VCCS Litonline

Copy and Paste

Most computer users know two ways to copy highlighted content and paste it into another Windows software, but there are two other ways you should be aware of because sometimes dialog boxes get in the way of the usual two methods.  Here's the details--

The Usual Methods--Icons and Menu

So you drag your mouse across some text (and maybe pictures or tables) with the left mouse button held down.  You want to copy or cut this section and paste it into a new page or a different program (like copying from the Web to Word).  Now what? Read the red print in the graphic below.

OR use the "Edit" menu

In the graphic above, the red print describes the "Edit" menu that commonly appears in all Windows-compatible software.  Cut, copy, and paste features are standard throughout such software as Word, Netscape, Internet Explorer, Excel, encyclopedias, other reference tools.

Uncommon Methods--Keyboard Commands and Right-Clicking

Keyboard Commands: The blue print and box in the graphic above note for you the prescribed key combinations to accomplish the same tasks.  To cut highlighted text, for example, you can hold down one of the two "Ctrl" keys on your keyboard and then tap the "X" key.  Similarly, to copy highlighted text, you hold down a "Ctrl" key and tap the "C" key.  To paste, hold "Ctrl" and tap "V."  (Of course, "P" would make more sense, but that command has already been delegated to printing.)

Right-Click Pop-up Menus: When nothing is highlighted and you have something that was cut or copied to the Windows Clipboard (an extra area of memory that holds text or pictures for you until you paste it somewhere or copy/cut something else), you can right-click where you want to paste and a menu will pop up that includes the option to "Paste," as shown in the small, gray graphic above.

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