Re-Assign Win+V Shortcut to CopyQ on Windows 10/11

While Windows 10 provides a default clipboard feature, power users often find it lacking in functionality, especially with limited history retention and the inability to remember items after restarts. For a more robust and convenient clipboard experience, CopyQ comes to the rescue.

By reassigning the Win+V shortcut to open CopyQ, you can enjoy advanced features such as a comprehensive history, powerful search capabilities, and more. In this article, I will guide you through the steps to set up CopyQ as your go-to clipboard manager, supercharging your productivity.

Step 1: Disabling the Native Clipboard

• Navigate to Start > Settings > System > Clipboard.
• Turn off Clipboard history to disable the native Windows clipboard.

Step 2: Unlink the Win+V Shortcut from Explorer

• Open the Command Prompt and enter the following command: reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v "DisabledHotkeys" /t REG_SZ /d "V" /f
• Restart Windows Explorer, restart your PC, or log out and log back in to apply the changes.

Step 3: Installing CopyQ (or Your Preferred Clipboard Manager)

• Download and install CopyQ from the official website or any trusted source.

Step 4: Configuring CopyQ Shortcuts

• Launch CopyQ and go to File > Preferences > Shortcuts.
• Locate the “Show main window under Mouse cursor” option.
• Assign the Win+V shortcut to this option, ensuring it doesn’t conflict with other shortcuts.

That’s it for the tutorial. You can tweak CopyQ to make it to your liking.