The Copy (and Cut) and Paste commands allow you to take information from one location, document, or program to any other location in Windows.

Copying takes data from a source document in a source application and the Paste command places that data into a destination document in a destination application.

The destination copy has no “link” to the original. It is the property of the destination and whether you can edit that copy or not depends on how you pasted.

There are four basic steps:  SELECT → COPY ? GO ? PASTE

1. Select the content you wish to move or copy.
2. Copy. Choose the Copy command. Choose Cut if you wish to move, rather than copy, the object. You can choose these commands by doing one of the following:
   • Right-click the object and choose Copy or Cut.
   • Click the Copy or Cut button.
   • CTRL+C  for Copy or CTRL+X for Cut.
   • Choose Edit ? Copy or Edit ? Cut.
   The content that you copied is now in the Windows clipboard. You now can go to your destination and paste the contents of the clipboard into that document.
3. Go. Navigate to the destination and click where you want the object to appear.

   • Go to the correct program:

     • If the destination is another program that is already open, click the program’s button on the taskbar.
     • If the destination is another program that is not yet opened, open the program.

   • Go to the correct document:

     • If the destination is another document that is already open, choose it from the program’s Window menu.
     • If the destination is another document that is not yet opened, choose File ? Open and open the document.

   • Go to the correct location:

     • Use the scrollbars, if necessary.
     • Click to select the location where you want the content to appear.
4. Paste. Choose the Paste command by doing one of the following:
   • Right-click and choose Paste.
   • Click the Paste button. 
   • CTRL+V
   • Choose Edit ? Paste

Copy and paste has the following pros and cons

• Easy

• File size increases.
• Sometimes the object cannot be edited.
• Does not update when source updates.

1. Select the Excel data.
2. Choose Edit → Copy.
3. Select the slide that will hold the data.
4. Choose Edit ? Paste.

Data pasted this way will be converted to a PowerPoint table. The data will not be linked to the original source, and the information may need to be formatted for legibility. Likewise, formulas created in Excel will not function in PowerPoint; only the resulting values are copied.

The Paste command has many possibilities, only one of which you get when you choose Paste.

Choose Edit → Paste Special.

Explore each of the options you have for pasting the copied object into the destination document. Options may include:

• Unformatted text and formatted text. Formatted will preserve the original formatting. Unformatted text will appear in a format appropriate for the destination (the current font, for example). Pasting as unformatted text strips out all formatting and many hidden characters from the source, giving you the most 'raw' transfer of text. It is almost identical to you retyping the text, but much faster.
• Picture or Picture (Windows Metafile) and bitmap. Picture is a vector-based picture, and is higher quality and takes up less space than a bitmap. Generally speaking, you should avoid pasting bitmaps. Pasting as a picture has the following characteristics:
  • It is the most efficient method from a file size perspective. A linked object takes up a bit more space in the file. An embedded object add significantly to the size of your presentation.
  • It is the most secure method. What you see is what you get. Nobody can look 'behind' the numbers to expose models, functions, or data.
  • It is the most reliable method. The picture will be visible, and will look the same, on any computer.
  • However, you cannot modify the data in the picture. It is the least 'flexible' option.
• Object. This results in embedding the source into the destination. The object will appear exactly as in the source and will still be editable, using the source application.