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
    2017-06-16T23:35:19+00:00

    Had some computer problems so Windows 10 Pro had to be reinstalled. And I had to reinstall Microsoft Office 365 Personal. Made sure I was at Version 1705.

    Opened Excel to a file I use everyday. Had to do some copy/paste and I got the dreaded box telling me of the clipboard problem.

    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??

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  2. 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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  3. Anonymous
    2017-06-19T11:25:07+00:00

    The Microsoft team have been yanking our chains for the last 4 years, and will continue to keep us dangling for the next 4 years.

    This problem is not going to get fixed.

    Microsoft have a vast team of programmers and billions of dollars ......... and is it fixed yet? No, because the people at Microsoft that are 'dealing' with this are incompetent. They should be ashamed of themselves.

    Wah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Steve

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-06-25T16:29:17+00:00

    I am having a similar problem with the clipboard and it happens almost every time I cut and paste. It is very annoying. I am not using any other application.  

    The message is "there is a problem with the clipboard, but you can still paste your content within this workbook"

      I was using the Matlab extension for Excel on this machine.  

    Should I uninstall matlab and / or not use the excel extension?  

    What is the problem with the clipboard? 

    David

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