What To Check If Copy & Paste Keyboard Shortcuts Aren't Working On Your PC Or Mac

Depending on how you use your computer, there will be specific keyboard functions and shortcuts you'll know the back of your hand. But perhaps the most universally well-known and beloved shortcuts of them all are the ones used for copy and paste. From adding new items to a folder to sharing links, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V on PC and Command+C and Command+V on Mac are two simple shortcuts that save unimaginable amounts of time every day. These commands are so intertwined in our day-to-day lives that using them has practically become second nature. 

So what would happen if Ctrl+C or Ctrl+V stop working? As unthinkable as that might sound, it can and does happen to Mac and PC users. It's frustrating to say the least, slowing down productivity as you're forced to manually move items or copy lengthy links and text passages. When speed is everything, every tool we can use to maximize our time is essential. 

Thankfully, all hope is not lost should you come across this dilemma. Giving your device a thorough run-through may be all you need to get to the root of the issue before diving into more elaborate solutions. What you'll need to check will differ depending on if you own a PC or a Mac, however. Keep reading to learn what you'll need to do. 

If the copy and paste shortcuts are failing to function on your PC, it could mean a couple things. Most are harmless. You've surely heard this cliche before, but the simplest place to begin is to do a restart. Given all that your program, browser, or computer itself has to process at any given time, closing and reopening is a fast way to allow your system to get back on its feet. 

It's also a good idea to give your clipboard history a check. A jam-packed clipboard history can greatly slow down its functionality, so make sure yours is clear and see if that solves the issue. Likewise, you'll want to make sure you only have one program copying and pasting at the same time, as doing so in multiple applications can bring about a clipboard conflict. Be sure to close or force quit any extraneous programs that aren't neccesary at the moment, or even uninstall anything that's taking over the copy and past function.

Check to see if there are any available updates that have yet to be installed on your device, as these may possess hot fixes to help your computer run smoothly. However, if none of these work, you'll have to check for some more extreme issues, such as running a malware check (although the chances that it solely affects copy and paste is unlikely) or performing a Windows system file repair. At the most extreme end, running a System Restore or resetting your PC entirely might be neccesary.

While there are ways to check your Mac's copy-and-paste functions similar to Windows, an Apple computer also possess some unique capabilities to keep in mind. Similar to Windows, doing a restart, force closing any background applications, and checking for available updates is a good place to start.

There are also more nuanced control functions worth trying out. You can check to see if the file you're attempting to copy from is read-only by right-clicking the file, selecting Get Info, and opening Sharing and Permissions to see if account is set to Read and Write. If this doesn't work, there's a chance that your keyboard is malfunctioning, so check your keyboard settings by going into System Settings, selecting Keyboard, and then Keyboard Shortcuts. Here, you can check the Modifier Keys section to ensure the Command Key is running.

A key background process to the functionality of the copy and paste commands is known as Pboard. There are two ways to force close this to aid in resetting copy and paste. The first is through the Activity Monitor, which can be accessed by hitting Command+Spacebar. After searching up and opening the Activity Monitor, you can type in pboard and double click it to bring up the Quit option. You can also achieve this by using macOS Terminal. Simply open up Terminal through Spotlight, type the command killall pboard, and select Return. Be cautious with this latter method, however, as typing in the wrong command can further harm your device.

Along with high performance levels, Apple users also benefit from the multitude of functions that have made it easier to communicate and share files between its device. In 2016, the company introduced Universal Clipboard, which allows users to copy something from one Apple device and paste it into another. 

While this allows for added convenience and productivity, it can also go awry from time to time. Should you run into this problem, fixing it is fairly easy. Nevertheless, it's important to follow the proper steps given that it requires typing into the Terminal. Here's what to do to fix Universal Clipboard:

1. Log into the same iCloud account on both devices.
2. In your Preferences, make sure that Handoff is on. 
3. In Terminal type in the following command: defaults delete ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.coreservices.useractivityd.plist ClipboardSharingEnabled and press Enter
4. Type in defaults write ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.coreservices.useractivityd.plist ClipboardSharingEnabled 1 and press Enter again

While other methods can combat this problem that involve resetting or turning certain features on and off, many Apple users have reported that the Terminal technique is the most effective. Of course, trust your gut if the problem at hand is beyond your reach and requires professional help.