# Microsoft Photo Editor paste problem Q

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-photo-editor-paste-problem-q/109352>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 16, 2002, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-photo-editor-paste-problem-q/109352 "2002-05-16T07:42:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-photo-editor-paste-problem-q/109352/1 "2002-05-16T07:42:34Z")

</div>

When I cut and paste something into an existing image in Microsoft Photo Editor, it sort of pastes twice. It fixes itself permanently in the top left corner, and also makes a copy of itself available to be dragged around to wherever (which is what I want).

But how can I get rid of it from the top left corner?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-photo-editor-paste-problem-q/109352/2 "2002-05-16T10:40:48Z")

</div>

Hmm… I just tried that on my machine and it worked fine. It did initially paste it to the top left corner, but moved when I dragged it.

What picture type are you working with? I just tested with jpg.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-photo-editor-paste-problem-q/109352/3 "2002-05-16T10:58:25Z")

</div>

OK - I open and select a jpg.

Drag a box round an area, copy and paste.

The selected area appear in the top left, with the moving selection loop still round it.

I can move it, but when I do, there is still a copy of it in the top left corner.

Seems to happen across all pic types.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-photo-editor-paste-problem-q/109352/4 "2002-05-16T11:03:02Z")

</div>

OK - I have narrowed the problem down. The sticking-extra-copy-top-left thing is only happening if I CTRL+P the image. If I right click and select paste from the menu, it doesn’t happen.

CTRL+P is configured as a Macro is MS Word (Select Special:paste plain text) - could this be interfering with its use across other applications?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-photo-editor-paste-problem-q/109352/5 "2002-05-16T11:12:11Z")

</div>

Aha! I just replicated your problem. For me, it only happens when I paste to the same image I copied from. It works fine when pasting from one image to another.

As you say, if you right-click-paste or choose paste from the edit menu it seems to avoid the problem.

I have no idea what’s going on, but at least you’ve found a work around. I guess you could save the image, reopen another copy, then paste to the new copy of the image… but then that’s kinda defeating the object of the “shortcut” keys! 😉

I dunno if it is something to do with your word macro, but the same happens on mine when I just use the normal “Ctrl-V” shortcut.