How to fix and clear the Windows clipboard history when copy and paste stops working

Windows KB-253

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix and clear the Windows clipboard history when copy and paste stops working. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

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Common Causes

When copy and paste suddenly stops working in Windows 10 or Windows 11, the culprit is often a stalled clipboard service or a corrupted clipboard history. This guide walks you through resetting the clipboard service, clearing stored clipboard data, and verifying that copy and paste is functioning again. These steps are safe to perform and will not delete your personal files.

Quick Fix Steps

If you need to get copy and paste working again fast, run through these steps in order:

Restart the Clipboard User Service using the Services console.
Clear your clipboard history from Settings.
Test copy and paste in Notepad to confirm the fix.

Detailed Instructions

Restart the Clipboard Service

The Windows clipboard is managed by a background service. Restarting it clears any stuck processes and often restores copy and paste immediately.

Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
Type services.msc and press Enter.
Scroll down and locate Clipboard User Service. On some systems, you may also see Clipboard System Service.
Right-click the service and select Restart. If the option is greyed out, choose Stop, wait a few seconds, then choose Start.
Close the Services window and try copying and pasting again.

Tip: If you cannot find the service by name, sort the list alphabetically by clicking the Name column header. The clipboard services usually appear near the top of the C entries.

Clear the Clipboard History

Windows 10 and 11 can store up to 25 clipboard entries. If one of those entries becomes corrupted, it can prevent new items from being pasted. Clearing the history forces the clipboard to start fresh.

Open Settings by pressing Win + I.
Navigate to System then Clipboard.
Under Clipboard history, toggle the switch to Off, wait a few seconds, then toggle it back to On.
Click the Clear button next to Clear clipboard data.
Confirm by selecting Clear in the pop-up window.

Tip: You can also clear the clipboard quickly by opening the clipboard history pane with Win + V and clicking Clear all.

Test Copy and Paste

After completing the steps above, verify that copy and paste is working correctly:

Open Notepad from the Start menu.
Type a short phrase such as clipboard test.
Highlight the text, press Ctrl + C to copy, then press Ctrl + V on a new line to paste.
If the text pastes successfully, the clipboard is functioning normally.

Troubleshooting

If copy and paste is still not working after the steps above, try the following:

Check for Conflicting Applications

Some third-party clipboard managers, remote desktop tools, and virtualisation software can interfere with the Windows clipboard. If you have any of these installed, close them temporarily and test copy and paste again.

Popular clipboard managers such as Ditto, ClipClip, or 1Clipboard.
Remote access tools such as TeamViewer, AnyDesk, or Remote Desktop Manager.
Virtualisation software such as VirtualBox or VMware.

Run the System File Checker

Corrupted system files can prevent the clipboard from working. The System File Checker scans for and repairs these files.

Click Start, type cmd, then right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
Wait for the scan to complete. This can take 10 to 15 minutes.
Restart your computer when finished.

Check for Windows Updates

Microsoft regularly releases patches that address clipboard and input-related bugs. Keeping Windows up to date can resolve underlying issues. See our guide on How to update Windows for step-by-step instructions.

Create a New User Profile

If the issue only occurs under your user account, a corrupted user profile may be the cause. Try creating a new local account and testing copy and paste from there. For guidance on managing accounts, see Managing User Accounts in Windows 11.

Important: Creating a new user profile will not delete your files, but you will need to reinstall any applications that were only available to your original profile. Make sure you know your account passwords before making changes.

If you have completed all of the steps above and copy and paste is still not working, please Open a Ticket and our support team will assist you further.

Still Having Issues?

Need more help? If the issue persists after trying these steps, please open a support ticket and our team will assist you.

💻 Open a Ticket