Sharing the clipboard between VirtualBox and Windows makes transferring data and files easy. For example, if you want to access a web page in your VM, you can copy the URL in Windows and paste it directly into your VM’s browser. In the same manner, you can also copy and paste the files you want to transfer. By default, the ‘Shared Clipboard’ functionality is disabled, but you can easily enable host-to-guest, guest-to-host, or bidirectional clipboard sharing with just a few clicks.
In this quick and straightforward tutorial, I’ll show you two methods to enable clipboard sharing in VirtualBox. Let’s get started.
Enable Shared Clipboard in VirtualBox Through VM Settings
- Open the Start menu by pressing the “Windows key”.
- Search “VirtualBox” and click “Open“.
- Right-click the VM on the left sidebar.
- Select “Settings“.
- Click “Expert” at the top.
- Go to the “General” tab on the sidebar.
- Go to the “Advanced” tab on the right panel.
- Select “Bidirectional” from the “Shared Clipboard” dropdown.
- Click “OK“.
- With that, clipboard sharing in VirtualBox is enabled.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
You can open the settings of any VM through VirtualBox. So, open the VirtualBox application by searching for it in the Start menu.
In the VirtualBox window, select the VM for which you want to enable clipboard sharing, right-click on it, and select “Settings“.
Select the “Expert” tab in the settings window and then go to the “General” tab on the sidebar. Next, go to the “Advanced” tab on the right panel. Here, select one of the below options from the “Shared Clipboard” dropdown menu.
- Host to Guest: This enables clipboard sharing from the host machine to the VM, but not from the VM to the host.
- Guest to Host: This enables clipboard sharing from the VM to the host machine, but not from the host to the VM.
- Bidirectional: This enables clipboard sharing in both directions between the host and guest machines.
Click the “OK” button to save the change.
Clipboard sharing between your VM and Windows is now active. The sharing direction will depend on the option you selected (host-to-guest, guest-to-host, or bidirectional).
Good to know: How to create a shared folder in VirtualBox
Toggle Shared Clipboard in VM’s Menu Bar
Alternatively, if you want to quickly toggle the clipboard sharing on or off while the VM is running, you can use the VM’s menu bar. Here’s how:
- Press the “Windows key” to open the Start menu.
- Search and open “VirtualBox“.
- Select the VM on the left sidebar and click “Start“.
- Click the “Devices” option on the top menu bar.
- Select “Shared Clipboard” > “Bidirectional“.
- Optionally, select the “Enable clipboard file transfers” option in the same menu.
- With that, shared clipboard is enabled in VirtualBox.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
Launch the VirtualBox application by searching for it in the Start menu. Once it opens, select the VM on the left sidebar and click the “Start” button on the top nav bar.
Once the VM has been started, click the “Devices” option in the top menu bar and select one of the below options from the “Shared Clipboard” menu.
- Host to Guest: This enables clipboard sharing from the host machine to the VM, but not from the VM to the host.
- Guest to Host: This enables clipboard sharing from the VM to the host machine, but not from the host to the VM.
- Bidirectional: This enables clipboard sharing in both directions between the host and guest machines.
To enable file transfers from the clipboard, select the “Enable clipboard file transfers” option in the same menu.
As soon as you select an option, VirtualBox toggles the clipboard sharing. The sharing direction will depend on the option you selected (host-to-guest, guest-to-host, or bidirectional). If you don’t want this functionality, simply select the “Disabled” option from the “Shared Clipboard” menu.
Good to know: How to enable drag and drop in VirtualBox
Wrapping Up — Sharing the Clipboard Between VM and Windows in VirtualBox
To summarize, you have two ways to enable the shared clipboard in VirtualBox. While both methods work and achieve the same result, the second method lets you quickly toggle the feature on and off as and when needed. It is generally recommended that you disable clipboard sharing when you don’t actively use it for security reasons. For example, if your VM becomes infected with malware, disabling the shared clipboard prevents the malware from potentially accessing data on your host machine via the clipboard.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
