Copy & Paste Issue In Files (Since Day 1)

[SL58]

Hello !

My "Copy & Paste" works great EXCEPT an issue with files. Eg: whenever I'm in lets say "Pictures" or "Downloads"

I can manually search & copy & paste just fine.  But when I use the "Search" box I can choose copy, but when I try

to paste the paste option is greyed out.

I tried sfc scannow w/no results.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thank You !

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @SL58,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're stoked to have you on board! 

To help us get started on resolving your issue, could you please share the model name of your device?

We're looking forward to helping you get back up and running! 

Best regards,

[SL58]

HP Pavilion, M# P6670T

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @SL58,

Thank you for the response.

Try these steps:

Restart File Explorer:

• Sometimes simply restarting File Explorer can resolve temporary glitches. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), locate Windows Explorer in the list, right-click it, and select Restart.

Check Clipboard Functionality:

• Ensure that clipboard functionality is working correctly.
• You can access clipboard settings by going to Settings > System > Clipboard, and ensure the Clipboard history is turned on.

Windows Updates:

• Make sure you have the latest Windows updates. Updates can fix bugs or glitches related to the operating system's features.

Reset Search Indexing:

• Go to Control Panel > Indexing Options.
• Click on Modify and ensure locations like Downloads and Pictures are included in the index.
• If issues persist, try rebuilding the index. Click Advanced and then Rebuild.

Check File Permissions:

• Ensure you have appropriate permissions for the folders where issues occur. Right-click on the folder (e.g., Pictures or Downloads), go to Properties > Security, and make sure your user account has Full Control.

Use Command Prompt as an Alternative:

• If you need to copy files and encounter issues, using Command Prompt as a workaround can be effective:
  • Open Command Prompt (Win + R, type cmd, and hit Enter).
  • Use the copy command such as copy <source> <destination> to manually copy files.

Clean Boot:

• Perform a clean boot to eliminate the possibility of third-party conflicts. Search for msconfig, select System Configuration, go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable all. Then go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager to disable startup items.

Third-party Software Conflicts:

• Sometimes third-party applications can interfere with system operations. Uninstall any recently installed software that might be causing conflicts.

Check Windows File Explorer Options:

• Open File Explorer Options via Control Panel. Ensure options related to privacy and search behavior are set properly under the General, View, and Search tabs.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[SL58]

My OS is Windows 7

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @SL58,

Thank you for clarifying that you’re on Windows 7, that helps narrow things down. The issue you described is actually a known limitation in Windows 7 Explorer: when you use the Search box in a folder (like Pictures or Downloads), the search results don’t always allow a direct Copy & Paste because Explorer doesn’t treat the search results as “real” file paths.

Here are a few workarounds you can try:

Open File Location

In the search results, right-click the file and select Open file location.

From there, you should be able to copy and paste the file normally.

Drag and Drop

Instead of right-clicking → Copy, try dragging the file from the search results directly into the target folder or onto your desktop.

Keyboard Shortcut Copy

Select the file from the search results, press Ctrl + C to copy, then go to the target folder and press Ctrl + V.

This often works even when the right-click "Paste" is greyed out.

Update Explorer / Windows 7 Fixes

Ensure you have installed Service Pack 1 and all the latest updates for Windows 7, as some Explorer behaviors were improved with updates.

Unfortunately, because this is how Windows 7 handles search result views, there isn’t a direct “fix” built into the OS, the above workarounds are the most reliable ways to deal with it.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[SL58]

I'm aware of all that stuff but thanks for letting me know it can't be done/corrected.

CHEERS !!