38. Cut, Copy, and Paste on Computers
These instructions are for computer users!
The "cut, copy, and paste" technique is great for copying a website URL, an email address, an entire email, or anything where typing the information could take a lot of time and/or result in errors, but where "copying" will produce exact copies of text. (No more misspelled website addresses!)
I'll begin with step-by-step instructions on how to copy and paste on a computer. Further down the page, you will find instructions on how to use c/c/p when you receive an email with a website link which is not a "clickable link."
Let's Begin!
1. Place the cursor at the very end of the text you wish to copy. For example, if you want to copy the phrase
Four score and seven years ago
you would place your cursor just to the right of the word ago.
Note: Some users prefer to place their cursor at the beginning of the text to be copied and work their way "down" the text instead of beginning at the end and working their way "up."
2. With your cursor in place, left click your mouse and HOLD the click down. Now begin to move your mouse to the left and you will see the words become highlighted.
Note: To copy entire paragraphs, start after the last word, and begin to move your mouse to the left. After a few words have been highlighted, begin to move the mouse up. If you get to the top of the screen, the screen will begin to scroll, allowing you to copy very long passages and multiple paragraphs! How fast the screen scrolls will depend on how much the mouse is moved up.
3. Once you have highlighted everything you want, release the "left click" button on the mouse.
4. Next, hold down the CTRL (Control) key, and tap the letter C.
You have copied the highlighted text into your computer's memory. (Think of C for copy.)
On my keyboard, the CTRL key is located on the far left side of the bottom row.
Note: On some keyboards, you would use the key with the Windows® logo instead of the CTRL key. Try it each way to see which one works for you!
5. Now you may go to any screen which allows you to type-in text. Examples are:
a. An email Write screen
b. Your browser window
c. A "text box" for adding an email address
6. When you are ready to "paste" the text which you have copied, place the cursor where the text should go and "left click" once.
7. Hold down the CTRL key and tap the letter V.
That's it! You have used "Copy and Paste!"
To use c/c/p to help you when a website link, or URL is not "clickable," try this:
Follow steps #1 through #4 above to highlight and copy the URL which you cannot click onto.
Next, place your cursor in the browser window and "left click" on the mouse to highlight the URL which is currently there.
Once it is highlighted, press the Backspace key to delete the URL there, and make the window empty.
Once the window is empty, press the CTRL key and tap the letter V. This will "paste" the copied URL into the window.
You may now click on your Go! button (which is onscreen to the right of your browser window) to take you to the "new" URL.
The cut feature of c/c/p simply means to cut or delete text. Generally, it only applies to text which you have either typed or pasted. An exception would be your ability to cut, or delete, the URL in your browser window by highlighting and then using the Backspace key to erase the URL.
To cut text, simply highlight any part of the text which you would like to omit or remove. Once it is highlighted, press the Backspace key to delete the highlighted text.
To copy an entire document (email, webpage, etc.), place your cursor in the middle of the document, and right-click once with your mouse. A popup window will give you some choices, one of which is "Select All." Left-click once on "Select All" to highlight the entire page.
You may now use CTRL + C to "copy" the page. (Alternatively, you may click on the Edit key on your taskbar and choose "Copy" from the choices given.)
Then move to the area where you wish to paste the copied material and use CTRL+V to "paste" it.
If you would like to view someone else's perspetive on using c/c/p on a computer, please see Darin's page at the following address:
http://wtv-zone.com/TheKid/ccp.html
Note: Computer users will see computer instructions when viewing the link. WebTV users will see WebTV instructions!
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