Copy/Paste not Working in RDP? Here’s How You Can Fix It👨🏻‍🔧

If you’ve ever used RDP to connect to a remote desktop workstation, a Windows VPS, you know how frustrating it can be when you can’t get the clipboard to work between the local and the remote computer. For me, this usually happens when I’m trying to enter some configurations or change some settings, and I need to copy some commands or an address from my local computer to the Remote Desktop Server. But when copy/paste is not working in RDP, you’re forced to do everything by hand, and that’s no small hassle.

So, this guide will help you fix the “copy/paste not working in RDP” problem using Windows Settings and Windows Group Policy Editor. Let’s dive in.

How to fix when remote desktop copy paste not working

1. Enabling Clipboard Access on the Local Computer
2. Enabling Clipboard Access on the Remote Desktop Server

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Enabling Clipboard Access on the Local Computer🖥️

The first thing you need to do is to make sure your local computer is allowing remote desktop access to your clipboard. Your clipboard, of course, is where the data you’ve copied is kept. For this tutorial, we’re gonna use the Windows native Remote Desktop Connection as the client. 

Also Read: Open Task Manager in Remote Desktop

Step 1: Open Remote Desktop Connection

First, you need to open the Windows native RDP client, Remote Desktop Connection. You can either run it from the Start menu or simply type this into the Application Launcher (Win+R) box:

mstsc.exe

Step 2: Open the Options panel

Step 3: Switch to Local Resources

Step 4: Enable Clipboard Access

Step 5: Enable Access to Drives

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Enabling Clipboard Access on the Remote Desktop Server💻

Now, there is a chance you’ve already fixed the “remote desktop copy paste not working” problem already. You should first try to check using the clipboard to see if things work. If you’re still getting the RDP copy paste not working, you need to follow the steps below. Once you’ve made sure the local computer allows access to its clipboard and drives, it’s time to configure the remote computer. You’ll do that using the Policy Editor.

Step 1: Run the Group Policy Editor

Open the Application Launcher by pressing (Winkey + R) and enter the following into the launcher box:

gpedit.msc

That will open the editor, which should look this screenshot below:

Step 2: Open the Remote Desktop Configuration

Using the left sidebar, navigate to the following address:

 “Computer Configuration” > “Administrative Templates” > “Windows Components” > “Remote Desktop Services” > “Remote Desktop Session Host“ > “Device and Resource Redirection”

Step 3: Change the Clipboard Configuration

Step 4: Restart your Remote Desktop Server

Now all that’s left is to restart the remote computer for the changes to take effect. You can do that using the remote session or even through the hosting control panel. Once the Remote Desktop Server is back online, you should be able to connect to it and enjoy the ease of just copy/pasting across computers.

Also Read: Best RDP Providers

How to Enhance your Remote Desktop Experience

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FAQ

Can RDP clipboard not working be caused by hardware problems?

It’s not likely. When you get remote desktop clipboard not working, it’s definitely an access issue and has to be fixed using the policy editor.

Can I use the RDP copy paste not working method here to fix the clipboard problem in Linux?

Unfortunately, you can’t. These instructions are limited to Windows operating systems that use the Remote Desktop Protocol.

How do I fix remote desktop copy paste not working error in Windows Server?

You can follow the same instructions in this guide — they’re the same for Windows Server editions and normal ones.