Copy\Paste function randomly stops working in word

Randomly, the copy\paste function stops working. It used to be every once and awhile, now it is almost constant. If I copy something in word, I can not paste it anywhere else in the document or in another program. The only way I can get it to work correctly is to restart ms word.

Hi. One possibility here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886561

Thanks for the reply, but I don't think that is it. Today, for example: I ran the program, and at the beginning everything worked fine. I opened another program and attempted to copy text from MS to the other program. The copy\paste function suddenly stops working. The other day, I believe, it just randomly stopped working and I did not switch to another program. I did open another window of of MS and attempted to copy information from another window to the next and it stopped working.

What version of MS Word? What Operating System? Does the problem always involve MS Word. Or, for instance, are you having difficulty with copy/paste using Windows Explorer or copy/paste with image viewers such as infranview/paint/paintshop Pro, etc. ? When you select "paste" does "anything" happen? For instance, does a place-holder (like a red box with an X) appear instead of the desired word(s) or image? If the problem "always" involved MS Word, then you may have a corrupt document template known as Normal.dot It is possible to fix most such problems by renaming Normal.dot to Normal.old Then reboot the machine. MS Office will then "create" a fresh Normal.dot which should be free of corruption. (but you will lose any special formating you may have set, and will have to re-set any special formating that you wish to use.

If the problem "always" involves MS Word (Winword) then here are a couple of fix strategies:

This MS Knowledge Based article describes several general and specific fix strategies. (not all of them applicable to your problem)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822005

I am recommending that you start with Re-Naming Normal.dot (about 2/3 down the page titled Global Template (Normal.dotm or Mormal.dot)

If that doesn't fix the problem then proceed with to repairing Winword with "Detect and Repair" located about 1/2 way down the page of that same article.
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Please do not attempt the more specific fix strategies that involve changes to Registry, until we get a better description of the problem and additional suggested instructions are offered after any additional description you may have to offer.