Windows clipboard. Programs to expand the capabilities of the buffer. Best Windows Clipboard Replacements

As you know, any information that is copied when working on a PC is placed on the clipboard (CB). Let's learn how to view the information contained in the clipboard of a computer running Windows 7.

First of all, it must be said that there is no separate clipboard tool as such. BO is a regular section of PC RAM where any information is written when copied. All data stored in this area, like all other contents of RAM, is erased when the computer is restarted. In addition, the next time you copy, the old data on the clipboard is replaced with new ones.

Let us remind you that all selected objects to which combinations are applied are added to the clipboard Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Insert, Ctrl+X or via the context menu "Copy" or "Cut out". Also, screenshots of the screen obtained by pressing PrScr or Alt+PrScr. Individual applications have their own special means for placing information on the clipboard.

How to view the contents of the clipboard? On Windows XP this could be done by running the system file clipbrd.exe. But in Windows 7 this tool is missing. Instead, the clip.exe file is responsible for the operation of the BO. If you want to see where this file is located, then go to the following address:

C:\Windows\System32

It is in this folder that the file we are interested in is located. But, unlike its counterpart on Windows XP, the contents of the clipboard cannot be viewed by running this file. On Windows 7, this can only be fully done using third-party software.

Let's find out how to view the contents of a BO and its history.

Method 1: Clipdiary

Using standard Windows 7 methods, you can view only the current contents of the clipboard, that is, the last copied information. Everything that was copied before is cleared and is not available for viewing using standard methods. Fortunately, there are special applications that allow you to view the history of information placed in the BO and, if necessary, restore it. One such program is Clipdiary.

After downloading Clipdiary from the official website, you need to install this application. Let's look at this procedure in more detail, since, despite its simplicity and intuitiveness, the application installer is equipped with an exclusively English-language interface, which can cause some problems for users. Run the installation file. The Clipdiary installer welcome window opens. Click "Next".

A window with the license agreement opens. If you understand English, you can read it, otherwise just click "I agree" ("I agree").

A window opens indicating the application installation directory. By default this is a directory "Program Files" disk C. If you do not have significant reasons for this, then do not change this parameter, but simply click "Next".

In the next window you can choose which folder the menu is in "Start" display the program icon. But we recommend leaving everything unchanged here too and clicking "Install" to start the application installation procedure.

The Clipdiary installation process starts.

Upon completion, a message indicating the successful installation of Clipdiary will be displayed in the installer window. If you want the software to be launched immediately after exiting the installer, then make sure that approx. "Run Clipdiary" the checkbox was checked. If you want to delay the launch, then this checkbox must be unchecked. Do one of the following and press "Finish".

After this, the language selection window opens. Now you can change the English-language installer interface to the Russian-language interface of the Clipdiary application itself. To do this, find and highlight the value in the list "Russian" and press "OK".

Opens "Clipdiary Settings Wizard". Here you can customize the application according to your preferences. In the welcome window just click "Further".

The next window prompts you to set a hotkey combination to call up the BO log. The default is the combination Ctrl+D. But if you wish, you can change it to any other by specifying the combination in the corresponding field of this window. If you check the box next to the value "Win", then this button will also need to be used to call the window (for example, Win+Ctrl+D). After the combination is entered or left as default, press "Further".

The next window will describe the main points of working in the program. You can familiarize yourself with them, but we will not dwell on them specifically now, since a little further we will show in detail how everything works in practice. Click "Further".

The next window opens "Practice Page". Here you are invited to try for yourself how the application works. But we'll look at that later, for now check the box next to “I understood how to work with the program” and press "Further".

After this, a window opens asking you to select hot keys for quickly inserting the previous and next clip. You can leave the default values ( Ctrl+Shift+Up And Ctrl+Shift+Down). Click "Further".

The next window again asks you to try the steps using an example. Click "Further".

It then tells you that you and the program are now ready to go. Click "Complete".

Clipdiary will run in the background and capture all data that comes into the clipboard while the application is running. There is no special need to launch Clipdiary, since the application is registered in autorun and starts along with the operating system. To view the BO log, enter the combination that you specified in "Clipdiary Settings Wizard". If you have not made any changes in the settings, then by default this will be the combination Ctrl+D. A window appears that displays all the elements that were placed in the BO during the program’s operation. These elements are called clips.

You can immediately restore any information that was placed in the BO during the program’s operation, which cannot be done with standard OS tools. Open the program or document into which you want to insert data from the BO history. In the Clipdiary window, select the clip you want to restore. Double-click on it with the left mouse button or click Enter.

The data from the BO will be inserted into the document.

Method 2: Free Clipboard Viewer

The next third-party program that allows you to manipulate the BO and view its contents is Free Clipboard Viewer. Unlike the previous program, it does not allow you to view the history of placing data on the clipboard, but only the information that is currently there. But Free Clipboard Viewer allows you to view data in various formats.

Method 3: CLCL

The next program that can show the contents of the clipboard is CLCL. It is good because it combines the capabilities of previous programs, that is, it allows you to view the contents of the BO log, but also makes it possible to see data in various formats.

Method 4: Standard Windows Tools

But perhaps there is still an option to view the contents of the BO using the built-in tools of Windows 7? As mentioned above, there is no such complete method. At the same time, there are still small tricks that allow you to look at what BO currently contains.

Method 5: Internal clipboard of programs on Windows 7

In addition, some programs that run on Windows 7 contain their own clipboard. Such applications include, for example, programs from the Microsoft Office suite. Let's look at how to view BO using the word processor Word as an example.

As you can see, Windows 7 has rather limited built-in tools for viewing the contents of the clipboard. By and large, we can say that there is no full-fledged ability to view content in this version of the operating system. But there are quite a few third-party applications for these purposes. In general, they can be divided into programs that display the current contents of the BO in various formats, and applications that provide the ability to view its log. There is also software that allows you to use both functions at the same time, such as CLCL.

Something tells me that it’s time to change my Windows clipboard manager, which has served me faithfully for FIVE years.

The fact is that today I accidentally came across a wonderful free program on the Internet under the gentle name Clip Angel.

Clip Angel - Windows Clipboard Manager

This small and useful program captures data (clips) copied to the clipboard, and then allows the user to select and paste any clip in any program.

The most important thing is that this can be done at any time and the copied data will not disappear immediately after pasting (as the creators of the default operating system kindly suggest to us).

The difference between Clip Angel and Clipdiary

The difference between this manager and Clipdiary is simplicity - the latter is a little more sophisticated, a little more functional and... more annoying. He simply tormented me with his congratulations on my new achievements in the field of copying and pasting data. Now, if these achievements opened up some additional tasty functions, that would be a different matter. But no, they’ve been congratulating me almost every day for five years now...

And the settings in Clipdiary are not very clear - I remember it took me a while to “enter” a considerable number of them and customize the program for myself.

Setting up Clip Angel

Everything here is very easy, simple and clear...

As you can see, there is practically nothing to configure. Disable automatic checking for updates (we don’t need constant “calls” to the network) and install the Windows clipboard manager to system startup.

You can also change the hotkey for showing the window and sequential insertion. An excellent feature, by the way, is this sequential paste - we copy three samples to the clipboard...

...and then poking with ONE (assigned) key on the keyboard - we insert these samples sequentially...

What else could a user need from a good clipboard manager? Quick search among a large number of saved clips? Get...

Personally, I don’t need any more functions in such programs.

By the way, I almost forgot - insert copied data performed by double clicking on the line with the clip. By the way, it can be edited directly in the program window.

Download Clip Angel

This Windows clipboard manager is portable - you don't need to install it anywhere, it works from a folder. Unzip the downloaded file (1.4 MB) and click on the program shortcut - that’s it.

So as not to sometimes receive such evil notification windows...

The clipboard is a universal tool for exchanging data between applications, which is done by copying information in one application and pasting it in another. However, the standard Windows clipboard allows you to store only one piece of data, since any subsequent entry of information into the clipboard leads to overwriting what was previously there. As a result, it will no longer be possible to restore one of the previous text fragments from the clipboard, so to insert it into the document you will have to re-access the source, which will slow down the preparation of the document. At the same time, it is not at all difficult to expand the possibilities of using information placed on the clipboard by “teaching” Windows to remember more than one piece of data. To do this, just use the Microsoft Office clipboard (it allows you to store 24 blocks of information) or install a special clipboard manager. This article is dedicated to getting to know such managers.

There are quite a few utilities on the market today that allow you to restore a lot of text and graphic data stored on it from the clipboard. The capabilities of some of them are limited to working only with text information (we will not consider such solutions), others can restore both text (often even with formatting) and images, while others can also remember the names of copied files and folders (see table). All such solutions can store a huge number of fragments that can be quickly inserted into documents in one way or another. And to work with them, no additional actions are required, since clipboard managers automatically record all information entering the clipboard. Some of the clipboard managers, if desired, can be used as full-fledged repositories of various information, sorted (depending on the purpose) into separate collections.

Selecting a clipboard manager

Clipboard managers significantly simplify and speed up the work of everyone who has to work a lot with texts (for example, editors, layout designers, journalists, etc.), as well as many other users who need to enter large amounts of the same type of information, for example, when filling out databases , Excel tables, etc. First, it would be wiser to pay attention to paid products, among which ClipMate has the most functionality, or to choose the less functional, but easier to learn Global Clipboard program. Other solutions considered (Spartan Multi Clipboard and Clipboard Box) are less preferable, although their favor (compared to Global Clipboard) is evidenced by the ability to search text fragments by keywords. Of the free utilities, in our opinion, Ditto has the maximum capabilities and ease of use, as it allows you to directly drag and drop the desired block of information directly into the document. For those users who, due to the nature of their activities, are often forced to enter repeated text (for example, the names of vendors or suppliers when filling out databases, etc.), it is enough to acquire a free utility, for example Ditto or CLCL, or a paid Clipboard Box. Using any of these programs, you can create a small database of frequently used text fragments, save it, and then disable data collection in the program settings. After this, new data will no longer enter the database, and you can quickly insert words and phrases previously placed in it into the required fields - using a hotkey (Clipboard Box) or through the system tray (Ditto or CLCL). This will not only speed up the data entry process, but also avoid many inevitable errors when entering. By the way, such a mini-base will also be convenient for other users, since it can store, for example, email templates or standard blocks of text documents.

Clipboard Managers

ClipMate 7.3

Developer: Thornsoft Development, Inc.

Distribution size: 7.15 MB

Work under control: Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4/2000/XP/Vista

Distribution method: http://www.thornsoft.com/dist/ClipMate_MultiEurope_7306_194.exe)

Price:$34.95

ClipMate is one of the most feature-rich solutions for working with the Windows clipboard, which is a convenient tool for restoring any of the thousands of text and graphic fragments stored in the clipboard, as well as the names of copied files and folders. By default, the program automatically captures all data copied to the buffer, but the range of information stored in the database may be limited to specific types of data. When storing a fragment in the database, certain text (for example, a date) can be automatically added to it in accordance with the established template. All fragments are automatically placed in the Inbox folder, but for ease of use it is easy to place them in specific collections, the number of which is unlimited. The program window can be displayed in two modes: Classic and Explorer. In the first, only the toolbar and the name of the last saved fragment are visible, and in the second - all the information about all available fragments and about all collections.

Any of the fragments located in the database can be viewed on an enlarged scale and inserted into a working document in a variety of ways, including regular drag-and-drop (it is possible to insert several fragments at once), as well as print and edit, and not only changing the case, but also inserting or deleting specific data, automatic clearing of text from empty lines, newlines, etc., searching, spell checking, etc. It is also possible to glue fragments into a new fragment. When copying data from web pages to the clipboard, the program remembers their addresses and allows you to quickly load the corresponding pages in the Internet browser in the future. For quick access to the desired fragment, an advanced search is provided, which allows you to search for fragments by many parameters: keywords, collection, source, date of publication in the database, etc. The program also implements a 56-bit ARC4 encryption function (this allows you to protect important data); the database can be used by a large number of users over a local network. As an additional functionality, it is possible to create screenshots that are saved in graphic format and, if necessary, can be sent to the specified email address.

Global Clipboard 2.2

Developer: ElasticLogic

Distribution size: 1.56 MB

Work under control: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003

Distribution method: shareware (30-day demo - http://www.globalclipboard.com/globalclipboard.exe)

Price: 19.95 dollars, for Russian-speaking users in Allsoft.ru - 300 rubles.

Global Clipboard is an easy-to-use clipboard manager that allows you to restore images, texts (including formatting) and names of copied files and folders from the clipboard. By default, the utility can store up to 20 fragments (if desired, the number of stored fragments can be increased to 1000), but the number of active fragments (that is, those that can be accessed instantly) is limited to five. At the same time, if necessary, you can move between saved fragments and change their places, which opens up quick access to other blocks of information available in the database.

Any of the active fragments can be viewed in enlarged form, edited (for text fragments, changing the case is acceptable, and for graphic fragments, rotation, mirroring and inverting colors are allowed) and instantly copied into the desired document. For each of the active fragments, detailed information is provided (the number of lines, words and characters in the copied text, as well as the sizes of images and screenshots). Recognition of identical fragments is provided. If text of a certain type (link or email address) is copied to the clipboard, the program can automatically launch the application necessary to process it - open the link in an Internet browser or create a letter for the email address contained in the clipboard. When you finish working, all fragments are automatically saved; it is possible to save sets of fragments for further use.

Spartan Multi Clipboard 1.63

Developer: M8 Software

Distribution size: 2.83 MB

Work under control: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista

Distribution method: shareware (demo version that allows you to recover 200 fragments - http://dl.filekicker.com/send/file/186905-HTCE/install_spartanhd.exe)

Price:$19.99

Spartan Multi Clipboard is a utility for managing the clipboard, allowing you to restore text and graphic information from it. It can store up to 150 pieces of data, but only the last 25 are active (they are displayed at the top of the program window), and any of the rest can be retrieved from the Clipboard section of the program by copying. It is easy to transfer individual fragments for further use into specific groups (a total of 20 groups can be used), the information in which is automatically saved on disk and is not overwritten.

Any of the fragments in the database can be viewed on an enlarged scale and inserted into a working document using a hotkey or by performing a regular copy/paste operation. When inserting links, they can be quickly opened in an Internet browser. Conducting a keyword search will help speed up access to the necessary fragments. The program also implements fragment editing. In particular, in text blocks text can be inserted or deleted, case changed, etc., and graphic fragments can easily be supplemented with text, graphic primitives, background images, etc. At the same time, working with fragments in this program, in our opinion, is organized somewhat confusingly, which complicates its use.

There is a free, simplified analogue of Spartan Multi Clipboard - the 101 Clips utility (http://www.101clips.com/freeclip.htm; 4.1 MB), the capabilities of which are limited to memorizing the last 25 fragments. It is worth noting that it is less convenient to use than other free clipboard managers mentioned in the article.

Clipboard Box 3.6

Developer: DreamFly Software

Distribution size: 750 KB

Work under control: Windows 98/NT/Me/2000/XP/2003

Distribution method: shareware (demo version for 40 launches - http://www.dreamflysoft.com/clipboardbox/download/clipboardbox.exe)

Price:$19.99

Clipboard Box is a simple and convenient tool for working with the clipboard, reminiscent of the MS Office clipboard manager. The program can recognize identical fragments and does not enter them into the database; it allows you to restore up to 100 text blocks and images saved in the clipboard.

Any of the recorded fragments can be viewed in enlarged form and inserted into a document using a hotkey or by copying from the program window. For faster access to the desired fragment, you can use the search. When finishing work, the utility does not automatically save a set of fragments, and therefore you must first save it manually by clicking on the Save All button. In addition, if the save folder is not changed, then the next time you save, all fragments recorded in the previous session will be overwritten.

Ditto 3.15.4

Developer: Ditto

Distribution size: 2.04 MB

Work under control: Windows 95/98/2000/XP

Distribution method: freeware()

Price: for free

Ditto is a very convenient and simple utility for working with the clipboard. It allows you to restore up to 500 text (including formatted) and graphic blocks of information. By default, all fragments are placed in a common area, but if necessary, some of them can be easily moved to specific groups, which speeds up access to them in the future.

Brief statistical information is provided for each of the fragments, and any of them can be inserted into the document by dragging or by regular insertion. It is possible to edit text fragments, which allows inserting and deleting some information from them and simple formatting.

Clipdiary 1.4

Developer: Softvoile

Distribution size: 289 KB

Work under control: Windows (all versions)

Distribution method: freeware (http://softvoile.com/download/clipdiary_1.4.exe)

Price: for free

Clipdiary is a very simple and easy-to-use program for restoring text (including formatting) and graphic information previously copied to the clipboard. It can recognize identical fragments and allows you to restore up to 200 text blocks and images saved in the clipboard.

Any of the recorded fragments can be viewed in enlarged form and inserted into the document through the system tray or by activating it and pressing the Ctrl+D key combination or the corresponding button in the program window.

CLCL 1.1.2

Developer: Nakashima Tomoaki

Distribution size: 145 KB

Work under control: Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

Distribution method: freeware (http://www.nakka.com/soft/clcl/download/clcl112_rus.zip)

Price: for free

CLCL is a simple and installation-free utility for recovering data from the clipboard. It saves buffered text (without formatting) and graphic fragments in a log that can contain hundreds of thousands of objects. The utility can recognize identical fragments, but only if the corresponding option is enabled in the settings.

It’s easy to insert any of the fragments into a document by selecting it from the system tray, copying it from the program window, or using a hotkey. It is possible to move individual fragments to sample folders and edit text blocks of information, which allows you to enter or delete some text.

Good day, friends! Do you use clipboard programs? Personally, I use them very actively and they help me a lot, especially since I started them here. If you don’t know what a clipboard is on a computer, I’ll explain. everything that you copy when you right-click or press Ctrl + C is placed on the same clipboard. If you often copy and paste various materials, and sometimes you have to copy the same thing several times, then clipboard program you just need it.

There are many such programs, but I will tell you about three that I have personally worked with. The first program is, which has become an indispensable assistant for me, which saves me a lot of time. In addition to the main purpose of working with the keyboard layout, this small program has a function for working with the clipboard. Program any key combination to call up the buffer history and a window will open with everything you copied. Having selected the desired item with the mouse, click once and the content will be inserted into the place you need.

The second program for working with the clipboard is called . Quite a good program, also in Russian. In addition to copying simple text to the buffer, it can also store images, which is undoubtedly a plus. Has a settings menu. The contents of the clipboard are accessed by the keyboard shortcut Alt + C (default). You can configure others. Easy to install, does not take up much space, sits silently in the tray and does not ask for porridge. 🙂

And the third program is . Despite the developers' website in English, the program contains Russian. Easy to install and doesn't take up much space either. Stores both text and pictures. The buffer is called by the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + D (default). It also has a settings menu.
When you select the desired clip, which is what the saved pieces copied in this program are called, you need to double-click to paste the contents.

Bottom line

I have been using the Punto Switcher program for quite a long time. Working with the clipboard in it is not entirely complete, since the program was originally intended for something else. I used the CLCL program quite a bit and for some reason I didn’t really like it. Maybe I'll come back to it someday. Perhaps you will like it more. And I became interested in the third program quite recently and I like it more and more. In my opinion, this is the best of the three presented. programs for working with the clipboard.

Write in the comments what programs you use and how good they are. Also, share this post on social networks, wouldn’t it be difficult for you? 😉

Not everyone is comfortable communicating with the clipboard via “copy-paste” every day. Sometimes you need a history of actions, data reuse, restoration, or text insertion without formatting. There are many tools to make work easier, and I’ll tell you about them now.

Lightweight, fast and free clipboard manager. Thanks to this program, you won't have to copy the same information and files over and over again. By pressing the hotkey, a program window appears with all the data that you have ever copied.

I have been using Clipdiary for many years, and it is one of the indispensable utilities for me. Even now, to write this post, I use Clipdiary every half minute. And just a couple of days after I first got acquainted with the program, I got a license for it.

A small utility, after installing which you can copy the contents of files through the context menu:

The utility supports text files in txt format and image files in jpg, pcx, png, bmp, tga, gif, tif formats.

You can take a screenshot by pressing Prt Scr, or by pressing Prt Scr with the program. I really like this utility because it allows you to set actions that will be performed after taking a screenshot.

I set it up to save the screenshot to disk, open it in Paint.net and copy it to the clipboard. This way I get a copy of the screenshot on disk and can quickly edit it. If no editing is required, I immediately paste it into the destination.

PhraseExpress

The most powerful utility for auto-typing text and executing various macros. It allows you to significantly reduce the time you spend writing texts.

The utility itself can serve as an analogue of Clipdiary, since it has exactly the same functionality for tracking the clipboard. In addition, you can create many macros using a buffer. For example, I can insert a file path depending on the window title.

Pushbullet

Cross-platform utility for synchronizing Push notifications between all devices. One of its features is clipboard synchronization. Everything you copied on one device immediately becomes available on all others.

Punto Switcher

It is famous for the fact that it allows you to change the keyboard layout on the fly. However, many of its users are well familiar with the diary function, in which you can save all texts entered from the keyboard, as well as the entire clipboard. Or you can quickly change the layout of the text in the buffer.

TeraCopy

File copy manager. The program copies faster than the standard Windows manager, plus it has a built-in check for the integrity of files after copying. You also have the opportunity to copy files to frequently used folders in almost one click. To do this, simply add them to your favorites.