December 27, 2022

Unable to Copy and Paste to a Remote Desktop Session on Windows? Try These Fixes

Reading Time: 5 minutes

If Remote Desktop won’t let you copy-paste files, don’t fret. Try these tricks to get it working again.

You’re using the Windows Remote Desktop Services tool but suddenly can’t copy and paste files. This can be really annoying, especially if you’re using Remote Desktop for the sole purpose of moving files.

If you can’t copy-paste files in Remote Desktop, et’s take a look at some of the methods you can apply to tackle this ‘Remote Desktop Session’ error.

1. Configure the Remote Desktop Connection Settings

The issue at hand is likely caused by the way you’ve configured the Remote Desktop settings. So, let’s check out how you can tweak a few settings to tackle this problem:

Type Settings in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match.
Select System from the menu items and then click Remote Desktop on the left.
Turn on the Enable Remote Desktop button on the right.

From there, follow these steps:

Type Remote Desktop Connection in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match.
Select Show Options in the bottom-left corner.
Navigate to the Local Resources tab.
Click the drop-down menu in the Keyboard section and select the Only when using the full screen option. This will ensure that you’re able to use key combinations like Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V when copying and pasting.
Check the Clipboard box in the Local devices and resources section. This will enable the clipboard and ensure that you’re able to copy and paste files.

Close the Remote Desktop Connection tool and then restart your device.

2. Configure the Clipboard Settings

When you copy or cut a file on your device, that particular file is saved in the clipboard. This file will stay in the clipboard so you can paste it elsewhere.

But sometimes, the copy-and-paste functionality might not work as expected. In such instances, the best solution would be to tweak some system settings.

Here’s how you can configure the clipboard settings to tackle the issue at hand:

Press Win + I to open the system settings.
Select System from the options.
Select Clipboard on the left-hand side.
Locate and click the Get started button below the Sync across devices option. This should help you easily copy and paste your data across devices.

3. Repair the Windows Network Drivers

The issue at hand might also be caused by corrupted network drivers. In such instances, you could resolve the problem by updating or reinstalling these drivers.

Here are the steps for updating the Windows network drivers:

Press Win + X to open the Quick Access menu.
Select Device Manager from the options.
Double-click the Network adapters option.
Right-click on the relevant network driver and select Update driver.

Click the Search automatically for updated driver software option and then follow the on-screen steps.

Alternatively, reinstall the network drivers through these steps:

Access the Network adapters option and double-click on it as per the previous steps.
Right-click on the relevant network driver and select Uninstall device.
Click the Action tab and select Scan for hardware changes.
Restart your device to save these changes.

4. Configure Remote Desktop Connection Settings in the Local Group Policy Editor

Tweaking some settings in the Local Group Policy Editor (LGPE) could also help.

But bear in mind that the Local Group Policy Editor isn’t available in the Windows Home edition. But if you’d like to access it, you can try a few tricks to access the LGPE on Windows Home.

Now, here’s how to configure the Remote Desktop Connection settings in the LGPE:

Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the LGPE.
Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Device and Resource Redirection.
Locate the Do not allow Clipboard redirection policy setting on the right. When this option is enabled, you won’t be able to copy and paste files between the local and the remote device.
Double-click on the Do not allow Clipboard redirection option.

Select Disabled or Not Configured on the next screen. From there, press Apply and then press OK to save these changes.

Now, follow these steps to configure some additional settings:

Open the LGPE and navigate to the Device and Resource Redirection folder by following the previous steps.
Locate the Do not allow drive redirection policy setting on the right. When this option is enabled, you won’t be able to share files or folders between the local and the remote device. Automatically, this means the copy-and-paste functionality will be disabled.
Double-click on the Do not allow drive redirection option.

Select Disabled or Not configured. From there, press Apply and then press OK.

Finally, close the Registry Editor and then restart your device.

5. Configure the Remote Desktop Connection Settings in the Registry Editor

The Registry Editor can also help you fix the issue. But to ensure that you don’t cause any harm to your device, back up the Registry first before you proceed.

Now, here’s how to configure the Remote Desktop Connection settings in the Registry Editor:

Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
Type Regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Type the following command into the address bar:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services

From there, follow these steps:

Right-click on a blank space on the right and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name the value as DisableClipboardRedirection and press Enter. When this value is enabled, you won’t be able to copy and paste files between the local and the remote device.
Double-click on the DisableClipboardRedirection value.

On the next window, set the Value data as 0 (zero) to disable the ‘DisableClipboardRedirection’ value. From there, press OK to save these changes.

Next, follow these steps to configure some additional settings:

Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the Terminal Services folder as per the previous steps.
Right-click on a blank space on the right and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name the value as DisableDriveRedirection and press Enter. When this value is enabled, you won’t be able to share files or folders between the local and the remote device. Now, this automatically means you won’t be able to use the copy-and-paste functionality.
Double-click on the DisableDriveRedirection value.

Next, set the Value data as 0 (zero) to disable the DisableDriveRedirection value and then press OK.

Finally, restart your device to save these changes.

6. Sign In to Windows Using a Different Account

If all else fails, signing in to your device using a different account could help. But in most cases, this solution will come in handy if the current account you’re using has issues.

Here are the steps for signing in to Windows using a different account:

Type Settings in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match.
Select Accounts and then select Email & accounts on the left.
Click Add a Microsoft account on the right and then follow the on-screen steps.

You Can Now Copy and Paste Files to a Remote Device, Anytime

There’s no denying that the Windows Remote Desktop Services (RDS) tool makes life easier. It lets you connect to a far-away device and perform almost any activity on the remote device.

If you can’t copy and paste files while using this tool, then try any of the solutions we’ve covered.

In some cases, you might find that you’re not able to run the RDS app. Well, the good news is that there are solutions for that too.

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