How to Fix It When Copy and Paste Isn't Working in Windows 10/11

Ryan Dube is a freelance contributor to Lifewire and former Managing Editor of MakeUseOf, senior IT Analyst, and an automation engineer.

• Wichita Technical Institute

Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA-certified technologist with more than 10 years of experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.

Copy and paste can stop working for a variety of reasons. Although it's annoying if you rely heavily on this functionality, you'll be pleased to know that it's usually not hard to fix. Below is a list of solutions we've confirmed will work when copy and paste is broken.

These tips work on Windows 11, Windows 10, and older versions of Windows.

Why Isn't My Copy and Paste Working?

Copy and paste problems have popped up on the Windows operating system for decades, and they can happen at seemingly random times and without an apparent cause. Here are some of the more common reasons you can't copy or paste in Windows:

• Windows has an unresolved bug
• The software you're copying from or pasting to has a bug
• Multiple apps are trying to use the clipboard at the same time
• Malware has corrupted or disabled clipboard functionality
• The clipboard history is too large
• The mouse or keyboard is faulty
• System files are corrupt
  

If nothing works on your keyboard, then this problem is bigger than a copy and paste issue. See our guide on How to Fix It When a Keyboard Won't Type for better solutions. Your mouse not working is similar.

How to Fix It When Copy and Paste Isn't Working in Windows 10/11

These copy/paste fixes are software-based. Work your way through the list from top to bottom to try the easier solutions first:

1. Restart the program that's having issues. Often, it's just one or two apps that can't copy and paste, and closing and reopening the software is usually the quickest fix.

Sometimes Windows just doesn't work like we want it to. If an update isn't available, you might have to work around the problem. Some users have had luck "fixing" the copy function by forcing it: Hold Ctrl and then press C three to five times. Then, try to paste with Ctrl+V.

While this fix is more relevant for issues directly impacting Explorer, like when the taskbar is frozen or Windows Search isn't working, it's worth a shot here, too, depending on where you're trying to copy or paste.

It's highly unlikely for a virus infection to break just the copy and paste functionality. If malware is behind this problem, it has probably broken more than just the clipboard. Be sure you're running a good antivirus program to help prevent this from happening in the future.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth 

You'll have the option to keep or delete your files; either choice is fine. It's really just your software and Windows files that are to blame for clipboard issues, not your documents, videos, etc.

The keyboard shortcuts in most programs are Ctrl + C to copy and Ctrl + V to paste. You can also right-click an item and choose Copy and Paste from the options menu.

The keyboard shortcut for the cut command in most Windows programs Ctrl + X. Alternatively, go to Edit > Cut, or right-click and select Cut from the menu. To paste, use Ctrl + V.

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