GuideWindows

Copy and paste on Windows: keys, mouse and several items at once

Short answer

Select what you want, press Ctrl+C to copy, click where it should go and press Ctrl+V to paste. To paste without formatting try Ctrl+Shift+V, and to see more than the last thing you copied press Win+V.

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Windows 10 and 11 · No subscription

Last reviewed 14 October 2026

Illustration: a board of big key caps. Ctrl and C copy, Ctrl and V paste, Ctrl and X cut, and the Windows key with V shows more than the last copy.

The Windows copy and paste keys.

Step by step

How do I copy and paste on Windows?

Select what you want: drag across text, or click a file. Ctrl+A selects everything.
Press Ctrl+C (or Ctrl+Insert) to copy. Press Ctrl+X instead to cut, which moves it.
Click where it should go, then press Ctrl+V (or Shift+Insert).

Windows keeps only the last thing you copied until you turn on clipboard history with Win+V (not on by default).

Source: Microsoft, Keyboard shortcuts in Windows⁠.

Mouse and terminal

With the mouse and in a terminal

Right-click it.
Choose Copy, then right-click the target and choose Paste. Touchscreen: press and hold.
Command Prompt.
Ctrl+V and Shift+Insert both paste.
Windows Terminal.
Ctrl+V and Ctrl+Shift+V paste; Ctrl+Shift+C copies.

Sources: Microsoft, File Explorer⁠, Keyboard shortcuts⁠, Windows Terminal⁠.

Plain text

Paste as plain text

Try Ctrl+Shift+V first.

Microsoft says it may not work in all apps; then try the app's Edit or right-click menu. Microsoft PowerToys, a separate download, adds Advanced Paste: Ctrl+Win+Alt+V by default.

Source: Microsoft, Advanced Paste in PowerToys⁠.

Several things

Copy several things at once

Press Win+V and select Turn on.

Windows then keeps your recent copies; without it, a second copy replaces the first. Steps, limits and fixes: clipboard history on Windows 11⁠.

100items kept by default
500the most you can set
No accountneeded

Lesskeys opens with Ctrl+Shift+V, which many apps use to paste without formatting: record a different shortcut if you rely on that. It stays on your PC, with no sync.

The usual way

Copy, switch, paste, switch back. Four items mean four round trips, and each new copy replaces the last.

With Lesskeys

Copy everything first. Then open the history with Ctrl+Shift+V and paste each item where it belongs.

Illustration with four items. Your time will vary.

Questions

Questions about copying and pasting on Windows

What is the shortcut to copy and paste on Windows?

Ctrl+C copies and Ctrl+V pastes. Ctrl+Insert and Shift+Insert do the same, and Ctrl+X cuts.

How do I paste without formatting on Windows?

Try Ctrl+Shift+V, which Microsoft lists as paste as plain text but says may not work in all applications. Microsoft PowerToys Advanced Paste has a direct plain-text shortcut, Ctrl+Win+Alt+V by default.

How do I paste on a PC without the keyboard?

Right-click where you want the text and choose Paste. On a touchscreen, press and hold, then choose Paste.

Can I copy and paste more than one thing on Windows?

Yes, once you turn on clipboard history with Win+V; until then Windows keeps just the last thing you copied. The steps are in the guide to clipboard history on Windows 11.