Copy/Paste Broken in Firefox

Greetings!

I’m having a Copy/Paste problem on my Windows XP Home system that only seems to be effecting Firefox.

Here’s what happens...Let’s say I copy a URL from a text document using Notepad, then start Firefox and paste the URL it works fine. If I just start Firefox, type something into the address bar select it, then copy it, it’s on the clipboard. However, as soon as I visit a web page...any web page, the clipboard is no longer functional within Firefox. I can not copy anything from within Firefox. However, I can go out of Firefox to a different application, copy something, then go back into Firefox and paste. But, as soon as I visit another web page, the clipboard is erased and I’m back to where I started.

I am running the latest version of Firefox and even tried uninstalling all of my extensions and reinstalling Firefox, but that doesn’t seem to fix the problem.

For security I’m running Zone Alarm and scan my system daily. I also performed scans with AdAware and Spybot. Everything there seems to be clean.

Also, I’ve tried copying/pasting with <CTRL><C> and <CTRL><V> as well as with the right mouse button, but that doesn’t make a difference.

Basically, once I go to a web page nothing from within Firefox will copy to the clipboard until I quit and restart the browser.

One more thing. If I mouse-over the little icon on the left of a URL in the address bar it turns to the hand. I used to be able to drag & drop this to the desktop to create a shortcut to that URL. That is no longer working either.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Brian

 

Which version Firefox? I happen to be wandering around, and use the very latest FF3.0a1 nightly, and I can drag and drop the URL as a link on the desktop. In all honesty, I am totally ignorant about any clipboard, but I can copy and paste, at will. And, this has happened with FF1.0.8 and 1.5.0.3.

 

Could that be just one or few particular websites that disables Ctrl key?

Try create a new profile in Firefox, and see if that helps.

 

Welcome to the Forum, Kazper!

Kazper,

The Firefox copy/paste failure has been traced to a piece of junkware called New.net (NewDotNet) which is being bundled out with a lot of genuine applications at the moment, and installs itself in Firefox as if it were an extension.

Symptoms include the copy/paste buttons being grayed out on the context menu and the clipbord being cleared when attempting to copy between tabs or Firefox windows.

To remove new.net you must use the Add/Remove programs feature in Control Panel, or using its own uninstaller if it has been kind enough to leave one lying around, or via
Uninstalling NewDotNet http://www.newdotnet.com/removal.html or by downloading and running MS Antispyware and removing anything it recommends to do with new.net

Do not bother attempting to remove via Firefox, it does no good.

There is a comprehensive report on New.net on this site:
http://www.cexx.org/newnet.htm

If you don't have NewDotNet, then use the Firefox Standard Diagnostic: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_(Firefox)

 

Hi Kazper,

It sounds as though Ramona may have the answer, but I'm wondering ... do you use a clipboard manager/extender? Windows actually has (if I remember correctly) something like 256 clipboards, but only one is normally accessible by Windows, and only the last item copied or cut is available from it.

A clipboard manager/extender provides access to those other clipboards, but it may be easier to think in terms of a cache, from which any item copied or cut over a period of time can be recalled.

Numerous such programs are available, but two freeware ones are Clipboard Magic and YC3 (formerly Yankee Clipper). You might give one of them a try; it won't solve your problem, but it might make it easier to deal with.

 

Same problem in Netscape

I have the exact same problem in Netscape 7.2 (except the copy and paste buttons are not grayed out, just don't work) but can not find any sign of New.net (NewDoNet) any were on my computer. I have been fighting this for two weeks and am not only stumped, but going crazy!


Louis

 

Welcome to the Forum, lsippel!

Louis,

If you don't have new.net, then go through the steps in the Firefox Diagnostics:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_(Firefox

 

Louis,
since you say that your problems are in Netscape7.2, I am not sure if the
Diagnostics for Firefox will help, unless you can adapt them to NS7.2.
Typically, some weirdness appears if themes other than the standard ones are used. So, the test is to go to View|select a theme like Modern, ok, and restart browser.There may be extention's problems as well.
As a last resort, creation of a new profile is not a bad idea.
How have you been fighting the problem?

 

Louis,

Apologies, and by all means follow Westside's advice. Should never answer posts after midnight...

If Westside's suggestions don't stop the problem, then before creating a new Profile, try adding these two lines to your prefs.js file:
user_pref( "capability.policy.default.Clipboard.cut copy ", "allAccess ");
user_pref( "capability.policy.default.Clipboard.paste ", "allAccess ");

Close Netscape before making this edit. Open WordPad, then click on:
File | Open. Now navigate to the prefs.js file located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\profilename\xxxxxxxx.slt
Add the lines to the bottom of the list of scripts, and leave one blank space.

If still no joy, then start with Spy-bot Search&Destroy, or Lavasoft - Ad-Aware see if they find anything.

Let us know the results...

 

I Had the same Problem Like this once....All I did Was Re Install Firefox And It worked.