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Copy and paste not working? How to fix it
When copy and paste stops working, the cause is almost always a small, fixable glitch. The fixes that work, in order, for Windows, Mac, browsers and Office.
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Fixing copy and paste
When copy and paste suddenly stops working, the cause is almost always small and fixable. Work through the fixes, in order, for Windows, Mac, browsers and Office apps.
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6 min
Copy and paste not working on Windows 11
Windows 11 has a few specific culprits when copy and paste dies, from the rdpclip process to clipboard history. The fixes, in the order most likely to work.
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Copy and paste not working on a Mac
A Mac that will not paste usually has a stuck pboard process behind it. Restarting it from Activity Monitor or Terminal, and the other fixes worth trying first.
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Copy and paste not working in Excel
Excel breaks copy and paste in its own special ways, from rogue add-ins to merged cells. Fixing each one, and knowing when paste special is the answer.
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Ctrl C and Ctrl V not working
When Ctrl C and Ctrl V go dead, the usual culprit is the keyboard itself or a background app hogging the shortcut. Tracking down the cause and fixing it.
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