Why is My Copy and Paste Not Working

When copy and paste stops working, it is usually because the “invisible” program that manages your clipboard has crashed or gotten stuck. This happens most often on Windows, but can occur on Macs and phones too.

Here is the troubleshooting guide broken down by device.

If you are on Windows (10 or 11)

The clipboard is managed by a specific background process that sometimes freezes.

1. The “Restart Explorer” Fix (Fastest)

This reboots your desktop interface without restarting the whole PC.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

• Find Windows Explorer in the list (it looks like a folder icon).

• Right-click it and select Restart.

• Your screen will flash black for a second. Once it returns, try to copy/paste again.

2. Clear Clipboard History

Sometimes the clipboard memory is “full” or corrupted.

• Press Windows Key + V.

• If a menu pops up with a history of copied items, click Clear All (or the three dots > Clear).

• If the “Turn on” button appears, your history was off; turn it on to see if that resets the function.

3. Reset the Clipboard Process (Advanced)

If the above didn’t work, you need to restart the specific clipboard monitor.

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

• Go to the Details tab (or “More details” if you don’t see tabs).

• Find rdpclip.exe.

• Right-click it -> End Task.

• Now, click File (top left) -> Run new task.

• Type rdpclip.exe and hit Enter.

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If you are on a Mac

On macOS, the clipboard is controlled by a process called “pboard.”

1. Force Quit the Clipboard Process

You can restart just the clipboard without restarting the computer.

• Open Activity Monitor (Press Command + Space and type “Activity Monitor”).

• In the search bar at the top right, type pboard.

• Double-click the pboard process in the list.

• Click Quit -> Force Quit.

• macOS will automatically restart it instantly. Try copying something now.

2. Check Universal Clipboard

If you are trying to copy on your iPhone and paste on your Mac (Handoff):

• Turn Bluetooth and Wi-Fi OFF and then back ON for both devices.

• Ensure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network.

If you are on Android or iPhone

Mobile clipboard crashes are usually caused by the keyboard app or a system glitch.

1. The “Reboot” Rule On phones, the clipboard is deeply tied to the operating system RAM. A simple restart fixes 99% of these issues.

2. Update Your Keyboard App (Android) If you use Gboard or SwiftKey:

• Go to the Play Store and check for updates to the app.

• Go to Settings > Apps > Gboard > Storage > Clear Cache. (Do not clear Data unless you want to lose your saved words/themes).

3. Check for “Secure” Apps Some banking or streaming apps (like Netflix or Chase) intentionally disable the screenshot and clipboard functions for security. If you can’t copy text from a specific app, that app likely blocked it on purpose.

Summary Checklist

• Windows: Restart rdpclip.exe or Windows Explorer.

• Mac: Force Quit pboard in Activity Monitor.

• Phone: Restart the device completely.