How to view and manage the clipboard in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1

Viewing and working with the clipboard in Windows 10 is easy, as this operating system offers built-in features for that, starting with Windows 10 October 2018 Update. However, the same is not true about Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. These older operating systems do not have advanced tools for working with the clipboard. However, there are third-party apps that are excellent clipboard managers, and one of the best is called ClipClip. It lets you see your clipboard, use it to copy and paste multiple items, and it also lets you organize the contents of the clipboard in folders. If you want to learn how to use it, read on:

Contents

1. Download and install ClipClip on your Windows PC
2. How to use ClipClip to copy and paste items from your clipboard
3. How to pin items to your clipboard, in ClipClip
4. How to save items to your clipboard, in ClipClip
5. How to delete items from your clipboard, in ClipClip
6. Other features offered by ClipClip
7. Do you use a third-party clipboard manager on your Windows PC?

NOTE: The ClipClip app supports Windows 10, Windows 7, and Windows 8.1. For this tutorial, we are using screenshots taken in Windows 7, but everything is the same in Windows 10 or Windows 8.1.

Download and install ClipClip on your Windows PC

Download the ClipClip app on your PC. You can get it from its official website, here: ClipClip. In the middle of the webpage, you should find a link called 100% Free - Download Now. Click or tap on it, and you get to download an executable file called ClipClipSetup.exe, with a size of 10.2 MB. Once you have it on your computer, double-click or double-tap on it to run it.

ClipClip setup file

Go through the steps of the installation wizard and, in the end, tick the "Launch ClipClip" and "Run with Windows" boxes. By checking these options you make ClipClip run immediately after you finish its installation, and you also make it run each time Windows starts.

The ClipClip installation

Once you press Finish, ClipClip shows you a list of default folders that you could use for the items you save in your clipboard. If you want to use them, choose Apply. Otherwise, click or tap Skip. Later on, you can create your own custom folders if you want to.

ClipClip default save folders

How to use ClipClip to copy and paste items from your clipboard

ClipClip replaces your Windows default clipboard and enhances it by allowing you to copy and paste multiple items in it. Each time you press the Ctrl + C keys on your keyboard, or each time you choose to Copy an item using the right-click menu in an app, the text or image you copy is sent to ClipClip.

Copying content to the clipboard

When you want to paste an item from your clipboard in a window, if you press the Ctrl + V or right-click (tap and hold on a touchscreen), the last item from your clipboard is instantly pasted.

Pasting content from the clipboard

However, ClipClip also lets you paste older items from your clipboard. To do that, in the app window where you want to paste, press the Ctrl + Shift + V keys on your keyboard. This action shows the ClipClip menu.

The ClipClip clipboard history

In the ClipClip menu, click the item that you want to paste, in the list of recent items.

Paste older clipboard items from ClipClip

If you have many items in your clipboard and you do not see the one you want in the list, you can also use the search function to find it faster.

Search clipboard items with ClipClip

There are also other options available in the ClipClip menu, such as Context-sensitive clips, Pinned Clips, and Saved Clips. These are lists of items from your clipboard that contain only certain items:

• Context-sensitive clips - this list changes its contents according to the app window that is focused.
• Pinned Clips - this list shows you all the clipboard items that you have pinned.
• Saved Clips - shows all the clipboard items that you have saved.

How to pin items to your clipboard, in ClipClip

To pin an item to your clipboard, you first have to open the ClipClip Manager window. You can do that by double-clicking or double-tapping on its icon in the system tray (it is a small C letter).

The ClipClip icon in the system tray

Then, you should see the ClipClip Manager window, which looks similar to this:

The ClipClip Manager window

Now, in the list of Latest Clips, find the item that you want to pin to the clipboard. Right-click or tap and hold on it, and then choose Pin clip. An alternative way to do the same thing is to select the item that you want to pin and then simultaneously press the Ctrl + L keys on your keyboard.

Pin a clip using ClipClip

You can check the pinned clipboard items anytime you want, in the list of Pinned Clips.

Pinned clips from ClipClip

How to save items to your clipboard, in ClipClip

To save an item in ClipClip, find it in the list of Latest Clips or Pinned Clips, in ClipClip's Manager window. Then, right-click on it, and choose Save As.

Save item to clipboard folder in ClipClip

Select the ClipClip folder in which you want to save it, choose a name for it, and then click or tap Save. An alternative way of saving a clipboard item into a folder is to just drag and drop it there.

Saved item in clipboard folder

Then, you can find the item in the folder you chose, and you can paste it using the ClipClip Manager window, or the ClipClip menu (the one that you open with Ctrl + Shift + V).

Paste a saved clipboard item from ClipClip

How to delete items from your clipboard, in ClipClip

To delete an item from your clipboard, open the ClipClip Manager and find it. Then, right-click (or tap and hold) on it and press Delete clip. Alternatively, you can select it and press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Delete a clipboard item from ClipClip

Other features offered by ClipClip

ClipClip is a powerful clipboard management app, and the ones above are just the core things you can do with it. However, ClipClip has other features as well, such as:

• The ability work with multiple root folders, which means that you can add clipboard folders anywhere you want on your PC.
• The option to use Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or other similar cloud storage services to store your clipboard root folders, which means that you can effectively sync your clipboard items on multiple Windows computers.
• Clipboard Editor, which is a tool that lets you make simple edits to your clipboard text items.
• Instant Google Translate, which lets you select an item from your clipboard and paste its translation into the language you choose.

There is a lot to write about all these features, and that would make this tutorial very long, so if you are interested in using everything that ClipClip has to offer, please visit this website: ClipClip Features.

Do you use a third-party clipboard manager on your Windows PC?

As you have seen, ClipClip is a powerful clipboard manager that offers a much better experience than what you get by default in Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Do you like it? Do you need a clipboard manager to make you more productive when you are working? Do you know other similar tools that are better than ClipClip? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.