# Why can't I copy and paste?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/13473>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 6, 2000, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/13473 "2000-02-06T21:34:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2000, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/13473/1 "2000-02-06T21:34:00Z")

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I mean, I know how, but I couldn’t when I tried to post a reply just now. I wanted to c&p the post I was responding to, so I highlighted the text, but when I pulled up the Edit menu, the Copy option wasn’t active. Is it the new computer? I’m on AOL 5.0. (No flames, please; we’re going to switch to DSL at the earliest convenience.)

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Remember, I’m pulling for you; we’re all in this together.  
—Red Green

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2000, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/13473/2 "2000-02-06T21:37:00Z")

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Ctrl+c will copy and Ctrl+v will paste in most Windows apps.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2000, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/13473/3 "2000-02-06T21:40:00Z")

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Thank you, Beatle!

Gettin’ there! (Post count, I mean!)

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Remember, I’m pulling for you; we’re all in this together.  
—Red Green

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/13473/4 "2000-02-07T02:01:00Z")

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DING! I just noticed the icon above each post that gives one the option to “reply w/quote”!

Gettin’ there!

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Remember, I’m pulling for you; we’re all in this together.  
—Red Green

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**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/13473/5 "2000-02-07T02:06:00Z")

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You probably don’t need to use AOL to browse. If you have a browser within the AOL software, it may not be the latest.In most cases you can use another browser and still go thru the ISP/AOL.But I never used AOL. I had some versions of IE where the clipboard tended to mess up. So, all these things can be involved.