Why Does Windows 10/11 Copy and Paste Stop Working After A While?

I'm still working with Microsoft level 3 and engineering. I found that copy and paste fails 24hrs of a reboot. For a temporary fix that works I scheduled a restart task at 5:00am. This gets me through the day without any problems. Use the following procedure to create a automatic restart.

To schedule an automatic reboot for your PC, you can use the Task Scheduler feature in Windows. Here are the steps to set it up:

1. Press the Windows key to open the Start menu.
2. Type “Task Scheduler” in the search field and select the corresponding result.
3. In the Task Scheduler, click on “Create task”.
4. Provide a descriptive name for the task.
5. Go to the “Triggers” tab and click “New” to create a new trigger.
6. Select “On a schedule”, choose the “Daily” radio option, and set the desired time for the reboot.
7. In the “Actions” tab, click “New”.
8. Select “Start a program” and enter the following:
   • Program/Script: %SystemRoot%\system32\shutdown.exe
   • Arguments: -r -f -t 10
9. Optionally, go to the “Conditions” tab and select “Start the task only if the computer is idle” to ensure the system restarts only when idle.
10. Click “OK” to create the scheduled task.

From now on, your Windows PC will automatically reboot according to the configured schedule. Before restarting, it will display a message, allowing active users to save their work. If you ever want to disable the scheduled restart, simply find the task in Task Scheduler, right-click on it, and select "Disable"

I have been fighting this problem for a couple of months. I've tried everything that can be found on the net and user groups up to and including a reinstall.

I have found a solution that others may find helpful.

This is to completely kill explorer. Then perform a copy paste.

Once this has been proven to work, restarting explorer gives access to all files again. Copy paste continues to function, at least until the computer goes into sleep mode.

Hope this works for all when you need to copy paste but cannot shut down the computer.

I don't see anyway to turn this off globally, only on an app by app basis (mosely EDGE).

Efficiency Mode is not meant to be applied globally. There are processes that could be harmed by Efficiency Mode, In addition, many core Windows processes should not be put into Efficiency Mode (which is why it's grayed). For these reasons, Efficiency Mode is applied on a process-by-process basis.

Yes, Chien and that's the point. For example, I have disabled (or more correctly not enabled) "Efficiency Mode" in Microsoft Edge and yet certain Edge processes are showing up in Efficiency Mode after time (along with other processes in other programs). It suggests the questions as to whether some "service" that interacts with the CUT/PASTE function is entering "Efficiency Mode" which could be a root cause for the behavior reported by users on this thread. If there were a way to globally disable "efficiency mode" it could eliminate that possibility.

I don't see anyway to turn this off globally, only on an app by app basis (mosely EDGE).

Efficiency Mode is not meant to be applied globally. There are processes that could be harmed by Efficiency Mode, In addition, many core Windows processes should not be put into Efficiency Mode (which is why it's grayed). For these reasons, Efficiency Mode is applied on a process-by-process basis.

BTW, it doesn't see to work "as advertised". Supposedly Efficiency mode is not enabled by default and can only be enabled by the user. That said, I have efficiency mode disabled in EDGE but I find some of the EDGE process running in "efficiency mode" after some period of idle time.