OpenClipboard function (winuser.h)

Article
02/22/2024

Opens the clipboard for examination and prevents other applications from modifying the clipboard content.

Syntax

BOOL OpenClipboard(
  [in, optional] HWND hWndNewOwner
);

Parameters

[in, optional] hWndNewOwner

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be associated with the open clipboard. If this parameter is NULL, the open clipboard is associated with the current task.

Return value

Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

OpenClipboard fails if another window has the clipboard open.

An application should call the CloseClipboard function after every successful call to OpenClipboard.

The window identified by the hWndNewOwner parameter does not become the clipboard owner unless the EmptyClipboard function is called.

If an application calls OpenClipboard with hwnd set to NULL, EmptyClipboard sets the clipboard owner to NULL; this causes SetClipboardData to fail.

Examples

For an example, see Copying Information to the Clipboard.

Requirements

Requirement	Value
Minimum supported client	Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]
Minimum supported server	Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
Target Platform	Windows
Header	winuser.h (include Windows.h)
Library	User32.lib
DLL	User32.dll
API set	ext-ms-win-ntuser-misc-l1-2-0 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

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