How To Fix Windows 10 Clipboard History Not Working?

Clipboard history is one of the most powerful features of Windows. It allows you to copy multiple things and paste them later. However, many users have complained about the Windows 11/10 clipboard history not working issue. So, if you are facing a similar issue and copy-paste is not working, I will share some fixes with you when the clipboard not working.

What Gets Stored in Clipboard History?

Clipboard history wasn’t always an integral part of Windows 10. Instead, it was introduced with Windows 10’s October 20218 update (Version 1809).

The best part of this feature is that it allows you to copy and store text, HTML, and images less than 4MB in size. So you can use them later on.

Also, the clipboard history supports a maximum of 25 entries. Plus, the clipboard cleans itself whenever you restart or shut down your computer. But if you pin an entry, only then it will not get erased. Find out how you can view all the clipboard items.

So, if you have more than 25 entries saved in your clipboard history, then it is why the Windows 10 clipboard history is not working.

How To Fix Windows 11/10 Clipboard History Not Working?

There are several ways to fix clipboard history not working errors on Windows 11/10. In this article, I am going to address the following methods to fix the error:

Enable Clipboard History
Turn Sync across devices
Edit Registry
Edit Local Group Policy

You will need admin permission to fix the problem where the clipboard history on Windows 11 is not working.

1] Enable Clipboard History

By default, clipboard history is disabled on Windows 11/10. As a result, most users are unaware of this feature or don’t know how to use it. As a result, if the feature isn’t enabled, you can only copy and paste one item at a time.

However, below are the steps that you can follow to enable clipboard history on Windows 11/10:

Go to the Windows search bar.
Type down clipboard settings and press enter.
Over here, toggle on the button under the Clipboard history.

Once enabled, press the Windows key + V at the same time and see if the clipboard is opening or not.
If it does, you can try copying multiple items and then check whether the Windows clipboard history is working.

Once you activate clipboard history, check if the Windows clipboard is not working or if you can see multiple items copied to the clipboard.

That said, if you want to know how to turn on clipboard history, then follow the same process, and this time disable it.

2] Turn Sync across devices

If you haven’t turned on the sync feature under clipboard history settings, the clipboard might not work as smoothly as it should when using multiple PCs and Laptops. So you can try enabling the option and see if it has helped you to fix the issue:

Go to the Windows search bar (Win + S), type clipboard settings, and launch it.
Next, toggle on the Sync across devices option.

Finally, select the Automatically sync text that I copy option and then use the Windows key+V together to check whether it is working.

Also, you should know that the sync feature would only work if you are signed into your computer using the same Microsoft account. This is the primary reason why Windows clipboard history not working when working on multiple PC, and you had assumed that anything you copy on one PC is available on another.

3] Edit Registry

registry method enable clipboard

If the above two options don’t work, you can try editing registry files. However, before you edit or modify any registry files, I recommend you take a backup or registry or create a system restore to recover if something goes wrong.

First, press the Windows key + R to launch the RUN dialog box.
Then type down, regedit, and press enter to open Registry Entry.
Now, using the side menu, go to this location:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

Right-click on the empty space from the right side select New, and then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Now, name this new key to AllowClipboardHistory.
Then, double-click on the AllowClipboardHistory key.
Next, set the key value to 1 and click on Apply and OK to save the changes.
Now, on the right side, click on the white space again.
Then select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name this key to AllowCrossDeviceClipboard.
Then, double-click on the AllowCrossDeviceClipboard key.
Set the value to 1.
Then click on Apply and OK to save the changes.

Finally, restart your computer and check if you still face the Windows clipboard history not working error.

4] Edit Local Group Policy

There is also a high chance that issues like Windows 10 clipboard history greyed out may appear because of incorrect local group policy settings. To fix it, you can follow these steps:

Launch the RUN dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R.
Type down, gpedit.msc, and press Enter to open Group Policy.
Now, from the Local Group Policy Editor, go to the following path:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > OS Policies

Now, on the right side, double-click on the Allow Clipboard History policy.

Over here, select the Enabled option to enable the policy.
Next, click on Apply and OK to make the changes.
Next, from the right side, double-click on the Allow Clipboard synchronization across devices policy.
Then select Enabled and click on Apply and OK.
Finally, restart your computer, and it should solve your issue.

If you have Windows Home, you must enable Group Policy on your computer.

So those were a couple of fixes for the Windows clipboard history not working issue. However, if you face issues like the Windows clipboard not showing in settings. Then, there is a high chance that you are running an older version of Windows 11/10. Hence, it would be best to upgrade Windows to a newer version, and it should solve the issue for you.