how-to-copy-and-paste-without-a-mouse-in-different-operating-systems-os

How to Copy and Paste without a Mouse in Different Operating Systems (OS)

Although great numbers of people rely on a mouse to work on their desktop or even their laptop, it can often be a hassle to carry them around and time-consuming to use. An easy way to get over this is to simply use the keyboard with some simple shortcuts, like the Copy/Paste method.

Now moving on to the sole purpose of this write-up, how do we actually copy and paste in our devices?

With the existence of different Operating Systems (OS), it can be quiet hard to figure out your go-to shortcut method for the purpose.

Various OS starting from Windows and Mac to even Ubuntu, there is a certain way to copy and paste without the use of your mouse. And we are here to help you figure that out! Just follow the steps mentioned below for your current OS, and you’re all good to go without any inconvenience.

How to Copy and Paste on Different OS without the Help of a Mouse

Here, we’ll tell you about the process for each different operating system.

Windows

As most of you know by now, Microsoft Windows or simply Windows is one of the widely used operating system, currently available in the tech world. That being said, the perk of using windows is the simplicity to get your task done with minimal effort. Here’s how you can copy, paste in Microsoft Windows with ease:

You have to move the input cursor to the start or end of the text you wish to copy using the arrow keys on the keyboard. By pressing and holding the “Shift” key, you then select the desired text and press the arrow keys. Release the “Shift” key once you are done selecting the text.

While pressing and holding the “Ctrl” button, press “C” (Ctrl + C) on the keyboard to copy the text that you selected. Then using the arrow keys, you have to move the input cursor to the place you want to paste the copied text.

In order to paste the copied test, you have to press and hold the “Ctrl” button and press “V” (Ctrl + V), and voila you’re done!

MacOS

Although operating a MacOS may seem like a hard task to Windows-worshippers, the shortcuts are pretty much alike and easy once you know the basics. The way you can copy and paste on your Mac is actually quite simple:

Simply click and then drag the cursor in order to highlight the portion you want to copy. To copy and paste a file, just click on it once. Once you are done highlighting what you wish to copy, just press the Command and C keys (Command + C) concurrently on your Mac keyboard.

You can now open the file or folder where you want the copied data to be pasted. Next, just press the Command and V keys (Command + V) at the same time to paste the text.

Here’s a bonus tip for you: if you must select and copy the complete text or all files present in a folder, you have to press the Command and A keys (Command+A) simultaneously. You don’t have to waste all that energy to keep dragging the cursor forever!

Chromebook

Shifting to a new Chromebook might feel like you need to learn the shortcuts all over again. But a piece of good news is that it is somewhat similar to that of Mac OS and Windows 10. With these easy steps, you can minimally get your copy and pasting done in no time!

Start off by highlighting your text first that you would like to copy. To do so, you can press and hold your finger on the Chromebook’s touchpad until you get a selection box for highlighting your text. You can move along your finger up to the text that you desire to copy.

Next up is the copy and pasting. Keeping the traditional keyboard shortcut alive, you can copy your text by simply pressing “Ctrl” and C (Crtl + C) buttons altogether. Once you are done copying, you can paste it to your new file or folder by pressing “Ctrl” and V (Ctrl + V). And you are good to go.

 It is worth pointing that the text format might change a bit when you copy/paste in a Chromebook. Sadly, the only way to get over this is to reformat the whole text.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an entire desktop Linux operating system (OS), which is freely available with both kinds of support – community and professional support. Using Ubuntu might be a hassle for people who are an avid Windows user and are completely used to the traditional “Ctrl + C/V” shortcut for copy and paste.

Though it may make you step backward, do not worry because we are here to guide you through the copy and paste method in Ubuntu.

Even though in most applications, the copy and paste are “Ctrl + C” and “Ctrl + V” respectively, it is quite different in the Ubuntu Terminal. In the case of Ubuntu OS, “Ctrl + C” refers to the Cancel command. Instead, the following will get you through:

After highlighting the desired text, to copy, you have to press “Ctrl”, “Shift”, and “C” keys (Ctrl + Shift + C) all at the same point in time. If you wish to paste the text you have copied, simply press the “Ctrl”, “Shift”, and “V” (Ctrl + Shift + V) together.

Conclusion

Even if these operating systems (OS) might seem completely different from each other, it is quite the opposite scenario. Most shortcuts in all kinds of OS have somewhat similarities in them to make it easier for consumers.

Just a little bit of knowledge on the shortcuts from this article, and you will be writing at lightning speed with any Operating System. Good luck!

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