It's such a simple operation, you'd think everyone already knows how to copy, cut, and paste. But my father has asked me how to do this several times, and chances are you probably get asked simple questions like this all the time.
To help you in your tech support role and new computer users young and old learn the basics, we'll be offering (easy-to-email) instructions each week on simple tech concepts. Today: how to copy, cut, and paste. (This one's for you, Dad!)
First, another FAQ: What's the difference between copying and cutting?
You can think of it like an actual piece of paper, for example a letter. When you photocopy the letter, it creates a duplicate and the original stays intact. Cutting a block of text out of the letter, on the other hand, removes that portion from the letter.
On your computer, when you copy a file, image, text or other item, it creates a duplicate of that item in your computer's temporary memory.
Cutting an item will remove it from the page or folder and hold it in memory, as above.
You can almost always copy (duplicate) something, like a phrase on a web page, but cutting is only possible if you have editing or administrative control of the item. For example, you can't cut phrases out of web pages you visit in your browser (imagine what the web would look like if everyone could!). There are exceptions, like editable websites like Wikipedia, but that's because you have editing control on that site.
Once you've copied or pasted something into memory, you can then paste it into another document, file, or folder. Here's how.