Clipboard FAQ
Jul 16th, 2007 by Chris Thornton
Q: Where is the clipboard on my computer?
A: It’s a shared memory area within the operating system (Windows, Mac, etc..). It has no permanent storage, and can only hold ONE item at a time. The “clipboard viewer” is NOT actually the clipboard, and does not need to be running, or even present on your system in order to copy/paste.
Q: How do I run the clipboard viewer?
A: From the XP Start menu, select Run, and enter: clipbrd.exe. The clipboard viewer is not present on Vista.
Q: How do I copy more than one item at a time?
A: Use a Clipboard Extender like ClipMate, which records all new clipboard data, for later retrieval and pasting.
Q: What keys are used with the clipboard?
A: Ctrl+C = Copy, Ctrl+V = Paste, Ctrl+X = Cut (destructive copy). Also, on Windows, you can use PrintScreen=Copy Desktop, Alt+PrintScreen=Copy Current Window.
Q: What is the clipboard in Microsoft Office?
A: Microsoft Office ships with a limited clipboard extender. But it only holds 12-24 items, and only works within the Office suite of programs.
I found your site as I was curious as to who invented the clipboard. Actually, it was Bill who asked the question… regardless, who did? What was the first clipboard? Your Clipmate origin story indicates the Mac II was the first computer with cut and paste. That was what Bill predicted but I couldn’t find a definitive resource. You seem to be the ultimate clipboard gurus, do you know?
There has to be a recover program for mining clipboard data.