Utility To Suppress Windows 10/11 Unreliable Clipboard And Restore The Reliable Traditional Clipboar

I constantly get errors in the Windows 10 clipboard—either what I attempt to cut/copy doesn’t get onto the clipboard, or paste gets the wrong thing.

I am guessing that Windows 10 has multiple storage locations for clipboard items, and it’s a little iffy about which one you get when you either copy or paste.

What I want is the old behavior—ONE location. CTRL/X or CTRL/C ALWAYS loads the selection to that ONE location. CTRL/V ALWAYS pastes from that ONE location. No ambiguity or guesswork or surprises.

Windows 10 “disable clipboard history in Windows 10” doesn’t do it. There’s still something going on—CTRL/C doesn’t always put the selection on the clipboard, and CTRL/V doesn’t always paste the last thing I copied.

Is there a utility I can install to get rid of the aleatoric Windows 10 behavior and get the deterministic traditional behavior?

When I search MajorGeeks for "clipbaord," all the hits add features and complexity. I want features and complexity taken away.

Thank you

 

Perhaps this:

• stop the Clipboard User Service in Services
  
  
  
  
• then execute the following command in an elevated Powershell terminal cmd /c "echo off |clip" and
  
  
• restart the Clipboard User Service in Services again
  

How to stop and restart the service: go to Search, type services, open Services and go to Clipboard User Services. Right click to Stop or Start the Service.

How to open an elevated Powershell terminal: go to Search, type powershell and choose Run as Administrator.

IF I am correct, the things copied or cut are not actually stored in a physical location, but in RAM and, as far as I am aware, there is no way to alter this. This is why using 'copy' is safer than using 'cut': if something untoward happens while copying and pasting, the original data is still in place; use 'cut' and something goes wrong, you may well lose your data.

Thank you, by the way, for making me look up a new-to-me word (aleatoric). I'll have to use that one sometime.

 

Dear DangitAllRedux --

Thank you so much for the answer. Problem is, this is Windows 10, so every computer is different. So of the dozens of possible "search" boxes, which one? When I click on the "Windows" start button, I don't get a "Search." I need instructions that work on all configurations (well, my configuration). (Cortana was another of those Microsoft innovations that, as far as I can tell, is good for nothing but getting in the way and generating random output on its way out the door. So I sent it as far away as I could. That might be the "Search" you're suggesting. I have my computer to be as "manual shift' as I can get it. I have never had a good experience with Microsoft's attempts to read my mind or be "helpful" so I get rid of them all.)

I got a Powershell by doing Windows/R and typing "Powershell" (I think that is one thing that works consistently on all Windows 10 machines!) Then I pasted your
cmd /c "echo off |clip"
And now I can't tell whether that did anything or not.

I can't figure out what you mean by "go to Search, type services" -- which "Search" do I start with? Or better yet, can you give me a deterministic set of keystrokes that get me to "Services?"

And will the instructions you gave be PERMANENT? I have NEVER needed a multi-entry clipboard, not even once, in the 30 years I've been using Windows and 50 years I have been using computers. Not once. I NEVER want it to get in my way again.

Sorry to be such a dunderhead. (Well, 40 years ago, I was a pretty-macho Unix Kernel guy. I've given lectures on compiler construction at MIT. I'm not a dunderhead. I just have no use for Microsoft's non-deterministic user interfaces.)

Thank you.

 

Ahh! I found WindowsStart > Windows Administrative Tools > Services.

I can get to Services > Clipbaord User Service_c2f7e44 and it says "Running" but RightClick has "Stop" and "Restart" are both greyed out.

I'll keep looking.

 

Been a while.

Alright, generally, when someone here says something like 'go to Search', they will intend that you go to the Search box that's part of the Start menu. Alternatively, hit the Windows key and 'S' at the same time.

Where your Stop button for the Clipboard service is disabled, go back to Start > Windows Administrative Tools. Right-click on Services, and select "Run As Administrator'. This should give you the ability to stop and restart the service.

An alternative method, if the one outlined above doesn't work, would be simply to restart Explorer. To do so, use Ctrl+Alt+Del to open Task Manager. Find 'Windows Explorer' in the list at left. Right-click on it and select 'Restart'.

 

What you probably want to do, is regress the Windows 10/11 clipboard functionality to that used in Windows 7.

If you have access to a Windows XP or 7 installation, you might be able to copy the old clipbrd.exe file to your Windows 10/11 system. Place it in the C:\Windows\System32 folder and try running it. Note that this method isn't officially supported and may not work reliably. Moreover, you will need to disable the current Windows 10/11 clipboard services and associated executables to prevent these from restarting and taking over.
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You've looked at Download Disable Clipboard History in Windows 10 - MajorGeeks and seen the clipboard utilities at Download Clipboard Tools Tools for Windows - MajorGeeks - both without success. What it looks like you're doing is to regress the Microsoft added features that enables capabilities to work across devices via cloud storage and so on.

Clipboard management in recent Windows versions, like Windows 10 and 11, has seen significant enhancements claimed at improving productivity and flexibility:

1. Clipboard History: You can now store multiple copied items in a clipboard history, accessible by pressing Win + V. This allows you to paste not just the most recent item but also earlier ones.
2. Cloud Sync: Clipboard history can be synced across devices using a Microsoft account. This feature ensures that copied items are available on all your devices.
3. Rich Content Support: The clipboard now supports text, HTML, and images up to 4 MB in size, making it more versatile for modern workflows.
4. Integrated Features: Windows 11 introduced additional features like emojis, GIFs, and symbols directly accessible from the clipboard manager.
5. Pinning Items: Frequently used items can be pinned to the clipboard history, ensuring they remain available even after a restart.
6. Improved UI: The clipboard manager has a more user-friendly interface, making it easier to navigate and use.

These changes claim to make the clipboard more powerful and adaptable, though they may pose compatibility challenges for older applications.

The evolution of clipboard management from Windows 7 to the latest versions like Windows 10 and 11 brings both enhancements and changes in functionality. Note the following Windows 7 limitations:
1. Clipboard History: Only supports storing one item at a time. When a new item is copied, the previous one is overwritten.
2. Cloud Synchronization: Clipboard data was strictly local to the device.
3. Clipboard Manager UI: No built-in clipboard manager or visual interface. Users relied on third-party tools for advanced functionality.
4. Support for Rich Content: Basic clipboard functionality, handling primarily plain text, images, or formatted text, without extended features.
5. Pinning Content: No option to pin frequently used clipboard items.
6. Security Features: Lacked modern security considerations for clipboard data.
7. Third-Party Tool Integration: Heavy reliance on third-party tools for advanced clipboard management.