Unable to copy background

Same happens for me and it is super annoying since the duplicate background is always the first thing I do. Obviously, software testing is not on the level it should be.

brendat27884934  wrote Can someone tell why after updating Photoshop, I can no longer copy background layer. I have been able to do a Ctrl J or click on 'create new layer' and pressing shift/ctrl/alt E to duplicate background layer. Can someone please help me urgently to fix this problem. Thank you.

From the bottom Shift+Ctrl+Alt+N is add new layer Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E is stamp visible layers and it will doe nothing iff the currentlt tarhets layer visibility is off.   If you combine these two shortcuts which was required many version of Photoshop ago it will always work

Shift+Ctrl+Alt+N+E.  The Shift+Ctrl+Alt+N will add a new empty layer and become the current target and the Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E will stamp the visible layer into that layer because it was empty.   In newer version of Photoshop Adobe stop requiring an empty layer to be the current target It will stamp visible layer into a new layer.  However if the current targeted layer is not visible  Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E will do nothing..

Ctrl+J should duplicate the background layer but the  new layer name will be layer 1.   Sometime Photoshop seems to loose windows focus and no shortcut  key works till you get Photoshop image window back as windows  current active window have keyboard focus. That may be what was happening to you.

repeated Ctrl+J