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
    2018-06-26T21:39:51+00:00

    This problem has been going on for years, and it is deplorable that it can't be fixed.

    Disabling Live Preview did not help.

    The notion that the warning is relevant to those who might be pasting into an external application is specious.  When I select a range of cells and drag that range to a different part of the worksheet, I still get the blocking dialog.  How could Excel think that I was trying to export the cut buffer to an external program if I am effectively PASTING IT INTO EXCEL.

    If some other application is interfering with or locking the cut/paste mechanism, then Microsoft should indicate WHICH APPLICATION is doing it, perhaps provide a tool that indicates it.  If you are designing the Operating System, you don't get to just say that some things are a mystery.  

    This is an inappropriate use of a blocking (modal) dialog.  A minor notification in the status area, that goes away by itself, might have been useful.

    I get the dialog over and over again.  Whatever logic was supposed to make it appear only once, does not work.

    The "Repair" process did not help.  Microsoft should figure out how to fix the design defect instead of just randomly telling users they need to "Repair" something.  If you are saying that it is working "as designed", then why do you want me to "Repair" it?

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-06-18T17:48:45+00:00

    YES MicroSoft, please fix this.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-06-17T21:48:56+00:00

    "Last year we made some improvements to Office365 users so that this error message only shows once per Excel instance."

    Not true.  Has happened several times today working in Excel, copying into Word.

    I don't see a solution posted, is there one?

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-05-22T18:47:53+00:00

    Also, if this has something to do with other programs accessing the clipboard, could you provide some suggestions as to what these might be?

    Beyond Compare for sure impacts this issue -- you can turn off clipboard monitoring in Beyond Compare if you use it as this has stopped all my Excel problems.  I assume there are other programs too.

    Fred

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