# Why can't I copy and paste?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 25, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692 "2011-10-25T01:03:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/1 "2011-10-25T01:03:31Z")
I can’t believe I have to ask such a stupid question but for some reason I can’t copy images and paste them onto a document. Could it be something in the settings on my computer? For the record I’m working on a new computer with Windows 7. Could there be something in my settings that needs to be changed? Could the problem be that my mouse is Apple? I realize that some images are copywrited but I can’t copy / paste text either. I’ve tried looking online for trouble shooting tips but all I find are basic instructions and nothing as to why I’m unable to do it. When you all get done laughing could someone take a stab at why I’m suddenly in Basic Computer Function Hell?
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### Author:  [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/2 "2011-10-25T01:07:30Z")
more detail needed. where are you trying to copy images/text from? what are you trying to paste them into? can you walk through the steps you’re taking?
and I highly doubt your brand of mouse has anything to do with it.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/3 "2011-10-25T01:09:55Z")
When right clicking, does the option even pop up?
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### Author:  [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/4 "2011-10-25T01:18:59Z")
Agreed, we need more information, like if this is a new problem, if it only fails with some of the ways to invoke these commands (keyboard, Edit menu, context menu), does it work in some applications but not others, have you recently made any changes to the computer, have you already tried restarting, etc, etc.
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### Author:  [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/5 "2011-10-25T01:25:53Z")
I’ve been trying to copy various images I’ve Googled and paste them into Word. No matter what site I try it doesn’t work. Basically I’m doing what I’ve always done; right click to highlight(which doesn’t work) then contol C and control V. I just took a dumbass guess at the mouse theory since the highlight part isn’t working for me. Hope that gives enough info; obviously I’m even less literate than I’d feared! Thanks, guys.
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### Author:  [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/6 "2011-10-25T01:29:08Z")
depending on what browser you’re using, right click on the picture, select “Copy” or “Copy Image” then you can paste into whatever you want.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/7 "2011-10-25T01:32:41Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#):
>
> I’ve been trying to copy various images I’ve Googled and paste them into Word. No matter what site I try it doesn’t work. Basically I’m doing what I’ve always done; right click to highlight(which doesn’t work) then contol C and control V. I just took a dumbass guess at the mouse theory since the highlight part isn’t working for me. Hope that gives enough info; obviously I’m even less literate than I’d feared! Thanks, guys.
Check your mouse settings to make sure right-click is enabled!
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### Author:  [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/8 "2011-10-25T02:37:11Z")
Is your mouse kinda old? Many times if a mouse has been used a lot for copy/paste work it can get clogged up, or full.
Each time you Copy with your mouse a copy of it is stored inside your mouse. It is accumulative. Your mouse is probably full and needs to be emptied. That can be hard and dirty work. I usually just buy a new one as they are so inexpensive.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/9 "2011-10-25T02:40:47Z")
> [@bonitahi](#):
>
> Is your mouse kinda old? Many times if a mouse has been used a lot for copy/paste work it can get clogged up, or full.
>
> Each time you Copy with your mouse a copy of it is stored inside your mouse. It is accumulative. Your mouse is probably full and needs to be emptied. That can be hard and dirty work. I usually just buy a new one as they are so inexpensive.
Say that with a smiley, Podner. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/10 "2011-10-25T02:55:28Z")
I ran into the unable-to-copy-and-paste issue on Snopes. Someone here told me to turn off Java Script, and that worked.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/11 "2011-10-25T03:02:27Z")
Several things can make copy and paste with a right click stop working on Windows 7. Usually you are running short on physical memory. If you can still highlight with the mouse, try using Control-C to copy, and Control-V to paste.
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### Author:  [@Placid\_Liver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Placid_Liver)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/12 "2011-10-25T10:06:11Z")
What browser are you in? Can you c&p from say Word to Notepad?
Using Firefox one the Joomla! sites at work won’t let me c&p text via right-click, but ctrl-c and ctrl-v work fine.
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/13 "2011-10-25T10:52:03Z")
Some web sites do disable right-click functions, or even highlighting of text, via JavaScript, but in my experience this is not that common, and the OP seems to be having the problem on multiple sites.
My guess is that **Maserschmidt** (@#7) has nailed the cause.
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### Author:  [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/14 "2011-10-25T14:27:53Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#):
>
> … but I can’t copy / paste text either…
Let’s try doing this without the right mouse button at all. Go into whatever word processor or text editor you prefer. Then do these steps:
[ol]
[li]Type whatever junk you want.[/li][li]Left-click somewhere in the middle of that text.[/li][li]While holding the Shift button down, Left-click somewhere else in the text.[/li][li]The text between the two clicks should now be highlighted.[/li][li]Click on the Edit menu. Is the “Copy” option available? If not, I have no idea what to do. If yes, click it.[/li][li]Click anywhere in the text, so that nothing is selected, and you do see the Insertion Point flashing.[/li][li]Click on the Edit menu. Is the “Paste” option available? If not, I have no idea what to do. If yes, click it.[/li][li]Did the selected text get pasted to the spot where the Insertion Point was flashing? If not, I have no idea what your problem is. If yes, then the problem seems to be in the mouse or the mouse settings.[/li][/ol]
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/15 "2011-10-25T14:40:03Z")
May I say that, being mildly dyslexic, I was formerly under the impression that the OP’s user name was WOOKIE IN A PUB, with the spaces taken out. I am now somewhat disappointed to realize that it is not (and baffled as to what it actually does mean).
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/16 "2011-10-25T14:48:48Z")
> [@njtt](#):
>
> I was formerly under the impression that the OP’s user name was WOOKIE IN A PUB, with the spaces taken out. I am now somewhat disappointed to realize that it is not (and baffled as to what it actually does mean).
I always read it the same way. It amuses me.
The OP’s name is actually from [Buckwheat’s Greatest Hits](http://www.savemefromboredom.com/4images/details.php?image_id=143).
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### Author:  [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/17 "2011-10-25T23:12:35Z")
Hey all,
Thanks for all the replies. I didn’t mean to post and run but my system went kablooey right after my last post (literally while I was checking to see if my mouse was set on right click. It wasn’t for some reason so I changed it and it locked up). I spent 2 1/2 hrs on the phone with Dell and now they’re sending me a new hard drive which seems silly because well, I’m here aren’t I! Thing is, my mouse is still not working (interesting factoid about it storing all the copies!) and the new one I bought is no better. I’m trying to make do using my touch pad but I are uncoordinated.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/18 "2011-10-26T13:56:47Z")
The statement about mouses storing copies of copied items was a joke. It’s 100% false. Consider yourself whooshed by the person who posted that.
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/19 "2011-10-26T16:03:54Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#):
>
> Hey all,
>
> Thanks for all the replies. I didn’t mean to post and run but my system went kablooey right after my last post (literally while I was checking to see if my mouse was set on right click. It wasn’t for some reason so I changed it and it locked up). I spent 2 1/2 hrs on the phone with Dell and now they’re sending me a new hard drive which seems silly because well, I’m here aren’t I! Thing is, my mouse is still not working (interesting factoid about it storing all the copies!) and the new one I bought is no better. I’m trying to make do using my touch pad but I are uncoordinated.
Did you reinstall/update your mouse drivers? That might do it. Or if it is a USB mouse, maybe try a different USB port. The one you are using might have gone bad.
But anyway, if you are getting a new hard drive for free out of this, you are winning! Buy an enclosure for a few a bucks and you have got yourself backup storage.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-copy-and-paste/600692/20 "2011-10-26T16:42:32Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> The statement about mouses storing copies of copied items was a joke. It’s 100% false. Consider yourself whooshed by the person who posted that.
I thought someone did make a mouse like that, allowing copies to be passed from one machine to another. Probably not the case this time.
Anyway, if you think that is the problem on a laptop, you should reset the machine by holding it upside down and shaking it. Also if you can’t move the cursor far enough in any direction, you need a bigger mouse pad.
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