Fixed: Copy/Cut/Paste Not Working in Windows 10/8/7

Updated on Dec 18, 2023 | by Kent

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Copy and Paste not working, help!
Cannot backup files by copying and pasting in PC, fix it now!
Quick Fix 1. Fix copy and paste not working error by uninstalling Adobe Reader
Quick Fix 2. Run SFC and uninstall/reinstall keyboard drivers to fix Copy & Paste not working issue
Method 1. Repair damaged Internet Explorer that cause Copy/Cut/Paste won't work
Method 2. Fix Copy/Cut/Paste not working error with Registry editor

Copy and Paste not working, help!

Case 1. Copy and Paste failed to work
"Here's a simple solution: you can use the "Copy" and "Move" options in File Explorer to move files to another drive or location. If Copy & Paste isn't working, try right-clicking on the file, selecting "Copy" or "Cut", then navigate to the destination drive and right-click to "Paste" or "Paste" (if it's a move). You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste.
I tried Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V and right-click selected files with Copy and Paste, nothing worked.Still To fix the issue of no copied files in the new drive, you can try the following: Check if the drive is properly connected and recognized by your system. Ensure that the drive is formatted correctly for the type of files you're trying to copy. If you're using a file transfer software, try restarting it or using a different software to copy the files."

Case 2. Copy, Cut and Paste won't respond

To resolve the issue with copying, cutting, and pasting not working on your Windows 10 PC, try the following: Ensure the Clipboard is enabled in Settings > System > Clipboard. If that doesn't work, try restarting your PC. If the issue persists, check if the issue is with a specific application or the OS itself. You can also try resetting the Windows Explorer or reinstalling the Windows 10 operating system. If none of these methods work, consider running a System File Checker (SFC) scan to identify and replace any corrupted system files.

If you're experiencing issues with Copy, Cut, and Paste functions in Windows 10, 8, or 7, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve the problem. Firstly,

Cannot backup files by copying and pasting in PC, fix it now!

If the copy and paste feature is not working on your Windows PC, you can still create a copy or backup of a file by using alternative methods. Typically, the copy and paste feature is designed to help users create a copy of a file in a new location or storage device, but if it's not working, you can try other approaches to achieve the same result. For example, you can use the "copy" command in the Command Prompt or File Explorer, or use a third-party software to create a backup of your files. These alternatives can help you accomplish the task even when the copy and paste feature is not functioning as expected.

Qiling Backup

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Qiling's professional backup and recovery software can help you fix the issue by creating backup images for important files and data on your Windows PC with just a few clicks. The backup files are surprisingly compact, taking up less space than the original files. You can easily download and install this software to create backup copies of your important data and files on your Windows PC.

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The backup procedure requires a working computer to create an emergency disk of Qiling Backup, which is then used to boot the unbootable computer and make a full backup.

Step 1. To make a Qiling Backup emergency disk, connect a USB flash drive to a working computer, launch Qiling Backup, click "Tools and utilities", and then click "Create bootable Media".

Step 2. To boot from a USB drive, select the USB option when choosing a boot disk location, and then click Create.

create a USB emergency disk of Qiling Qiling back

Step 3. To initiate the backup process, insert the emergency disk into the computer that needs backing up. Restart the PC, press F2/DEL to enter the BIOS, change the boot sequence, and then start the computer. From the bootable disk, run the Qiling backup software to begin the backup process.

Step 4. To access the Backup and recovery page, go to the Backup and recovery option, then choose the Disk backup mode, and select the computer hard drive(s) to make a full backup.

backup hard drive on a unbootable computer

Step 5. Save the backup file to an external storage device, such as a USB drive or external hard drive, for added security and convenience.

Step 6. Click "Proceed" to execute your operation.

3. Click Proceed to backup wanted files now.

Quick Fix 1. Fix copy and paste not working error by uninstalling Adobe Reader

If Adobe Reader is newly installed, it may interfere with other applications or programs, causing them to malfunction. If you're unable to use the Copy and Paste feature to copy or move files on your PC, try uninstalling Adobe Reader to see if it resolves the issue.

1. Right-click on "Start" > Select "Programs and Features".
2. Find "Adobe Reader" and right-click it, select "Uninstall".
3. Uninstall Adobe Reader and restart PC.

After rebooting your PC, check if the Copy & Paste feature works. If not, try the Quick Fix 2 to resolve the issue.

Quick Fix 2. Run SFC and uninstall/reinstall keyboard drivers to fix Copy & Paste not working issue

1. Press the Windows key + R keys to open the Run dialog, type "cmd" and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
2. Type: sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
Run the SFC command to scan and repair corrupted system files, then check if the copy and paste feature is working properly.
3. If the SFC command doesn't work, type "dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth" and press Enter.
To resolve the issue, you can try rebooting your PC and then attempt to copy, cut, and paste files or data into another location. This may resolve the problem.

If it still not works, try to enter Device Manager and uninstall and reinstall the keyboard driver to see whether copy and paste work or not:

1. Right-click on "This PC/My Computer" > Select "Manage".
2. In the Device Manager, select the "Keyboards" section and expand it, then right-click the keyboard you want to repair and choose "Uninstall".
3. Then click the Windows Start button and click "Restart".
4. Windows will automatically detect your keyboard and reinstall the keyboard drivers after rebooting.

If the quick fixes don't work, you can try the following three solutions to get the copy, cut, and paste feature working again in Windows 10/8/7: 1) Run the System File Checker, 2) Reset Windows Explorer, and 3) Re-register the Windows Shell experience. These solutions can help resolve issues with the copy, cut, and paste feature not working.

Method 1. Repair damaged Internet Explorer that cause Copy/Cut/Paste won't work

1. Click "Start" > "Settings" > "Control Panel".
2. Double click "Add/Remove Programs" > "Microsoft Internet Explorer" > "Change/Remove".
3. Click "Repair Internet Explorer" in the Internet Explorer and Internet Tools dialog, then click "OK".

If Copy and Paste feature still doesn't work, try to restore the previous Windows configuration:

1. Click "Start" > "Settings" > "Control Panel".
2. Double click "Add/Remove Programs" > "Microsoft Internet Explorer".
3. Click "Restore the previous Windows configuration" and select "OK".
4. Follow the on-screen guidelines to complete the process.

To transfer files from one location to another, you can use the "copy" and "paste" functions. First, select the files you want to move by clicking on them.

Method 2. Fix Copy/Cut/Paste not working error with Registry editor

1. To rename the IEMIGRAT.DLL file, go to the path C:\Windows\System, click on the IEMIGRAT.DLL file, and then on the File menu, click "Rename".
2. Rename the file as lemigrat.dlx and close Windows Explorer.
3. Click Start > Run > type: regedit and click OK.
4. In the Registry Editor, click on "My Computer" and then click on "Export Registry File" on the Registry menu.
5. Select a safe location to save the exported file;
6. In the File name box, type the name for the new file and click "Save".
7. To resolve the issue, navigate to the Registry Editor and click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/Migration. Then, locate and click on the '100' key in the right pane.
8. To delete a file, click "Delete" on the Edit menu, then click "Close" on the File menu and finally close all programs.
9. To install Windows Millennium Edition, restart your PC, insert the Windows Millennium Edition installation CD-ROM, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

After making this change, Windows Explorer and other features like Copy/Cut/Paste, etc., should work properly.