mac. Open System Preferences, click Software Update, and then install any updates you see on the Software Update page. If your Mac is up-to-date but you still can’t copy and paste, go back to a stable version of the operating system.
For more help, you can go to the Apple Support Center.
FAQ
Why Isn’t My Copy and Paste Working
- If you try to copy and paste, other programmes or processes that are running may use the clipboard and make it hard for you to do so.
- Malware or viruses can mess up the clipboard or stop it from working.
- Problems can happen if the clipboard history is long and hasn’t been cleared in a while.
- If your keyboard or mouse is broken, you might not be able to copy or paste the way you want to.
- When system files or drivers are broken, they can mess up the clipboard.
How do I enable copy and paste on my Mac
- Copy on a device: Choose the content you want to copy, then copy it. On a Mac, for instance, you could press Command-C or choose Edit > Copy.
- Paste on a device: Place the pointer where you want the content to go, and then press the “paste” button.
Why sometimes I cant copy and paste doesn’t work
Malware or viruses can mess up the clipboard or stop it from working. Problems can happen if the clipboard history is long and hasn’t been cleared in a while. If your keyboard or mouse is broken, you might not be able to copy or paste the way you want to. When system files or drivers are broken, they can mess up the clipboard.
Why can’t I copy and paste files on my Mac
If you can’t move or copy a file or folder, you might need to change its permissions. You might also need to change the permissions settings for the disc, server, or folder where you want to move the item. On your Mac, choose File > Get Info or press Command-I while the item is selected.
How do I enable copy and paste
- Choose the thing you’d like to copy. You can select multiple files or chunks of text by holding down the
- Shift key while using the arrow keys.
- Press the Ctrl and C keys on your keyboard.
- Go to the place where you want to paste the item
- Press the Ctrl and V keys on your keyboard.