Clipboard problem in Excel 2016

Anonymous
2016-04-16T23:39:19+00:00

I am running Excel 2016 on a Windows 10 Machine.

When I copy a cell (or cut a cell, or move a cell) I get one of two error messages:

"Cannot open the Clipboard"

"We couldn't free up space on the Clipboard.  Another program might be using it right now." 

I am then able to successfully paste what Excel told me it could not copy.  To restate for clarity...Excel throws error messages, but I am able to successfully copy and paste.

The problem is that it throws the error messages every single time I try and copy or cut or whatever.

Things I have tried:

I've ensured all other programs are not running (or using the clip board)

I've cleared the %temp% folder

I've cleared the Clipboard within Excel

Word does not have this problem...

Please help.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2017-02-28T16:18:02+00:00

Hello,

I have an update on this error dialog: “There's a problem with the clipboard, but you can still paste your content within this workbook."

When Excel shows this dialog after a copy (CTRL+C) action, it means that another app has a lock on the system clipboard.  In this situation you can still paste within Excel.  However you cannot paste to another app like Word or Outlook which uses the clipboard.

Last year we made some improvements to Office365 users so that this error message only shows once per Excel instance.  This is based on customer feedback - the design change prevents it popping up multiple successive times when the clipboard is locked.  We have also considered never showing the error dialog, but there was user feedback that this message is informative and helpful in some cases. 

We hope this helps shed some light on this error message.  For any design suggestions or new ideas on improving the Excel copy-paste experience, please post to Excel UserVoice.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-09-22T19:34:21+00:00

    I found that if I close Outlook, the problem goes away.  When I open Outlook, the problem returns.  There must be a setting in Outlook that locks the clipboard.  Possibly in correlation with GPG encryption.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-09-01T17:34:11+00:00

    I have had the same Excel Clipboard errors as well.  Did some research and based on the blogs and forums I was reading the issue is a compatibility or communication issue between two programs on your computer.  The forums suggested uninstalling or turning off potential programs that are running at the same time.

    I started turning off and on the other programs that I had running on my computer.

    To my surprise the problem program that I am having issues with while using Microsoft Excel is none other than Microsoft Outlook. Yep, sure enough.  I closed Microsoft office and my "There's a problem with the clipboard, but you can still paste your content within this workbook." and "We couldn't free up space on the Clipboard. Another program might be using it right now." problems went away.

    I did not uninstall Outlook. I simply closed the program down. So far my Excel clipboard problems have not come back.

    You would think that someone at Microsoft would be smart enough to make sure that two highly used Microsoft programs would not cause operating errors with one another when both programs are being used at the same time.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-06-19T08:40:44+00:00

    I have made Twitter posts asking Microsoft WHY they have not fixed this error. All I get back is for me to "Follow . . ." so that they can monitor the problem. I even ask, does Microsoft know that this problem is going on. The reply was yes.

    Why is it not fixed Microsoft??

    The problem is pending for more than 4 years now.

    In February 2017 they did something, claiming that now the message would occur only one time per Excel session,  although notime per Excel session was required by the users.

    But even that didn't work as promised and now it ocurs randomly every 2 or 3 copy processes.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-06-16T17:00:28+00:00

    Had power supply and memory problem.

    Microsoft Office was remove. Windows updated.

    Then Microsoft Office reinstalled to Version 1705 (Build 8201.2102). This happened on 14 June 2017.

    Opened an Excel file that I always am working on every day. Started a cut to paste in a different part of the spreadsheet and got the dreaded error box, "There's a problem with the clipboard, but you can still paste this content within this workbook."

    Windows 10 64 Pro / Office 365 Personal

    Microsoft, PLEASE fix this annoying problem.  Unfortunately, I am stuck with Microsoft.

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