How To Cut and Paste Without a Mouse

Are you finding it hard and time-consuming to cut and paste texts, images, and files on your computer using a mouse? Don’t worry; a few workarounds can save you from this trouble. 

To make things easy for you, we took the time to write a step-by-step guide on how to cut and paste without a mouse on your computer.

Cutting and Pasting Without a Mouse

If you are wondering how to cut and paste without a mouse, our 4 step-by-step methods will help you perform this task without difficulty. 

Method #1: Cutting and Pasting Selected Items

If you want to cut and paste a specific part of text or image in a document, use the keyboard keys in the following way.

1. Open your document and press the Shift + arrow keys on your keyboard.
2. Hold down the Shift key and select the specified text or image with any arrow keys.
3. Press Ctrl + X on your keyboard to cut the content.
4. Open another document and press Ctrl + V on your keyboard to paste the content.

Method #2: Cutting and Pasting the Entire Content

If you want to cut and paste the entire content of a document without a mouse, do these steps.

1. Open your document and press the Ctrl + A keys on your keyboard.
2. Press Ctrl + X on your keyboard to cut the whole content (i.e., text or image).
3. Open another document and press Ctrl + V on your keyboard to paste the content.

Method #3: Cutting and Pasting Desktop Files

It is possible to cut a desktop item on your Windows computer and paste it to your desired location by following the steps below.

Step #1: Select the File on the Desktop

In the first step, select the items on the desktop without using a mouse. To do this, bring up your Windows desktop by pressing the Windows + D keys on the keyboard. Now, press the Tab key on the keyboard multiple times till an item on the desktop is highlighted. Then, use the arrow keys to navigate and select your target file.

Step #2: Cut the File on the Desktop

Once the file is selected, press the Shift + F10 keys on the keyboard to bring up the context menu. 

Next, use the down arrow key to select the “Cut” option.

Step #2: Paste the File on a Different Location

In the last step, press the Ctrl + Esc keys to open up the Start menu and use the arrow keys to select “This PC”. In the new window, press the Tab key multiple times until you see a highlighted option. Now, select a drive in the left pane using the arrow keys. 

Next, navigate to the sub-folders of the drive by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard many times till you reach your desired folder.   

Press the Shift + F10 keys on the keyboard to bring up the context menu. Use the down arrow key to select the “Paste” option to paste the file in the target location, and you’re done!  

Using the Mouse Partially

If you want to mix and match the functions of your keyboard and mouse for cutting and pasting the content of a document, you can partially use the mouse in the following way.

1. Open up a document on your Windows or Mac computer.
2. Bring your mouse cursor at the beginning of the text or image you want to cut. 
3. Hold the left-click button on the mouse and select the text or image. If you are using a laptop, press and hold the left-click button and drag the touchpad with your finger to select the specific part of the text or image. 
4. To select the whole content of the document, press the Ctrl + A keys on the keyboard. 
5. After selecting the content, press the Ctrl + X keys, and the content will be cut.
6. Open a new document that you want to paste the content and press the Ctrl + V keys on the keyboard. 

Troubleshooting Cut and Paste Keys on the Keyboard

Sometimes, the Ctrl + X and the Ctrl + V keys for cutting and pasting the content malfunction due to software or hardware issues. Try the following quick troubleshooting steps to fix this issue at home.

• Restart your computer to fix the minor operating system glitches and see if this resolves the problem.
• Run the built-in Windows keyboard troubleshooter.
• Uninstall the keyboard driver and let Windows install the new one.
• Manually reset the keyboard back to its default settings. 
• Use another keyboard with your desktop computer or attach an external keyboard to your laptop. 
• Check and remove the recently installed apps that may cause the keyboard to malfunction.

Summary

This guide discusses cutting and pasting without a mouse on your desktop computer or laptop. We’ve also discussed using the mouse partially with the keyboard to make the cutting and pasting process less time-consuming.

Moreover, we’ve shared some quick tips to fix the cut-and-paste keys on your keyboard.

Hopefully, your question is answered in this article, and you can quickly move a part or whole of the content to another file or destination folder.