Known Participant

Answered

Copy & Paste not always working - randomly

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
March 3, 2019
45 replies
96104 views

Hi all,

This is a very frustrating bug - around 50% of the times copy & paste won't work. I select an object, press ctrl+C, and then pressing ctrl+V produces nothing as if the clipboard is empty.

I cannot reproduce it as it seems random, sometimes it will copy & paste, sometimes it won't.

This makes working with Illustrator extremely hard.

Might be worth mentioning that copy-pasting from Illustrator into Photoshop resembles the same buggy behavior - it will randomly work or not.

Please advise on how to resolve this.

Cheers

Correct answer edgarr18001756

Here is an update of my issue of copy and paste in Illustrator.
Have switched keyboard, Now using Logitech keyboard and mouse on the same wireless usb dongle.

I must say, problem is gone.

So maybe this issue also can be caused by keyboard set up..

Show previous replies

HubertusausBerlin

Inspiring

Hello @Anshul_Saini + all!

I recently started having the same problem in Illustrator 28.5.

Copy & Paste does not work regularly. If I copy or cut something, it can't be pasted afterwards (Paste is also greyed out). This is quite annoying.

In the meantime I have tried the following without success:

x Deleted preferences, had them recreated

X Searched the lists circulating here ( @Monika Gause https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/illustrator-2022-copy-paste-is-not-working/m-p/12489823#M296750 ) for third-party programmes that could run in the background, but found none of the listed ones.

X Clipboard options PDF deactivated

Is there any new information on the problem?

Greetings Hubertus

My system info:

Windows 11 pro (23H2)

AMD Rysen 9 79503D 16Core 4.20GHz

128 GB RAM

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB VRAM (TUF-RTX4090-OG)

Studio Treiber 555.85 (5/24)

Monika Gause

Community Expert

So you do not have aggressive antivirus running?

Is it always the same kind of object you are copying? Something special?

Are you always using the shortcut? Or also the menu? Figuring out whether it's the shortcut that ois not working or Copy/Paste in general.

HubertusausBerlin

Inspiring

Hello @Monika Gause. Thank you for your answer.

There are different objects. Logos, simple elements, such as squares etc. Nothing special.

I have just tested again. If I cut or copy using the menu command and paste again using the menu command, everything works perfectly.

As soon as I use short cuts - not any more.

So it's the short cuts that regularly fail from time to time.

I only run the system's standard anti-virus programmes.

sferris77

Participating Frequently

I've been having this issue for a few years now and it's STILL doing it. I tried everything. The preference change doesn't do anything and neither does closing chrome. It sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. I use Ctrl+c/Ctrl=v like a thousand times a day so it's infurating when it's not working. PLEASE FIX THIS ADOBE.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

I've been having this issue for a few years now and it's STILL doing it. I tried everything. The preference change doesn't do anything and neither does closing chrome. It sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. I use Ctrl+c/Ctrl=v like a thousand times a day so it's infurating when it's not working. PLEASE FIX THIS ADOBE.

By @sferris77

Here is a list of settings and third party apps that interfere with the clipboard

Parallels Toolbox running with the Clipboard History
TeamVewer Clipboard > Use Shared Clipboard
Apple iOS device simulator from Xcode
Windows Multi-clipboard
Windows Clipboard History
Chrome Remote Desktop
Mouse Pointer Highlighter
AnyViewer
Pastebot app
Overzealous antivirus (Digital Guardian) as well as viruses that empty the clipboard
Vector Magic

sferris77

Participating Frequently

I have none of these apps installed.

S

Scarlett.3369

Known Participant

this is still an issue, Not a keyboard issue, reset peferances, no clipboard apps installed, SVG has been turned off for awhile because having that on greatly slows down work with somef files. Yet still not ways pasting after hiting copy and it only happens with illustrator randomly. I swear everytime they put out an update something else is messed up.

C

chryssalid

Participant

I can confirm that the issue still exists in 2024. In my case it is ALWAYS when I switch windows too fast (to the destination app) after CTRL+C. It looks like Illustrator needs some time to copy the image and if something interrupts this process (like loosing window focus) it is cancelled. It is also the case in the Illustrator tabs itself - if I switch tab too fast - result is the same as above.

M

martinkrz

Participant

I've been having this problem for years. Briefly, ctrl-c from photoshop and ctrl-v into illustrator most of the time pastes the object most recently pasted but not the one in the clipboard.

All the suggestions that have been posted by others are innane.

1. No, it's not "something interfering with keyboard shortcuts" problem. The item that has been ctrl+c cut from photoshop does exist in the clipboard and can be pasted into any other application with 100% success (e.g. keynote).

2. No, it's not "something is interfering with the clipboard" problem. This can be demonstrated easily by #1 above.

3. No, it's not "delete your preferences" issue. This does nothing. And also, if this was indeed a solution then why would I settle for it? Now I have to reconstruct my carefully tweaked preferences. Oh, Adobe, it's time to add a "search" in the preferences panel for all your products. They're out of control.

4. No, it's not "reinstall the application" issue.

5. No, it's not "upgrade to the latest version" issue. The problem has been persisting for years across many versions of Illustrator.

6. No, it's not "upgrade to latest OS" issue. See #5 above.

7. No, "hit ctrl-c several times" in Photoshop is not a solution. There is broadly no correlation.

It's an Illustrator problem. The copied item always pastes successfully into any other application. 100% of the time.

The issue is some kind of bizarre bug where, depending on the current state of the stack, the problem arises. Many people have said "I did XYZ and it went away", where XYZ is a different thing for each user. This means that XYZ is not a solution but just indirectly changes the app's stack somehow.

Illustrator code is brittle, buggy and slow. I'm *this* close to switching to Affinity Designer and the only reason I'm not is because I teach Illustrator. Thereby propagating the nightmare.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

I've been having this problem for years. Briefly, ctrl-c from photoshop and ctrl-v into illustrator most of the time pastes the object most recently pasted but not the one in the clipboard.

The default computer clipboard can contain 1 item. You copy another item, then this will erase the previous item. That's how clipboards work. Illustrator will paste whatever is currently in the clipboard. If it doesn't paste the thing that you just copied, then this can point to 2 different things:

1. The copying of the object failed

2. You actually have a system extension installed that enhances the clipboard, because if you can paste the thing into other apps, but not into Illustrator, then there are 2 things in the clipboard.

Illustrator does not cooperate well with those clipboard "enhancers".

Illustrator code is brittle, buggy and slow. I'm *this* close to switching to Affinity Designer and the only reason I'm not is because I teach Illustrator. Thereby propagating the nightmare.

By @martinkrz

If the copy-paste issue already limits your workflow then you'll be surprised just how much using Affinity Dersigner will impact yoiur workflow.

ericc19576445

Known Participant

Adobe needs to put the entire Illustrator dev staff on probation. The amount of bugs I deal with daily keep piling up. Nothing ever gets resolved. EVER!!!! I'm dealing with year 10+ on some of them, but the most annoying hands down is this new copy paste issue as well as the selection tool innacurracies on 4k or with stylus based systems. I ahve to zoom in to 1600% on a rectangle just to be able to move it rather than rotate it or scale it. Sometimes scaling rotates and object and sometimes rotating scales.

Illustrator feels like freaking surgery these days. It takes minutes to do what should take seconds and those minutes add up. Not to mention how hard it is to find a groove in your workflow when Illustrator is always the number 1 blocker.

The other is this phantom bug that removes Illustrator from focus in windows randomly. You have to go to the toolbar and click illustrator to refocus. Imagine just having to ignore these 3 major bugs multiple times per hour, every day. I have 3+ PCs and all these behaviors happen on all 3 and they are all using different OS, peripherals, etc.

edgarr18001756

Participant

Hello,
I also have this f#ct up problem since im working with Windows 11 ( before working with windows 11 i still used windows 7 till 2022 )

Well sometimes i have to press CTRL + C about 3 seconds and the clipboard appears in the right corner of windows.
After this ''appeared'' i can past the copied item.

So try to press CTRL +C for about 3 seconds, maybe works with you also..

I think its also a Windows 11 or 10 clipboard issue..

edgarr18001756

Participant

well, it works 'better' but not the solution, because sometimes it doesnt work..

edgarr18001756Correct answer

Participant

Here is an update of my issue of copy and paste in Illustrator.
Have switched keyboard, Now using Logitech keyboard and mouse on the same wireless usb dongle.

I must say, problem is gone.

So maybe this issue also can be caused by keyboard set up..

I

ivobachkov

Participant

AI 2023 and these mf still haven't fix that ENORMOUS issue. WTF Adobe ??? I understand you don't give 2 cents about your customers, since you're a monopoly, but bugging cut/paste functionality is some next level evil thing to do. Last few years this bug has been getting worser and worser...

Anshul_Saini

Community Manager

Hi @ivobachkov,

We are sorry to hear about your experience. Would you mind updating the app to v27.2, released recently, and see if that helps?

This generally happens due to third-party application interfering with keyboard shortcuts when working on Illustrator.

Would you mind booting into safe mode (Mac/ Windows) and launching Illustrator to check whether the same behavior is happening?

Also, would you mind confirming the exact version of your Illustrator & OS installed on your machine?

Kindly update the discussion if you still need assistance with it. We'd be happy to help.

Thanks,
Anshul Saini

Alex Venneker

Participating Frequently

In the preferences go to the Clipboard handeling and uncheck "include SVG Code". That did it for me.
It is not necessary to delete the preferences or uninstal 3rd party software. It's a proble within Illustrator and Adobe should do something about it.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

In the preferences go to the Clipboard handeling and uncheck "include SVG Code". That did it for me.
It is not necessary to delete the preferences or uninstal 3rd party software. It's a proble within Illustrator and Adobe should do something about it.

By @Alex Venneker

This won't help everybody. Please read the complete thread.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

I have tried deleting preferences. I have reinstalled AI and deleted all files associated before reinstall. Copy Paste worked fine for a day and now it is doing it again.

Any thoughts?

By @JosephMr434

Please read the complete thread.

There are third party system extensions that interfere with clipboard functionality. Uninstall it.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

@JosephMr434 schrieb:

"Please read the complete thread." I have.. So sorry for not putting all of my attempted corrections in the message. Will you please forgive me?

I don't have any clipboard enahancing software or 3rd party app running. I don't have antivirus either.

I have unchecking PDF and SVG code also.

And do you have any of these?

I uninstall this 3 program to fix the issue,
- chrome remote desktop
- mouse pointer highlighter
- anyViewer

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