Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

How to Copy/Paste Text between Applications w/o Formatting?

Jun 18, 2004 12:16AM PDT

I'm looking for a solution that allows me to copy/paste text between applications (e.g. Word to Outlook or IE to Word) such that the text automatically takes on the properties of the destination application's settings.

Presently, I use Notepad as an intermediate step to accomplish this.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Notepad.
Jun 18, 2004 12:28AM PDT

The application would have to have a paste special feature. Most don't. You could go searching for an enhanced clipboard.

Bob

- Collapse -
Re: How to Copy/Paste Text between Applications w/o Formatti
Jun 18, 2004 4:35AM PDT

I use Notepad myself to do exactly as you do, to get characters from one app to another sans font and paragraph attributes.

I setup a keyboard shortcut (Alt-N) to easily open Notepad for just that purpose.

Plus, one eMail trick I often use when pasting into an eMail, and I want to strip off those font attributes, I just use the address fields of the open mailnote.
I paste, then cut (Ctrl-V, Ctrl-X) into any still blank To, Cc, Bcc or Subject field.
That area strips off the font attributes too.

But there are utilities that will do just what you want as well.

One possibility, look into the free HovText which does what you want and it become either part of your PC copy/paste buffer or you can tell it to only copy when you press a hotkey. Lots of other options as well. It also does not require any special installation.

- Collapse -
Re: How to Copy/Paste Text between Applications w/o Formatti
Jun 21, 2004 7:02AM PDT

ChuckT,

Thanks much for the prompt reply and reference to HovText. It looks like it'll do the job nicely.

Skyking

P.S. Sorry to say I'm not the same SkyKing that you once knew.

- Collapse -
Re: not the same SkyKing
Jun 21, 2004 7:48AM PDT

It was a joke Happy
"Sky King" was a TV character back in the 50's,
played by Kirby Grant.

- Collapse -
off subject: SkyKing! wow I haven't seen you in years!
Jun 18, 2004 5:35AM PDT

Hi ya Kirby! Happy