Top 3 Fixes for Copy and Paste Not Working on Mac

Using copy and paste is probably one of the first things you should have learned to save time. While this makes the job easier, we can only imagine how devastating it can be when copy and paste stops working. If you are unable to copy and/or paste text, files, and other content onto your MacBook, read this post to determine how you can fix the problem.

You may wonder why your MacBook can’t copy and/or paste anything. This is due to glitches, bugs, etc. in certain system processes. It happens for a number of reasons, including

Before we move on to the solutions, make sure you are copying and pasting correctly using the correct shortcuts: Command + C for copy, Command + X for cut and Command + V for paste. If these combinations are not working – maybe because you have a faulty keyboard – to complete the copy and paste operations. use the Edit function in the menu bar.

Click Edit in the menu bar and select the appropriate action(s) you want to execute.

If you still cannot copy or paste text or files using keyboard shortcuts or the Edit function on your Mac, continue to the section below for solutions.

1. Force Quit Workspace Server

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

If the copy and paste functionality is not working properly on your Mac, there may be some glitches on the workspace server. So stopping the workspace server might help. This will refresh it and hopefully get the copy and paste functionality working again on your Mac.

There are two ways to finish the pboard process on Mac.

Force Quit Workspace Server via Activity Monitor

Follow the steps below to stop the workspace server from Activity Monitor.

Stage 1: Click Go in the menu bar and select Utilities.

Step 2: Double-click Activity Monitor.

Stage 3: Medicine panel Enter it in Activity Monitor’s search box and double-click on the clipboard in the results window.

Step 4: Click the Exit button.

Step 5: Finally, select Force Quit.

This will kill the workspace server process and restart it immediately.

Note: Force quitting Pboard deletes the most recently copied content stored in the workspace server’s memory. Before exiting Pboard, make sure you can still access the copied content; so you can easily re-copy when pboard is opened again.

Force Quit Workspace Server via Terminal

You can also use the Terminal app to refresh the Pboard process. Here’s how.

Stage 1: Click Go in the menu bar and select Utilities.

Step 2: Double click Terminal.

Stage 3: Paste the following into the Terminal console and press Return on your keyboard.

sudo killall pboard

When you need to enter your system’s administrator password to use this command.

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

Fun Fact: The Pasteboard Server is also responsible for Drag and Drop operations on your Mac. So, if you can’t drag and drop files on your MacBook, force quitting the clipboard can help you fix the problem.

2. Kill the WindowServer Process

We found that some affected Mac users encountering similar issues were able to run Copy and Paste again by ending the WindowServer process. If force quitting Pboard doesn’t fix the problem, you can try this. To do this, follow the steps below.

Note: We strongly recommend that you save any ongoing task to your Mac before continuing. This is because terminating the WindowServer process immediately logs you out of your Mac and closes all active windows. You will then be prompted to log in with your Mac’s password. When you do this, closed applications and windows will automatically reopen and you may lose any unsaved tasks.

Stage 1: Click Go in the menu bar and select Utilities.

Step 2: Double-click Activity Monitor.

Stage 3: Medicine window server enter it in the search box and double click WindowServer.

Step 4: Click the Exit button.

Step 5: Finally, tap Force Quit.

3. Restart the Mac

If you can’t copy or paste content even though you refresh the workspace server, restart your Mac. Save any ongoing tasks, click the Apple logo in the upper right corner of the menu bar and select Restart.

Once your Mac boots up again, check if the copy and paste works now.

Control Your Mac

If none of the above methods fix the problem, you should visit an authorized Apple Service Center near you to have your Mac checked for complex software or hardware issues. It is also recommended that you update your Mac’s operating system to the latest version to help eliminate errors that cause copy and paste not working.

Next: Read the next link below to see the five best (5) Clipboard manager apps you can use to optimize productivity on your Mac.