Can no longer copy and paste or drag and drop files in Windows 7


  1. boardatwork
    Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home
       New #1

    Can no longer copy and paste or drag and drop files in Windows 7


    I noticed this just the other day when I tried to retrieve photos and mov files off of my camera and onto my desktop. The copy and paste function would not work. The photos would highlight when selected, but when I went to paste them anywhere, nothing would happen. I then tried to move photos that were on my computer already and neither cut/paste or drag/drop would move the photos to a different location. I then tried to cut and paste a word doc into a new location and that wouldnt work either. I can cut and paste text within a word doc if that is relevant or not. I did a virus scan, tried a system restore point, and ran the sfc? scannow diagnostic which came up fine. I know very little about how computers work so can you give me some ideas on what to try to fix this problem. Its a Windows 7 is all I know. Thank you!
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  3. Berton
    Posts : 1,519
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, Mac OS X 10.10, Linux Mint 17, Windows 10 Pro TP
       New #2

    How are you copying? After you Select files are you right-clicking them and Copy or are you using the Ctrl+C key combination? Same question for the pasting, right-click and Paste or Ctrl-V key combination? Another way is to open two copies of Windows Explorer, locate the files in one and locate the destination Folder in the other, right-click the Taskbar and choose either stacked or side by side then Select files and drag from one to the other.
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  4. boardatwork
    Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home
    Thread Starter
       New #3

    I have also tried to copy and paste using the ctrl keys to no success. I will try the windows explorer idea when I get home. Still, why would the mouse or ctrl keys no longer work for this function? It should take seconds to copy/paste and be simple as it was until a few days ago.
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  6. andrew129260
    Posts : 4,566
    Windows 10 Pro
       New #4

    boardatwork said:
    I have also tried to copy and paste using the ctrl keys to no success. I will try the windows explorer idea when I get home. Still, why would the mouse or ctrl keys no longer work for this function? It should take seconds to copy/paste and be simple as it was until a few days ago.
    How is the camera showing up in devices and printers? As a media device, or a camera?

    Alternatively you could use windows live photo gallery to import the photos.
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  7. boardatwork
    Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    Another Clue


    So on a hunch I logged in on my computer on an old guest profile that my sister in-law used a few years ago and on her profile, I was able to copy and paste and drag and drop files. I still cant do those things on my profile. Not sure what to do with that info but if you have any ideas, maybe that will help figure this out...
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  8. andrew129260
    Posts : 4,566
    Windows 10 Pro
       New #6

    Could be a user setting or a corrupt profile. You could always create a new admin account, and copy your data from the one account to the new one, and then delete the old account.
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  10. boardatwork
    Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    how to do that?


    How do I copy everything from one admin account to another? Theres like 250 GB of stuff and downloaded programs too.
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  11. andrew129260
    Posts : 4,566
    Windows 10 Pro
       New #8

    First, enable hidden files and folders under folder options in control panel.

    Go into c\users\your username. Copy the data from there, and paste it into the new account. The new account must be logged into first before this can be done.

    This is for xp, but kinda applies as well:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811151
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