Clipboard / Clipbook problem

[Guest]

How does one copy something that is on the clipboard in XP? There is text
present , but I cannot find anyway to copy it so I can paste it somewhere
else. I cannot highlight and the copy command under edit is grayed out, just
like everything else except delete. Even the toolbar that I guess contains
copy, paste, etc. commands is grayed out.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Try Ctrl-V to paste it.

--


Will Denny
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[Sharon F]

How does one copy something that is on the clipboard in XP? There is text
present , but I cannot find anyway to copy it so I can paste it somewhere
else. I cannot highlight and the copy command under edit is grayed out, just
like everything else except delete. Even the toolbar that I guess contains
copy, paste, etc. commands is grayed out.

Thanks for your help.

If it's in the clipboard, it's ready for pasting. Open a new file in a
program that can receive the type of data (text or image) held in the
clipboard buffer. Then, working in that program's window, use one of the
Paste methods available to you: Right click> Paste, Edit> Paste, Ctrl+V.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Sharon and Will, for the responses. But, I am trying to figure out
why the selections options (copy, paste, etc.) on the Clipboard are grayed
out when they should be functional. I mean, what if I only want to copy just
a portion of something that is on the clipboard, not a whole paragraph, for
example.

Shouldn't the paste, copy, etc. commands be available once something is on
the clipboard? That is really the question: Why are these grayed out --
except for delete -- when there is something on the clipboard? From what
I've read, these should be functional once there is something on the
clipboard. This is what I really want to know: Should these selections be
grayed out? When are they not grayed out?

Thanks.

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

The clipboard copy/paste is all or nothing. No way round it.

--


Will Denny
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[Guest]

Hi, Will,

Are the copy and paste features under EDIT menu on the clipboard supposed to
ALWAYS be grayed out? When are they not grayed out? There is even a
separate toobar that is always grayed out. In the clipboard HELP menu, it
appears to indicate that copy and paste aren't supposed to be grayed out when
something is on the clipboard.

gman

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks, Sharon and Will, for the responses. But, I am trying to
figure out why the selections options (copy, paste, etc.) on the
Clipboard are grayed out when they should be functional.

First, note that you're not talking about the clipboard, you're talking
about the clipboard *viewer*.

When you do a cut or copy (or Ctrl-X or Ctrl-C) from an application.(or
press PrtntScrn), you've put something into the clipboard. The clipboard
isn't a program, it's just a holding place in memory for cut or cor copied
material to be held before pasting it. Normally the next thing you do is
just paste it wherever you want it, but if for some reason you want to see
it first, you can go to Start | Run and type clipbrd to get to the clipboard
viewer. Personally, I've never seen any need to use the clipbrd viewer and I
hardly ever do.

I mean,
what if I only want to copy just a portion of something that is on
the clipboard, not a whole paragraph, for example.

Then why did you copy that much in the first place? If you only wanted a few
words, that's what you should have copied.

Alternatively, if you copied too much, just paste it where you want it and
delete the rest.

Shouldn't the paste, copy, etc. commands be available once something
is on the clipboard? That is really the question: Why are these
grayed out -- except for delete -- when there is something on the
clipboard? From what I've read, these should be functional once
there is something on the clipboard. This is what I really want to
know: Should these selections be grayed out? When are they not
grayed out?

I don't know when, if ever, they are not grayed out, but I can't really
think of a situation where I would want to use them, so it doesn't matter to
me.

 

[Guest]

Hi, Ken,

Thanks for the reply.

I have a program call CopyPath that if you right click on a folder or file
it will place the entire path to that fold or file to the clipboard. From
there, one is supposed to be able to copy the path from the clipboard to the
place one needs the path inserted. However, I cannot find a way to copy the
path once it is on the clip board. As I sy, there are copy and paste
features under EDIT that are grayed out. According to what I read under the
HELP menu, these should be functional once something is on the clipboard. Am
I reading this wrong? I mean, why would copy and paste be there (as well as
a toobar that seems to have these on them) if they do not work and aren't
supposed to be there? No one seems to be able to give me an answer to this
question.

If I am only looking at a 'viewer', where is the actual clipboard? There is
a window that is open that says 'Clipboard' and that has the text in it.
Still, read the HELP file associated with the 'viewer' or whatever it is and
I believe one will then understand my confusion. Here is what it states:

"When you cut or copy information from a program, it is moved to the
Clipboard and remains there until you clear the Clipboard or until you cut or
copy another piece of information. The Clipboard window in ClipBook Viewer
shows the contents of the Clipboard. YOU CAN PASTE THE INFORMATION FROM THE
CLIPBOARD INTO ANY FILE AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE. However, the information is
only stored on the Clipboard temporarily."

To copy a ClipBook page to the Clipboard
1) In the Local ClipBook window, click the page you want to copy.
2) On the Edit menu, click Copy

To save the contents of the Clipboard to the local ClipBook

1) In ClipBook Viewer, click the Window menu, and then click LOCAL CLIPBOOK.
2) On the Edit menu, click Paste.
3) In the Page Name box, type a name for the ClipBook page.
4) To make this page available for others to use, select the Share Item Now
check box, and then click OK.
5) In the Share ClipBook Page dialog box, select the sharing options you
need.

The problem may be that there is no LOCAL CLIPBOARD option (as stated above
in the HELP instructions) shown under the WINDOW menu. Maybe if there was
then the copy and paste options would be available.

gman

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hi, Ken,

Thanks for the reply.

You're welcome.

I have a program call CopyPath that if you right click on a folder or
file it will place the entire path to that fold or file to the
clipboard. From there, one is supposed to be able to copy the path
from the clipboard to the place one needs the path inserted.

No, you don't *copy* it from the clipboard, you *paste* it from the
clipboard. Just put the cursor where you want the path inserted and press
Ctrl-V. No clipboard viewer is required.

However, I cannot find a way to copy the path once it is on the clip
board. As I sy, there are copy and paste features under EDIT that
are grayed out. According to what I read under the HELP menu, these
should be functional once something is on the clipboard. Am I
reading this wrong? I mean, why would copy and paste be there (as
well as a toobar that seems to have these on them) if they do not
work and aren't supposed to be there?

I don't know the answer to your question, but as I said, I can't see why it
matters. You're trying to copy something from the cipboard to the clipboard,
which is completely unnecssary. What you presumably want to do is *paste* it
*from* the clipboard.

No one seems to be able to
give me an answer to this question.

If I am only looking at a 'viewer', where is the actual clipboard?

As I saidd, it's in memory. "Copy" (or "cut) puts something there; "paste"
then pastes it where you want it. You can look at the clipboard with the
clipboard viewer, but I never see a need to look at it, since I always know
what I just pasted there.

There is a window that is open that says 'Clipboard'

Yes, I know. A very poor title, in my view.

and that has the
text in it. Still, read the HELP file associated with the 'viewer' or
whatever it is and I believe one will then understand my confusion.

Perhaps I'm wrong but I think your confusion is that you're trying to copy
something from the clipboard when you really want to *paste* from it. And as
I said, you don't need (or want) the clipboard viewer to do that.

 

[David Candy]

Tip to Ken: Microsoft Word's - Paste Special command is far more usefull for those rare occasions when one cares about what format data is on the clipboard. Word actually knows what modern data formats are.

A program opens the clipboard. It gets given a handle to memory. It copies the data in as many formats as possible in best format to worst format. Theb closers the clipboard. The pasting application opens the clipboard and looks for a format in it's idea of best to worse format. When it finds a match it uses it.

 

[Sharon F]

Shouldn't the paste, copy, etc. commands be available once something is on
the clipboard? That is really the question: Why are these grayed out --
except for delete -- when there is something on the clipboard?

I think the commands appear because they're basic building blocks seen in
program windows that are created using shared DLLs (perhaps the common
dialog one in this case). It's easier to leave the commands in and show
them as unavailable than it is to remove them.

 

[Sharon F]

Hi, Ken,

Thanks for the reply.

I have a program call CopyPath that if you right click on a folder or file
it will place the entire path to that fold or file to the clipboard. From
there, one is supposed to be able to copy the path from the clipboard to the
place one needs the path inserted. However, I cannot find a way to copy the
path once it is on the clip board. As I sy, there are copy and paste
features under EDIT that are grayed out. According to what I read under the
HELP menu, these should be functional once something is on the clipboard. Am
I reading this wrong? I mean, why would copy and paste be there (as well as
a toobar that seems to have these on them) if they do not work and aren't
supposed to be there? No one seems to be able to give me an answer to this
question.

If I am only looking at a 'viewer', where is the actual clipboard? There is
a window that is open that says 'Clipboard' and that has the text in it.
Still, read the HELP file associated with the 'viewer' or whatever it is and
I believe one will then understand my confusion. Here is what it states:

"When you cut or copy information from a program, it is moved to the
Clipboard and remains there until you clear the Clipboard or until you cut or
copy another piece of information. The Clipboard window in ClipBook Viewer
shows the contents of the Clipboard. YOU CAN PASTE THE INFORMATION FROM THE
CLIPBOARD INTO ANY FILE AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE. However, the information is
only stored on the Clipboard temporarily."

To copy a ClipBook page to the Clipboard
1) In the Local ClipBook window, click the page you want to copy.
2) On the Edit menu, click Copy

To save the contents of the Clipboard to the local ClipBook

1) In ClipBook Viewer, click the Window menu, and then click LOCAL CLIPBOOK.
2) On the Edit menu, click Paste.
3) In the Page Name box, type a name for the ClipBook page.
4) To make this page available for others to use, select the Share Item Now
check box, and then click OK.
5) In the Share ClipBook Page dialog box, select the sharing options you
need.

The problem may be that there is no LOCAL CLIPBOARD option (as stated above
in the HELP instructions) shown under the WINDOW menu. Maybe if there was
then the copy and paste options would be available.

gman

Gman, the clipboard is a container. That container is an area of memory
reserved for anything that you copy. The clipboard viewer simply shows you
what is currently being held in the clipboard -- it's ready for pasting
with no further steps required by you.

 

[David Candy]

Once, long ago, you could save your clipboard cuts in a file and share it over the network. However they invented a thousands better ways since then like OLE.

 

[David Candy]

The point was when windows was released the key thing was sharing infomation between programs. But programs weren't designed to do this. This was one of the first ways to share data between programs (over a network).

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Sharon

I seem to remember something like 'Clipbook' that held multiple items..
never could work it out though.. I could get to view the individual entries,
but only ever get to paste one of them.. I haven't always been 'smart' and
some would say that the trend never really stopped.. all malicious gossip of
course..

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Tip to Ken: Microsoft Word's - Paste Special command is far more
usefull for those rare occasions when one cares about what format
data is on the clipboard. Word actually knows what modern data
formats are.

Thanks, David, but I'm a WordPerfect fan, and hardly ever use Word. I do
often use WordPerfect's Paste Special command though, which is probably
similar.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies. Can anyone explain what is meant by the
instructions below that I copied from the HELP file in Clipbook / clipboard?
What / where is the LOCAL CLIPBOOK as described in the first set of
instructions?

To copy a ClipBook page to the Clipboard
1) In the LOCAL CLIPBOOK window, click the page you want to copy.
2) On the Edit menu, click Copy

To save the contents of the Clipboard to the local ClipBook

1) In ClipBook Viewer, click the Window menu, and then click LOCAL CLIPBOOK.
2) On the Edit menu, click Paste.

The problem may be that there is no LOCAL CLIPBOARD option (as stated above
in the HELP instructions) shown under the WINDOW menu. Maybe if could find
the LOCAL CLIPBOOK then the copy and paste options would be available.

At this point, I just want to know the information about when the grayed out
areas become selectable.

Thanks again.

gman

 

[David Candy]

Talk to your network administrator. It is 2005 and you are wasting time on a 1990 program. If you need it your network admin will fix it for you. You are not supposed to be using the program. Was it on start - no.

Of course it's not there. You are on a OS 15 years newer.

 

[Sharon F]

I remember those. Thanks for the reminder, David.