8 Ways to Fix Clipboard History Stopped Working in Windows 11

Thanks to Microsoft's Clipboard History feature, Windows users' lives have become much easier. Having enough recently copied items in the Clipboard History allows users to access them when needed.

However, sometimes it simply stops working, making it impossible to access copied data from Clipboard History. Additionally, there may be cases where it fails to sync properly across multiple devices.

If you are having problems with Clipboard History, this article will show you various solutions to help restore your history.

1. Make sure Clipboard History is turned on

Make sure you have Clipboard History enabled on your computer before trying any of these fixes. When disabled, the clipboard doesn't keep any history of copied items, which could explain why you're having clipboard issues.

Follow the steps below to find out:

1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Settings .
2. On the left sidebar, select System .
3. In the right pane, click Clipboard .
4. Click the toggle next to Clipboard History to turn it on.

If the toggle is on, turn it off and then back on. Go back and see if Clipboard History works again. If not, move on to the next fix.

Turning off Clipboard History may clear the contents of your clipboard, so be sure to save any necessary information before doing this.

2. Did you press the correct hotkey?

Win + V is the key combination you can use to view your clipboard history. People often confuse this with Ctrl + V because it is used so often. So if you can't open the clipboard history manager, make sure you are pressing the right key.

However, if it doesn't open even after pressing the correct keys, then the problem lies somewhere else.

3. Restart your computer

After verifying that Clipboard History is enabled and that you're pressing the correct hotkey, restart your computer to clear out any temporary glitches that might be affecting the feature. After restarting, try opening Clipboard History again. If that doesn't work, move on to the next fix.

4. Restart Windows File Explorer

Windows File Explorer provides a GUI for accessing files and folders. A temporary glitch in Windows File Explorer can cause the clipboard to not work properly, which can also affect Clipboard History. While this is less likely, you can fix the problem by restarting File Explorer.

After File Explorer restarts, check Clipboard History again. You can move on to the next fix if this doesn't work.

5. Adjust Local Group Policy Editor

There is a chance that Clipboard History will not work properly if you or someone you share your computer with has disabled the Clipboard History feature in the Group Policy Editor. Before proceeding, it is necessary to ensure that this is not the case. Follow the steps below to confirm this:

1. To do so, press Win + R .
2. Type "gpedit.msc" and click OK .
3. Go to the following path in Group Policy Editor:

Computer > Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > OS Policies

1. In the right pane, click Allow Clipboard History .

1. Select Enabled > Apply > OK .

Once enabled, open Clipboard History again to see if it works. If it does, you've found the culprit. However, if this doesn't fix the problem or you can't access the Group Policy Editor (as is the case for those running Windows Home editions), the next fix might help.

6. Adjust Registry Editor

This step will be no different if you have Clipboard History enabled in the Group Policy Editor, as done above. However, if you are unable to deploy the above fix, you can follow the steps below:

1. Search for "Registry Editor" in Windows Search and open it.
2. Navigate to the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowssystem

1. Right-click the System key in the left sidebar and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value .

1. Rename the newly created value to AllowClipboardHistory.
2. Next, double-click that value and add 1 to the Value data field .

1. Click OK .

That's it! Once you've completed this step, restart your computer and you should have Clipboard History working at this point.

7. Can't access Clipboard History on a synced device? Make sure Sync is turned on

This fix should help if you can't access Clipboard History on a synced device. Just make sure you haven't accidentally turned off Sync in Settings. To check, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Settings .
2. In the left sidebar, select System .
3. Scroll down in the right pane and click Clipboard .
4. Turn on the switch next to Sync across your devices .
5. Once done, select "Automatically sync text that I copy" .

Once sync is turned back on, you'll be able to access your synced Clipboard History on other devices.

8. None of the fixes worked? You may have to clear your clipboard data!

This is the least preferred solution because it clears the Clipboard History you are trying to access. However, it is very handy when nothing else seems to work or you cannot access the Clipboard History in the first place.

Follow the steps below to clear clipboard data:

1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Settings .
2. In the left sidebar, select System .
3. In the right pane, click Clipboard .
4. Next to Clear clipboard data , click the Clear button .

It is imperative to understand that if you perform the above steps, you will wipe out all of your Clipboard History data.

Micah Soto

Update 28 October 2024