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Resolved Question

Purifying text by pasting from Notepad - other methods?

Feb 1, 2014 3:22AM PST

I often paste text into Notepad to strip off custom fonts, italics, etc. so that I can paste it into word processing programs, emails, etc. in "pure" format so I don't end up having to modify fonts, etc. after I'm finished pasting.

My use of Notepad is the best technique I've come up with to accomplish this goal, but I was hoping someone might recommend a faster solution. Using Notepad this way requires the user to go through something like 9 to 10 steps for each paste job. Even though I'm a quick draw McGraw on the keyboard shortcuts and the mouse, I was hoping someone might point me to an even quicker solution.

Specifically I was hoping that Windows 7 has the capability for the user to type in a modified version of "Ctrl-C" (e.g., "Shift Ctrl-C") that would allow me to bypass Notepad entirely and basically do the same thing that Notepad does to the text (i.e., stripping off all the formatting and leaving me with pure ANSII characters to paste into programs that will automatically assign the default formats.

Anyone heard of such a keyboard shortcut, or maybe an app that works with Windows 7 to allow that kind of copying and pasting?

Discussion is locked

D-Flo has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
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Clarification Request
It would be helpful to know WHAT you're pasting into
Feb 1, 2014 3:28AM PST

Most places you'd want to paste text have formatting controls at the top of the window you're typing into. E.g. this forum has "B I U" near the upper left corner. So do Word, Wordpad, and Windows Live Mail. You can just do a simple copy & paste into these, then highlight what you want to change, then click the appropriate B, I, or U to "unformat" the text. That's a lot simpler than using Notepad and is what I do.

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problems with formatting after pasting
Feb 1, 2014 3:54AM PST

I see what you're saying, and that probably is easier if you need to modify only 1 format (e.g., font size). But most of the time the text I want to bring over has more than 1 format that needs changing, and that's where all the extra mouse movements and clicking and selecting dropdown menus, etc. starts to get time consuming.

For example, let's compare my Notepad purifying technique with your "use the toolbar" technique where there are 4 differences between the copied text and the format of the text into which you want to paste it. I'll count the steps (and I'm assuming all relevant programs are already open so they can be accessed by alt-tab)

Notepad method
1. use mouse to locate and highlight text
2. ctrl-c<div>3. alt-tab to Notepad
<div>4. ctrl-v)
5. ctrl-a
6. ctrl-x
7. alt-tab to the app you want to paste to

8. use mouse to locate a spot to either select a cursor point or highlight a section of text to be replaced
9. ctrl-v
(summary: 7 keyboard shortcuts, 2 mouse moves)

Formatting post-paste using the app's tool bar


1. use mouse to locate and highlight text</div>2. ctrl-c
3. alt-tab to the app you want to paste into
4. use mouse to locate a spot to either select a cursor point or highlight a section of text to be replaced
5. ctrl-v
6. use mouse to click on font size button,
7. select font
8. use mouse to click on italics button
9. use mouse to click on boldface button
10. use mouse to click on font type
11. use mouse to select font
</div>(summary: 2 keyboard shortcuts, 9 mouse moves)

I'm one of those PC users who infinitely prefers keyboard shortcuts to mouse moves, so I'm looking for a way to use ctrl-c in a special way so that the formatting of the original text is stripped off so I can simply insert it into a program that will automatically assign the default formats to it so I can avoid all those mouse moves! Plus, by relying post-paste on the toolbar, there's risk of rogue formatting codes messing with your new text.

Anyone?

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There's a complete list of these in Help & Support
Feb 1, 2014 4:01AM PST

If you go to Help and Support in Windows 7, then type in keyboard shortcuts it will allow you to see every one there is.
`
Good luck.

Best Answer

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For Word, I've never had to resort to hard labor like this.
Feb 1, 2014 4:28AM PST
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Now you've got me thinking!
Feb 1, 2014 4:42AM PST

Thanks for the hot tip! I will search for "paste special" help for whatever app I'm pasting into. Great suggestion.

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Now you are a dangerous person.
Feb 1, 2014 5:05AM PST

To ease the authorities finding you can you supply GPS coords? Shocked

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lol
Feb 1, 2014 5:19AM PST

I've been dodging red lectroids and thought police since 1984. Whenever I see someone with "Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems," "OCP," or "Weyland-Yutani" labels on their vehicles or clothing, I'm ghost baby!

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Great flick.
Feb 1, 2014 5:29AM PST

I had it on VHS, re-ordered it on DVD and it was a hoot to work at some company that ends with "Dynamics" and finding too many folk whose first name is "John."

Thanks!

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I know this is off topic, but ...
Feb 1, 2014 7:12AM PST

Funny that Peter Weller also portrayed the original Robocop (I wonder why they bothered with that remake). To me, Weller is like the Harry Dean Stanton of sci-fi flicks (if that makes any sense). He was also Marcus in the new Star Trek (into darkness). Great actor.