[BUG] Alt+Paste not working on windows 11
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
- [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
- [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code
What's Wrong?
When trying to paste an image from the clipboard to Claude Code with Alt+V (Alt+Paste), the image not found in the clipboard message is always shown.
<img width="1317" height="470" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dd5a2021-e6d0-49a6-a213-a21983bfc2d1" />
<img width="1046" height="715" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f7727926-3be1-462f-8a5f-81aecca45dac" />
<img width="1906" height="353" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f11c4275-c695-47d8-9c5e-2a6cbfeb440d" />
What Should Happen?
The image should be added to the prompt.
Error Messages/Logs
No image found in clipboard. Use alt+v to paste images.Steps to Reproduce
- Start Claude.
- Add an Image to Clipboard by any means. Either copy from Windows Explorer or use the snippet tool.
- Use Alt+V in Claude's text prompt.
Claude Model
Not sure / Multiple models
Is this a regression?
No, this never worked
Last Working Version
_No response_
Claude Code Version
v2.0.13
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
Windows
Terminal/Shell
Windows Terminal
Additional Information
It never worked in my environment since the feature was announced.
13 Comments
Found 3 possible duplicate issues:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
The other issues are not the same. They either refer to related problems or lack details.
yes same issue here. It used to work before but now isn't - I have to copy paste the path to get it to work
UPDATE : 2025-12-15
it is not problem of VSCode or Claude Code.
it is problem of Remote SSH.
Problem occurs on VSCode + Remote SSH + Claude Code.
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it works on clink (cmd.exe alternative) with alt+v.
<img width="391" height="323" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/16fced93-b2b4-4585-ba8b-00be6752d975" />
but in vscode not works.
when i press alt key, cursor changes to cross shape.
and claude title icon changes.
<img width="258" height="112" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/41b14d41-fdbd-4450-a00a-a3460ff1eab6" />
i think this is related to alt+v problem.
So it used to work at one time? I really need this.
This issue has been inactive for 30 days. If the issue is still occurring, please comment to let us know. Otherwise, this issue will be automatically closed in 30 days for housekeeping purposes.
The issue is still occurring. I provided more details here: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/22068
Hi all, I ran into the same problem and built a lightweight workaround for it:
clipboard-img2file — a zero-dependency PowerShell background script that monitors your clipboard. When it detects bitmap data (from
Win+Shift+S, Snipaste, PrintScreen, etc.), it auto-saves it as a PNG and replaces the clipboard with the file path. ThenCtrl+Vin Claude Code just works.Quick install: download the release zip, double-click
install.bat— runs silently in background, auto-starts on login, no admin needed.It doesn't fix the root cause (Claude Code not reading raw bitmap from clipboard), but it completely eliminates the friction of manually saving screenshots. Hope this helps while the underlying issue is being worked on!
its still not working at all even after installing 2.1.40
its still not working at all now in 2.1.59
Workaround found: right-click paste works on Windows Terminal (Preview)
Environment:
Findings:
Ctrl+V→ does NOT work for image pasteRoot cause: Windows Terminal intercepts
Ctrl+VasTerminal.PasteFromClipboardaction at the terminal level, so the keypress never reaches Claude Code. Right-click bypasses this interception and triggers Claude Code's clipboard detection directly.Potential fix: Unbinding
ctrl+vfromTerminal.PasteFromClipboardin Windows Terminal settings should allow Claude Code to receive the keypress and handle image paste natively.Closing for now — inactive for too long. Please open a new issue if this is still relevant.
This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.