The copy-and-paste feature is indispensable for streamlining our daily tasks in today’s fast-paced digital world. Whether you’re a student compiling research or professional juggling multiple projects, this simple yet powerful function can significantly boost productivity. However, encountering issues with copy and paste not working in Windows 11/10 can be incredibly frustrating and time-consuming. In this article, we’ll look at causes and fixes of Copy and paste not working in Windows.
Causes Of Copy and Paste Not Working In Windows
There are various causes for Copy and paste not working in Windows, but some, in particular, occur more frequently. Let’s have a look:
- Corrupted System Files: System files work behind the scenes to make almost every function on your computer work flawlessly. The related function may also stop working when a system file gets corrupted.
- Problematic Plugins Or Features: If you have recently installed any new plugins or features, they can interfere with the proper functioning of the feature in Windows. Try uninstalling them to get the feature back and running.
- Full Clipboard: Sometimes, an overcluttered or full clipboard can cause the copy and paste not to work or work unexpectedly. Try clearing the clipboard to fix the issue.
Well, now that you better understand the causes of the copy-paste feature not working in Windows, let’s look at the fixes in the next section.
Fix: Copy and Paste Not Working in Windows 11/10
In this section, we’ll look at a few fixes for the copy and paste not working in Windows. Here’s all that’s covered:
- Update Windows
- Run Keyboard Troubleshooter
- Run SFC
- Check If Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V Keys Are Working
- Run The Hardware Troubleshooter
Let’s now have a detailed look at each of these methods.
1] Update Windows
Windows updates are crucial for the smooth functioning of your PC as they bring in many bug fixes and enhancements. Many users complained that the copy and paste were not working on their Windows PC due to a system bug. Microsoft fixed the bug in a recent Windows update. So update your Windows to the latest available version to fix the issue. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Windows settings by pressing Windows+I on your keyboard.
- In Windows settings, head over to the Windows update section from the left pane.
- You will now see if any Windows updates are available for your PC. If there are, click the Download and Install button to install the update.
2] Use Keyboard Troubleshooter
Troubleshooters have been a part of Windows for a long time and have helped users resolve common and complex issues by thoroughly diagnosing the components, files, and related settings.
Troubleshooters can identify the underlying issues with your PC and its components. You can run the keyboard troubleshooter to identify and fix any issue causing the Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V functionality to malfunction.
3] Run SFC
Almost every function on your Windows PC is backed and enabled by its related system files. These system files contain important information and instructions for each feature to work correctly. The function may not work as expected when these files are corrupted or deleted.
The system file checker, or the SFC as the name suggests, checks for any system file corruption and replaces them with fresh working files to get features and functions on your Windows computer. You can run SFC to fix copy and paste not working in Windows.
4] Check if Ctrl, C, and V Keys Are Working
The Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V keys are more commonly used when Windows’s Copy and paste functionality is concerned. First, check whether the keyboard’s Ctrl+C and V functionality is working. If not, try checking for the same with Right-click context menu copy-and-paste functionality. If it is found that the copy-and-paste functionality is working with the context menu but not on the keyboard, try plugging in another keyboard to see if the functionality works.
5] Run Hardware Troubleshooter
The hardware troubleshooter is a more advanced troubleshooter, which, unlike the Keyboard troubleshooter, will try to identify and fix issues with the entire hardware of your Windows PC, in turn helping you fix the copy and paste not working in Windows issue. Try running the hardware troubleshooter to fix the Ctrl+C and V not working issues.
Conclusion:
The copy-and-paste functionality in Windows and almost every operating system is essential for users to move and transfer files, code, and work with text and almost every productive application on their PCs. In this article, we reviewed five methods to fix copy and paste not working in Windows. If you found the article to be helpful, please make sure that you share it with everyone.
How To Enable Clipboard In Windows?
To enable clipboard history in Windows, go to the Settings app, select the System tab, scroll down to locate and click on the Clipboard tile, and then turn on the toggle switch for Clipboard history. Alternatively, you can press the Windows + V keys on your keyboard to bring up the Clipboard window and then click on the Turn on button in the window.
How Do I Fix My Clipboard Not Working?
If your clipboard is not working, it may be caused by a disabled Clipboard user service or a Windows error. To fix it, try restarting the clipboard service and updating Windows using Windows Update. Another simple solution is opening Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), selecting Processes, selecting Windows Explorer, and clicking Restart.
