How to Fix Copy and Paste Not Working in Windows?

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In This Guide

TRY IT NOW: 3 Ways to Fix Copy and Paste in Windows NOW!

Method 1: Delete Your Clipboard History

Method 2: Update Your Windows

Method 3: Use the Keyboard Troubleshooter

Method 4: Clean Boot Your PC

Method 5: Restart File Explorer

Method 6: Make Sure Your Keys Aren’t Broken

Fix It Now

Windows 11 allows you to copy multiple items at a time to the clipboard. You can then paste them wherever needed. However, many users have reported that the Copy and Paste functions on their PC stop working sometimes.

This is a common issue faced by Windows 11 users. It can be caused by problems with the Windows File Explorer or corrupt system files.

Explorer issues or corrupted files can also prevent you from deleting files with longer names and more often – cause ‘quick settings’ to not work properly.

So how do you fix Copy and Paste not working in Windows? Read on to find six effective ways to fix the Copy and Paste functions in Windows.

How to Fix Copy and Paste Not Working In Windows?
[3 Beginner-Friendly Ways]

Sometimes, following our quick fixes below can help you resolve the Copy and Paste functions in Windows. This can prevent you from resorting to the other, more advanced fixes.

Method 1: Delete Your Clipboard History

If you have copied corrupted data or conflicting text formats to your clipboard, it can prevent the Copy and Paste functions from working. Delete your clipboard history to fix this:

• Press ‘Win + I’ to open “Settings” on your PC.
• Now go to “System” > “Clipboard”.
• Hit the “Clear” option next to “Clear clipboard data”.

This will delete your clipboard history. 

Method 2: Update Your Windows

Keeping your Windows updated fixes any underlying problems that may be causing key functions like Copy and Paste to not work. It’s an easy but effective way in most cases.

Here’s how to update your Windows: 

• In ‘Windows Search’, type and enter “Check for Updates”. 

• Check if there are any available updates in the resulting Window. If there are, click on “Install All”.

• If no updates are available, select the “Check for updates” option.

• Also install any “optional updates”, if available. 

• Once your Windows is updated, restart your PC.

Method 3: Use the Keyboard Troubleshooter

Windows 11 comes with a built-in Keyboard Troubleshooter that allows you to identify and fix any software-related issues within your keyboard.

Run the keyboard troubleshooter to make sure the Copy and Paste functions are working properly:

• Press ‘Win + I’ to open “Settings” on your PC.
• Go to the “System” tab and select “Troubleshoot” > “Other troubleshooters”.
• Select “Keyboard” and hit “Run” to launch the troubleshooter.

Wait for it to identify and troubleshoot any underlying issues with your keyboard.

Fixing a Not Working Copy and Paste Function
[3 Advanced Ways]

If the Keyboard Troubleshooter fails to resolve the issue with the Copy and Paste functions, it’s time to resort to these advanced fixes.

Method 4: Clean Boot Your PC

If you start your PC in a Clean Boot state, you can identify any third-party apps that may be keeping the Copy and Paste functions from working normally.

Here’s how to do so:

• On your PC, press ‘Win + R‘ and type “msconfig”.

• Now press ‘Enter’ and go to the “Services” tab.
• Next, select the “Hide all Microsoft services” checkbox and click on “Disable all”.

• Now go to the “Startup” tab.
• Select “Open Task Manager”.

• Next, right-click on every non-Windows entry and click on “Disable”.

• Now close the “Task Manager”.
• Go to the “Boot” tab and select the “Safe Boot” option.

• Finally, hit “Reboot”.
• If the issue has been resolved, enable the “Microsoft services” one by one to identify the one that’s causing the issue.

Method 5: Restart File Explorer

File Explorer in Windows is an important part of the graphical user interface. Restarting it can restore the Copy and Paste functions.

• On your keyboard, press ‘Win + X’ to open WinX.
• Open “Task Manager”.
• Go to the “Processes” tab and select “Windows Explorer”.
• Hit “Restart”.

• Once done, check if the ‘Copy and Paste’ functions are working now.

Method 6: Make Sure Your Keys Aren’t Broken

If nothing else seems to work, the issue may lie in the key mapping on your keyboard. Make sure that the ‘copy (Ctrl + C)’ and ‘paste (Ctrl + V)’ functions are correctly mapped on your keyboard. 

If they are correctly mapped, the issue may be caused by broken or faulty keys. If it’s a hardware issue, you’ll need to get a new keyboard to make the ‘Copy and Paste’ functions work.