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Perform Auto-Type (control-v) not working

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Alan
2024-05-23
2026-03-24
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-05-23

    Hello,

    I've been using the control-v functionality for some years now.
    A few months ago, however, it stopped working in my Internet browser. I'm now forced to use the control-b/control-c options instead, a much more cumbersome process.
    I am using Edge and Chrome, and the same issue is impacting both browsers.
    The control-alt-a functionality does work, however many of my keepass entries do not match the website name, so there are only a few websites where I can use this unless I rename all my keepass entries.
    I did a quick notepad test, control-v works fine in notepad, and the username/password is correctly pasted. It's only the Internet browsers that seem to be impacted.
    I'm using keepass 2.56 64-bit Windows client.

    Any idea why this isn't working?

     
    • Bruce

      Bruce - 2024-05-23

      Are you sure the first field to be auto-typed has focus?

       
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-05-23

    Yes. I tried this many times, making sure the first field has focus before I switch to keepass for pressing control-v

     
  • Paul

    Paul - 2024-05-23

    What actually happens?
    KeePass should minimize and then type.

    If Ctrl Alt A works (sometimes) then Ctrl V should also work - same mechanism.

    Try bringing KeePass up, minimize with the mouse and then start typing. Do the keystrokes end up in the browser?

    Try it on our test page: https://keepass.info/help/kb/testform.html

    cheers, Paul

     
    • Alan

      Alan - 2024-05-23

      Here is what I've tested:
      Testing control-v with notepad:

      1. Open a blank page in notepad
      2. Shift the focus to keypass and select an entry
      3. Press control-v
      4. I observe the focus shifting back to notepad, and the <username><tab><password> are entered
        Testing control-v with Edge or Chrome:</password></tab></username>
      5. Open the browser and navigate to the keepass test form
      6. Click on the username field
      7. Shift the focus to keepass, select an entry
      8. Press control-v
      9. Nothing seems to happen. According to the taskbar, the focus shifts away from keepass, but not to the browser (no other app seems to get the focus)
        Testing minimising keepass
      10. Open the browser and navigate to the keepass test form
      11. Click on the username field
      12. Shift the focus to keepass, select an entry
      13. Minimise keepass
      14. Start typing. The username field accepts the characters typed
      15. I can also observe the taskbar showing me the focus shifting to the browser as soon as I minimise keepass. This does not happen when I press control-v in the previous scenario
       
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-05-23

    If I use control-alt-A when on the keepass test form, I get sample entry #2 from my database populating the form automatically.

     
  • Paul

    Paul - 2024-05-23

    Do you have any KeePass plug-ins? Try without them (rename the plugins folder and restart KeePass).

    cheers, Paul

     
    • Alan

      Alan - 2024-05-23

      I'm not aware of having any keepass plugins.
      You mean at the browser level? No plugins in either browser

       
      • Alan

        Alan - 2024-05-23

        Sorry I think you meant any plugins in keepass itself.
        I have no plugins

         
  • Paul

    Paul - 2024-05-23

    It makes no sense if Ctrl Alt A works and Ctrl V does not, but only in your browser. KeePass does not test for the browser, it just minimizes and types.
    Are you sure you don't have some screen / keyboard management app running?

    cheers, Paul

     
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-05-25

    I have not installed any screen or keyboard management apps.

    As a test I just downloaded firefox and tried it there too, using the keepass test form. Same behaviour as the other browsers. When pressing control-v in keepass the focus shifts away from keepass, but not to the browser, and no characters are entered on the test form.

     
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-05-25

    Interesting. As another test I downloaded DuckDuckGo and tried it there.
    It does work on DDG when using the keepass test form. Just not on Chrome, Edge and Firefox.

    With DDG I can clearly see the focus shifting from keepass to the browser and the characters are typed in.

     

    Last edit: Alan 2024-05-25
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-05-25

    Note that I also tried using right click/Perform Auto-Type instead of pressing control-v, in case the control-v combination is the problem. But the behaviour is the same.

     
  • Paul

    Paul - 2024-05-25

    Is KeePass set to Always on top? (View > Always on top)

    cheers, Paul

     
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-05-25

    Always on top is not enabled.
    I just enabled it and tested again. Same result. It works with DDG but not Chrome, Edge or Firefox.

     
  • Paul

    Paul - 2024-05-25

    3rd party AV?

    cheers, Paul

     
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-05-25

    Norton.
    Earlier today I tried disabling parts of it, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

     
  • Paul

    Paul - 2024-05-25

    I'd switch to using The Auto-Type hot keys, Ctrl Alt A.
    Rather than rename the entries, add a target window filter to the entry, or even easier, use the AutoTypeSearch plug-in.
    https://keepass.info/plugins.html#atsearch

    cheers, Paul

     
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-05-26

    Thanks, I've downloaded the plugin and will try it out.

     
  • Alan

    Alan - 2024-06-05

    Thanks again Paul, the plug-in works quite well, it allows me to link the website to the website to my keepass entry if it can't find it, saving me from having to re-edit those entries.
    It's actually better than control-v.

     
    👍
    1
  • William Humphries

    I updated from 2.54 to 2.61 and I regained the ability to ctrl-V to send keystrokes to login fields

     

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