How to Fix Broken Clipboard History in Windows 11

Clipboard history is a helpful feature in Windows, as it lets you view and access bits of content you’ve copied in the past, like text and images. Unfortunately, it sometimes stops working, and many users report that their clipboard history fails to function after a recent Windows 11 update.

Here’s how to resolve that.

How to Fix Broken Clipboard History in Windows 11 Through Clipboard Settings

If your clipboard history stopped working after updating your device, this fix should work:

Step 1. Go to the “Settings” menu, either via the “Start” menu or by pressing “Windows” and “I” keys together.

Step 2. Click on “System” on the left menu, then scroll down the list to the “Clipboard” settings menu. Alternatively, you can just type “Clipboard” into the search bar in the top left and access the clipboard settings from there.

Step 3. Next, you need to toggle some settings off and on. First, turn the “Clipboard History” setting off and on. Then, do the same for “Clipboard history across your devices.” You may also see a menu entry called “Suggested actions,” and if so, turn that off and on too. This should effectively reboot the clipboard history feature, and you can hit “Windows” and “V” to check it.

Other Ways to Fix Broken Clipboard History

If the above doesn’t work for you, try these quick fixes for clipboard history.

Reboot Your Computer

Try resetting your computer when the clipboard history problem appears. Sometimes, a reboot is all that’s needed to reactivate key features.

Reboot Windows File Explorer

You can also try restarting Windows File Explorer, as this is directly connected to the clipboard history feature. It could happen that a small bug or corruption in the File Explorer prevents clipboard history from working.

Step 1. Access the “Task Manager.” To do this, either press “Ctrl,” “Alt,” and “Delete” together and then click “Task Manager.” Or, right-click the “Windows” icon at the bottom of your screen and find it from the pop-up menu.

Step 2. Find “Windows Explorer” in the list of apps on the “Processes” tab. Right-click it, then select “Restart.” After that, try checking your clipboard history again with the “Win” “V” shortcut.

Adjust the Registry Editor

This fix is a little more complex, but may be a helpful last resort if all else fails to get your clipboard history running.

Step 1. Search for “Registry Editor” in your Windows search bar and click on the “Best Match” that appears. If prompted, select “Yes” to proceed.

Step 2. Using the folders on the left side, you need to access this particular location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowssystem.

Step 3. Right-click in the blank space in the right pane and then select “New” and “DWORD (32-bit) Value.”

Step 4. Call your new value “AllowClipboardHistory” and click to create it. Then right-click on it and type a “1” into the “Value data” box. Then hit “OK” to confirm your changes, and go back to try the clipboard history feature again.

Clear Your Clipboard Data

This is another “last resort” type of fix, and it can be a frustrating one, as it removes your whole copy history, so you won’t be able to access or recover anything important you copied earlier. However, sometimes, it’s the only way to get the feature working.

Step 1. Access the “Settings” menu with the “Win” “I” shortcut or by finding it in your “Start” menu.

Step 2. Head to “System” and then “Clipboard.” Find the “Clear clipboard data” entry and click the “Clear” button.

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