How to Copy Unselectable Text to Clipboard in Windows 10
A few weeks ago we discussed an Android app that allows you to select and copy un-selectable text to the clipboard. While this feature is useful on smartphones, it is also needed on Windows computers. For example, imagine you want to copy an error message from a Windows popup or extract text from an image. Unfortunately, even with the latest Windows 10 update, the basic functionality is still limited.
Steve Jobs once famously said, “There’s an app for that.” Fortunately, in this case, there are several available options for selecting and copying unselectable text on Windows 10. Here are a few worth considering.
Textify is the first app you should install on your Windows computer to copy un-selectable text to the clipboard. The app is less than 250 KBs and is a portable .exe file that you can extract to any location of your computer and run it. When launching Textify for the first time, it will ask you to choose a hotkey for invoking the Textify module to select un-selectable text(s). I prefer using the Shift key with the Middle Mouse Button, but you can choose a different combination.
To copy an unselectable text, use the hotkey configured in the Textify app. The field will get highlighted and you will get a text box-like field. Right-click on it and select the option “Copy”. Alternatively, you can use the hotkey “Ctrl+C” after selecting the text.
The app is only 223 KB in size and works in limited scenarios, such as selecting text from Windows dialog boxes. However, it does not support text selection from images, websites, or the Start Menu. If you require more extensive functionality, you may want to consider the second app that we will discuss next.
Capture2Text is the only app that copies un-selectable text on Android. Just be aware that it’s over 200 MB in size and a bit complex for beginners. It can recognize text from anywhere.
Capture2Text is an open source application that uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to convert screen text and save it to the clipboard. The application is portable and can be run by executing the .exe file from the extracted ZIP file. It starts minimized in the system tray, and the first task is to configure the app’s hotkeys.
Configure hotkeys as desired and use Capture2Text to copy unselectable text. Draw a box over the desired text and press the end hotkey to copy it to the clipboard.
Cool Tip: You can select the option Show Popup Window
The app works for many languages and has advanced settings to expand its features. However, it works out of the box for users who only need to copy text and move on.
Conclusion
These are the top two apps to copy un-selectable text on Windows. If you want alternatives, try GetWindowText and ShoWin. Although they haven’t been updated in a while, they worked for Windows 7 and should work for Windows 10 too.
As Fred Humiston, the author behind Twothirds.us, I focus on providing practical and easy-to-follow guides and solutions for a variety of technical issues that people commonly face.
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