How to open the Windows 10 clipboard

The Windows 10 clipboard is a clever temporary storage solution for files that you want to copy and paste from one place to another. Since recently, the Windows 10 clipboard offers space for up to 25 files in the cache. We will explain how to use the clipboard step by step.

Quick guide: How to open the Windows 10 clipboard

General: Shortcut [Windows] + [V].

In Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.):

  1. At the top left of the menu, expand the ‘Clipboard’
  2. The clipboard will open on the left.
  3. Select the element you want to cut and paste.
  4. In the drop-down menu, select ‘Paste’.

What is the Windows 10 clipboard?

You’ll know that when using Windows, you’ll need to transport pieces of data such as Windows screenshots, images, links, or files from one place on the PC to another. This would ideally be done quickly and preferably without creating new folders. Windows has the clipboard for this purpose, which temporarily stores copied or cut files like a short-term memory.

Until recently, it was only possible to store a single file in the clipboard. This was automatically overwritten as soon as you copied or cut a new file. Since the Windows 10 update 1809, the clipboard’s performance has improved. It now stores up to 25 files at a time, which can be viewed, selected, and pasted in the clipboard history.

Tip

The Windows 10 clipboard and Windows shortcuts are basically an inseparable unit. Only with the Windows shortcuts for ‘Cut’ Ctrl + X, ‘Copy’ Ctrl + C, and ‘Paste’ Ctrl + V do you get the full functionality out of the clipboard.

Windows 10 clipboard: enable history

Since the history for cached files in the clipboard is disabled by default, you need to enable it first.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: From the Windows Start menu, go to ‘Settings’ and then ‘System’.

‘Settings’ in Windows start menu
Go to the gear icon for ‘Settings’ in the Windows Start menu and directly after that go to ‘System’.

Step 2: Click ‘Clipboard’ in the left sidebar and set the toggle at ‘Clipboard history’ to ‘On’. To deactivate the history again, set the toggle back to ‘Off’.

Clipboard in Windows settings with the ‘Clipboard history’
Go to ‘Clipboard’ in the left sidebar and set the ‘Clipboard history’ to ‘On’.

Open the Windows 10 clipboard

Files of all kinds can be moved to the clipboard in Windows 10 either by selecting them with the mouse, with the touchpad, or via Windows shortcuts for ‘Cut’ and ‘Copy’. To view the cached entries and paste them elsewhere, you first need to open the clipboard.

Proceed as follows:

Open clipboard via shortcut [Windows] + [V].

Step 1: The fastest way to open the clipboard in Windows 10 is to use the Windows shortcut [Windows] + [V].

Open the clipboard on the keyboard with the Windows + V shortcut
Open the clipboard in Windows 10 with the Windows + V shortcut.

Step 2: The opened clipboard menu opens and shows you the list of all cached entries. Select a location where you want to paste a cached file and click the desired entry to paste.

Clipboard window showing current history of cached files
The clipboard history contains all currently cached files.

Open Windows 10 clipboard in Microsoft Office

Step 1: In the Microsoft Office programs Word, Excel and PowerPoint you will find the group “‘Clipboard”’ in the top left corner of the document. Click there on the small arrow in the lower right corner.

Open clipboard in Word with the small arrow on the right in the clipboard group
Click on the arrow at the bottom right of the clipboard group to open the clipboard

Step 2: The clipboard will now open with the current history on the left side of your document.

Open clipboard in Word to the left of the document area
You can now see the current clipboard on the left side of the screen.

Step 3: You can now transfer an entry directly to the desired location by clicking on it or choose between the ‘Paste’ and ‘Delete’ options in the drop-down menu.

Paste item from clipboard into Word
Click the item to paste it to the destination, or use the ‘Paste’ or ‘Delete’ options in the drop-down menu.

Step 4: To insert all the cached files in the specified order, go to ‘Insert All’. To delete all the files, go to ‘Delete All’.

Paste All and Delete All clipboard options in Word
‘Paste All’ and ‘Clear All’ options let you paste the entire history to the destination or clear the history.
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