Win+V Says 'Nothing Here'? How to Fix Empty History

If Win+V says "Nothing here" right after a restart or a Windows update, that's normal: Windows clears unpinned clipboard history every time the PC restarts. If it still says "Nothing here" after you copy something new, history isn't recording. The fixes that work most often are turning Clipboard history off and on, turning off Suggested actions, restarting the Clipboard User Service, and clearing the history cache.

If Win+V doesn't open at all, that's a different fault; see Win+V not working on Windows 11: 9 fixes.

First, run a 30-second test

1. Open Notepad, type test, select it and press Ctrl+C.
2. Press Windows logo key + V.

Why history is empty after a restart or update

Microsoft documents that clipboard history is cleared every time you restart your PC, except for pinned items. Most Windows updates finish with a restart, so an empty panel the morning after an update is expected, not a bug. Clipboard history cleared after restart explains the rule and how to keep items.

What isn't expected is new copies failing to appear. In late 2024, after the KB5043178 preview update for Windows 11 version 24H2, many users on Microsoft Q&A reported exactly that: the panel opened, the emoji tabs worked, but the clipboard tab said "Nothing here" no matter what they copied. The fixes below come from those threads and from Microsoft's own steps.

Fix 1: Turn clipboard history off and on

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Clipboard.
2. Turn Clipboard history off, wait a few seconds, then turn it on.
3. Repeat the Notepad test.

Fix 2: Turn off Suggested actions

This is the accepted answer in the main Microsoft Q&A thread on this problem, with more than 100 helpful votes. In a separate thread, a Q&A moderator described it as a known issue: with Suggested actions turned on, clipboard history can stop recording.

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Clipboard.
2. Turn Suggested actions off.
3. Turn Clipboard history off and back on.
4. Repeat the Notepad test.

Don't worry if you don't see Suggested actions. Microsoft says the feature is only available in North America, and Microsoft announced its deprecation in December 2024, so many PCs never show the toggle. Skip to fix 3. Windows Suggested actions on copy explains what the feature does if you want to keep it.

Fix 3: Restart Windows Explorer and the Clipboard User Service

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, find Windows Explorer on the Processes tab, right-click it and select Restart.
2. Open PowerShell as administrator and restart the per-user clipboard service:

Get-Service -Name 'cbdhsvc_*' | Restart-Service

The service name is cbdhsvc_ plus a suffix unique to your sign-in, so the wildcard finds it. In the Services app it appears as Clipboard User Service_ followed by that suffix. How to restart the Clipboard User Service covers what to do if it's missing or won't start.

Fix 4: Clear the history and its cache folder

First try Windows' own clear: Settings > System > Clipboard > Clear clipboard data > Clear. It removes everything except pinned items.

If that doesn't help, users on Microsoft Q&A report success with deleting the history cache directly. This also removes your pinned items, so paste anything you want to keep into a Notepad file first.

1. Turn Clipboard history off in Settings > System > Clipboard.
2. Press Win+R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Clipboard and press Enter.
3. Delete the folders inside.
4. Turn Clipboard history back on and repeat the Notepad test.

Windows recreates the folders on its own. Some users found they came back and the problem stayed, so this isn't a guaranteed fix.

Fix 5: Install the latest updates

In the 24H2 case, several users reported history recording again after a later cumulative update, with no other change. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, install what's offered and restart.

If history is still empty after that, the deeper repairs in the Win+V fixes guide linked at the top apply: checking for a policy that blocks history, running DISM and SFC, and reinstalling Windows while keeping your files.

When only some copies are missing

If the Notepad test works but a particular item never shows up, the item wasn't eligible for history:

• Files copied in File Explorer. History stores text, HTML and bitmap images only, not files.
• Anything over 4 MB. Large screenshots are the usual case; see screenshot not showing in Win+V.
• Passwords from a password manager. Apps can mark clipboard data to be kept out of history, and password managers commonly do. How passwords end up in clipboard history explains when they don't.
• Items pushed out. History holds 25 entries; older unpinned ones drop off as you copy more.

If you need history that survives restarts

Windows clipboard history is built to be temporary. A third-party clipboard manager keeps its own history on disk instead. Edge Drop, for example, keeps history and pins across restarts unless you turn on Clear unpinned on restart, and it records copies with its own clipboard listener rather than Windows' history list. Edge Drop vs Windows clipboard history compares the two.

FAQ

Why does Win+V say "Nothing here" when Ctrl+V still works?

Ctrl+V pastes from the live clipboard, which holds only your latest copy. Win+V shows a separate history list kept by the Clipboard User Service. The live clipboard can work while the history list is stuck.

Can items from before the restart be recovered?

No. Windows doesn't keep a backup of unpinned history after a restart. Only pinned items survive.

Did turning on clipboard sync cause this?

Microsoft doesn't document sync emptying local history. Sync sends copied text to your other devices; it doesn't replace the local list.

Related reading

• Win+V Not Working on Windows 11: 9 Fixes
• How to Restart the Clipboard User Service (cbdhsvc)
• Clipboard History Gone After Restart? Why and How to Keep It
• Pinned Clipboard Items Gone in Windows 11? Causes and Fixes

Sources

• Using the clipboard (Microsoft Support) — restart clears unpinned items, Clear clipboard data, 25 entries, 4 MB, supported formats.
• Win+V clipboard history not displaying copied text (Microsoft Q&A) — "Nothing here" after KB5043178, the Suggested actions fix, deleting the Clipboard folders, recovery after a later update.
• Clipboard functionality issue with Suggested actions (Microsoft Q&A) — moderator describes the Suggested actions conflict as a known issue.
• Clipboard history (Win+V) suddenly not working (Microsoft Q&A) — restarting Explorer and the cbdhsvc service.
• Use suggested actions on your PC (Microsoft Support) — where the toggle is; available only in North America.
• Deprecated features in the Windows client (Microsoft Learn) — Suggested actions deprecated, December 2024.
• Restart-Service (Microsoft Learn) — piping Get-Service output to Restart-Service.

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