SUMMARY
This article describes how to install and use the ClipPool tool (Clippool.exe) to share a clipboard between computers.
Clippool.exe is a command-line utility (available in Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit) that allows you to transparently share a single logical clipboard between computers that are running either Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), or Microsoft Windows 98. After you install and configure Clippool.exe, use it to copy and paste information from programs between computers on the network. For example, you can copy a screenshot on one computer to a document on another computer.
You can use Clippool.exe to copy and paste items that use standard Windows clipboard formats, including text, bitmaps, metafiles, and .wav files. Clippool.exe does not support items such as formatted text and embedded objects.
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Overview of Clippool.exe
Clippool.exe uses the following syntax:
clippool /port PortNumber| /pickaport][ /info][ /nolocal][ /title "title"] [ /client ServerName][ /server]
You can use the following parameters with Clippool.exe:
- /port PortNumber: Use this parameter to specify a TCP port in which to communicate with the ClipPool server. The default port number is 6042. When you use this parameter, you must specify the port on the server and on all clients.
Specify a port number when you want to use more than one clipboard pool on the same ClipPool server. To do so, run a separate instance of Clippool.exe on the server for each clipboard pool, and then specify a different port for each instance.
- /pickaport: Use this parameter to select an available port.
- /info: Use this parameter to display a Shared Clipboard dialog box that contains information about the port number and server name when Clippool.exe starts.
- /nolocal: Use this parameter to prevent Clippool.exe from interacting with the local clipboard. Because only one instance of Clippool.exe can use the local clipboard at a time, you may want to use this parameter with a ClipPool server on which multiple instances of Clippool.exe are running.
- /title "title": Use this parameter to specify a custom title for an instance of Clippool.exe. The title is displayed in the tooltip of the Shared Clipboard icon that is displayed in the system tray after you install and configure Clippool.exe. You may want to specify a title to distinguish between multiple instances of ClipPool on a server.
- /client ServerName: Use this parameter to add a client computer to the clipboard pool of the ServerName ClipPool server. You must run this parameter locally on the client computer.
- /server: Use this parameter to configure the computer as the ClipPool server.
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How to Install Clippool.exe
To install Clippool.exe, perform the following steps on every computer that you want to participate in the clipboard pool:
- Start Windows Explorer and create a new folder to store the Clippool.exe file (for example, C:\Clippool).
- Perform one of the following steps:
- If Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit is installed on a computer, copy the Clippool.exe file from the folder in which Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit is installed to the folder that you created in step 1 (by default, Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit is located in Program Files\Resource Kit).
-or-
- If Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit is not installed on a computer, copy the Clippool.exe file from the Server\Netmgmt.cab folder of the Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit compact disc (CD) to the folder that you created in step 1.
- Verify that the Msvcp50.dll file exists in the appropriate location for your operating system:
- In Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, this file is located in the following folder:
- In Windows Me and Windows 98, this file is located in the following folder:
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How to Configure Clippool.exe
Configure one computer as the ClipPool server, and all other computers as clients. The following procedure describes how to perform a basic setup of Clippool.exe on server and client computers.
- On the server computer, type the following line at the command prompt, and then press ENTER:
- On all the other computers, type the following line at the command prompt, where ServerName is the name of the computer that you configured as the server in step 1, and then press ENTER:
clippool /client ServerName
NOTE: To configure a more permanent configuration of Clippool.exe, create shortcuts for these commands in the Startup folder on each computer. If you do so, Clippool.exe starts automatically when the computer starts.
You can also create more complex configurations of Clippool.exe by using the command-line options that are described in the
Overview of Clippool.exe section earlier in this article.
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How to Use Clippool.exe
After you install and configure Clippool.exe, a
Shared Clipboard icon is displayed in the system tray of the taskbar. When you right-click the
Shared Clipboard icon, the following commands are displayed:
- Clipboard viewer: Click Clipboard viewer to view the Clipbook Viewer. ClipBook Viewer stores the contents of the Clipboard.
- Info: Click Info to display information about how Clippool.exe is configured on the computer.
- About: Click About to view version information for Clippool.exe.
- Close: Click Close to quit Clippool.exe.
To transfer clipboard data between computers and share it with others, use the normal cut, copy, and paste commands of the programs in which you are currently working. The contents of the clipboard are available to all computers in the clipboard pool.
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Troubleshooting
The
Shared Clipboard icon in the system tray of the taskbar is displayed with a red "X".
This behavior can occur if the connection to the server is lost. This can be due to a physical network problem, such as an unplugged network cable or a problem with another network component. Clippool attempts to reconnect to the server once every five seconds. After the network issue is resolved, you can resume the use of Clippool.exe.
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