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SharePoint “Copy to” Not Working – 11 Quick Fixes

It is a pain when you find yourself cannot copy in SharePoint. But don’t worry. You can learn 11 easy solutions in this post. If the solutions cannot help you, 2 workarounds that can be used to copy files from one SharePoint site to another site or from one folder to another folder.

December 25, 2023

User Case

 

I have been managing multiple SharePoint pages for an extended period. Nevertheless, one of the pages under my ownership has restricted the ability to copy or move documents directly. Users are now required to go through OneDrive or download the document/file and subsequently re-upload it. The options to copy and move are no longer available when right-clicking on the folder or document or selecting the three dots.

Why Can’t I Copy from SharePoint?

Cannot Copy from SharePoint

Before all the solutions for the SharePoint “Copy to” not working issue, you may have to know that the “Copy to” button is only available on the Modern Experience, not the Classic Experience. So, if your default Experience is changed to the Classic Experience, change it to the Modern Experience.

If you now are using the Modern Experience but the SharePoint Online copy to issues still exists, you can try the following 11 quick solutions.

1. Permissions: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to copy content from SharePoint. Check with your SharePoint administrator to verify your access rights.

2. Browser Compatibility: Some browsers may have issues with SharePoint. Try using a different browser to see if the problem persists. Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox are typically well-supported.

3. Browser Extensions: You can disable browser extensions as they can sometimes interfere with the functionality of websites which may lead to the SharePoint “Copy to” not working issue.

4. Clipboard Issues: Check if you can copy content from other applications to eliminate the possibility of a general clipboard issue.

5. Browser Cache and Cookies: Your browser cache and cookies sometimes cause issues with website functionality. You can clear them, restart your browser, and try again to see if you can save files to SharePoint.

6. JavaScript and Active Scripting: Ensure that JavaScript is enabled in your browser settings, as SharePoint relies on JavaScript for many of its features. Additionally, check if Active Scripting is enabled.

7. Document Libraries Configuration: If you are trying to copy files from a SharePoint document library, make sure that the library is not configured to restrict copying.

8. SharePoint Version: Ensure that your SharePoint version is up to date. Microsoft regularly releases updates to SharePoint to improve performance and address known issues.

9. Network Issues: Sometimes, network issues can cause problems, including the SharePoint “Copy to” not working issue. Ensure that your internet connection is stable and try accessing SharePoint from a different network.

10. Browser Security Settings: Check if your browser's security settings are blocking certain actions on SharePoint. Adjust these settings if necessary.

11. Incognito/Private Browsing Mode: Try copying content from SharePoint in incognito or private browsing mode to rule out any issues related to cached data.

Best Alternatives to SharePoint Copy to Option – MultCloud Copy to/Cloud Transfer

Alternatives to Handle Cannot copy in SharePoint Issue

If none of the solutions above can help you to get rid of the SharePoint “Copy to” not working issue, you may try MultCloud “Copy to” or Cloud Transfer as alternatives. MultCloud is a free service that helps you manage your multiple clouds on one website. It offers basic functions like Copy, Copy to, Upload, Download, and Share as well as cloud-to-cloud functions such as Cloud Transfer, Cloud Sync, and Cloud Backup.

MultCloud “Copy to” does not have some additional features but you can use it to copy the files and paste them to another folder or site. It is a simple but truly helpful function when you want to address the SharePoint “Copy to” not working issue quickly.

On the other hand, Cloud Transfer is more customizable when you use it to create a task to copy SharePoint site to another site.

  • You can set the task to run at your preferred time or frequency.
  • Besides, you can filter the files that you want or don’t want to transfer in batches.
  • Moreover, if you want to empty the SharePoint site after the transfer is done, there is also a designed option.

Copy SharePoint Online File to Another Folder by MultCloud “Copy to”

Step 1: Sign up for a MultCloud account.

Step 2: Click “Add Cloud” and select the SharePoint icon. Then log in to your SharePoint account and allow MultCloud to access your files.

Add SharePoint Online to MultCloud

Step 3: Open SharePoint on MultCloud and select the files that you want to move to another folder. Then, click “Copy to” in the upper bar and choose which SharePoint folder you want to save these files.

Copy SharePoint Online Files to Another SharePoint

Step 4: Click “OK” and the selected files are moved to another folder.

Move Files from One SharePoint Site to Another by Cloud Transfer

Step 1: Add SharePoint to MultCloud after signing up.

Add SharePoint Online

Step 2: Select “Cloud Transfer” in the left bar. Then, choose the source site in the left box and the target site in the right box. After the cloud selection, you can open “Options” to see the transfer settings and use the “Filter” feature. Scheduling the task can be achieved by the “Schedule” feature.

Cloud Transfer Options

Step 3: Tap on the “Transfer Now” button to initiate this task if you finish all the settings.

Move One SharePoint Online to Another

Notes:

  • Both “Copy to” and “Cloud Transfer” support not only SharePoint-to-SharePoint transfer but also transfer between SharePoint and OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Workspace, and other clouds.
  • MultCloud offers 5 GB of free traffic per month for you to transfer files. If you plan to move more than 5 GB of files, the task may pause. Therefore, you can upgrade your plan to get more traffic to avoid this situation.

Conclusion

Now, you can fix the SharePoint “Copy to” not working with the 11 solutions above. If these solutions cannot work for your problem, you can turn to MultCloud “Copy to” or Cloud Transfer as an alternative way. Things must be handled soon.

If you are interested in MultCloud, you may use its other functions if you need to migrate Gmail/Outlook emails to SharePoint, and sync or backup files from another cloud to SharePoint.

How do I enable cross site copying in SharePoint?
 
You can use MultCloud “Copy to” to copy files across sites. The steps for using it are: sign up for a MultCloud account > add SharePoint to MultCloud > Open SharePoint on MultCloud and select the files you want to copy > click “Copy to” in the upper bar > choose a folder on another site and click “OK”. Then the files are directly copied from one site to another.
Why can't I drag and drop to SharePoint?
 
SharePoint may restrict drag-and-drop functionality due to browser limitations, security settings, or specific configurations. Ensure your browser supports this feature, check SharePoint permissions, and consider using the latest version for optimal compatibility.
How do I copy files directly to SharePoint?
 
If you mean to copy files from another cloud to SharePoint, MultCloud “Copy to” is a good choice. You can copy multiple files from another cloud at once and paste them to SharePoint easily.

Quickly transfer, sync or backup files from one cloud to another.

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