4 Ways to Fix Copy and Paste Not Working on Mac

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Fix 1: Force Quit the Pasteboard Server

Pboard is the short form for Pasteboard Server. This program facilitates the exchange of information on your Mac. When you copy or cut data from an application, the Pasteboard server temporarily stores the content. This same program makes copied content available when you paste it into an application. Think of it as your Mac’s clipboard.

If the copy-and-paste functionality isn’t working correctly on your Mac, the Pasteboard server may be experiencing glitches. Hence, stopping the Pasteboard server might help. That will refresh it and hopefully get the copy-and-paste functionality working again on your Mac.

There are two ways to end the pboard process on a Mac.

Method 1: Via Activity Monitor

Step 1:ClickGoon the menu bar at the top. SelectUtilities.

Step 2:Double-click onActivity Monitor.

Step 3:Typepboardinto the Activity Monitor’s search box. Double-click onpboardin the result window.

Step 4:Click theQuitbutton.

Step 5:Finally, selectForce Quit.

That will kill the pasteboard server process and immediately start it anew.

Note:Force quitting pboard will delete recently-copied content stored in the pasteboard server’s memory. Before you quit pboard, ensure you still have access to the copied content — so that you can easily copy it again when pboard comes back on.

Method 2: Via Terminal

Step 1:Click onGoin the menu bar. SelectUtilities.

Step 2:Double-click onTerminal.

Step 3:Paste the following line into the Terminal console and hitReturnon your keyboard.

You will be prompted to enter your Mac’s password to go ahead with the process.

And that’s it. The Pasteboard server will be shut down and automatically restarted by your Mac. Now, try copying and pasting content and see if it works.

Fun Fact:The Pasteboard Server is also responsible forDrag and Dropoperations on your Mac. So, if you’re unable to drag and drop files on your MacBook, force-quitting pboard might help resolve the problem.

Fix 2: Kill WindowServer Process

We found that some affected Mac users facing similar issues could get Copy and Paste working again bykilling the WindowServer process. You can try that if force-quitting pboard doesn’t fix the problem. Follow the steps below to get it done.

Note:We strongly advise saving any ongoing task on your Mac before you proceed. This is because killing the WindowServer process will immediately log you out of your Mac and close all active windows. You’ll be required to sign in with your Mac’s password afterward. When you do, the closed apps and windows will automatically reopen, and you might lose unsaved tasks.

Step 1:ClickGoon the menu bar. SelectUtilities.

Step 2:Double-click onActivity Monitor.

Step 3:Typewindowserverinto the search box. Double-click onWindowServer.

Step 4:Click theQuitbutton.

Step 5:Finally, tapForce Quit.

Fix 3: Try Pasting on Other Apple Devices

You must be aware that all your Apple devices are linked to the same iCloud account and have synced clipboards. So, if you copy something on your Mac, you can paste it on your iPhone. If you copy something on your iPhone, you can paste it on your iPad.

If you have multiple Apple devices, try copying content on your Mac and pasting it on your iPhone. If it still doesn’t work, try the subsequent solutions to fix the clipboard issue on your Mac.

Fix 4: Use a Third-Party Clipboard App

There could be a possibility that your Mac cannot store copied items to paste them. A good workaround for the issue is to use a third-party clipboard app likeCopyClip.

CopyClip is a clipboard app that maintains your clipboard history to paste copied items at a later stage. It will not only fix the issue with copy-paste not working on your Mac but also give you additional functionality to paste items copied in the past.

FAQs for Copy and Paste Not Working on Mac

The simplest way to copy an image is to hold the control key on your keyboard when you click on the image and select the Copy option.

By default, macOS doesn’t have a clipboard history like Windows. So, you can’t copy and paste multiple pieces of text or files natively. However, you can achieve this via third-party apps mentioned above, like CopyClip.

Ensure both your iPhone and Mac are logged into the same Apple ID and connected to the internet. This will allow you to copy and paste items on both devices.

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Last updated on 01 August, 2024

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