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
    2016-12-28T11:23:36+00:00

    Hello everyone. Good that this topic is being discussed. I will have to tell you what I've concluded so far.

    I am running Windows10 Home 64-bit on Lenovo V310-15isk lap-top.

    1. This problem is NOT RELATED TO EXCEL nor MS OFFICE. I've tried Office 2007, 2010, 2013 and 365. In each of them some other program is using Excel Clipboard. This isn't happening in Windows 7.
    2. Excel Clipboard works perfectly after restarting. Clipboard works normally. Approximately 5 minutes after restarting, some program starts using Excel clipboard.
    3. If I start Excel immediately after restarting, the clipboard will work fine for 5 minutes, and then interfering begins. If I start Excel 5 minutes after restarting PC, clipboard will not work immediately, which means that the program that uses Excel clipboard runs independently from Excel. In other words, Excel didn't start some macro or other program that is using clipboard.
    4. It could only be some driver or program in Windows 10 which causes this. DEFINITELY some other program is using Excel clipboard.
    5. Finally, MS Word clipboard works fine. There is no interfering with Word's clipboard. Copying from Excel to Word works fine also, but it isn't working from Word to Excel.
    6. What I will try is to disable drivers, one by one and then try working with clipboard.

    I will attach pics in my next post.

    And let me add, I have a FRESH copy of Win 10, with only first update performed and absolutely no other programs installed which could interfere with clipboard.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-12-14T03:29:45+00:00

    A while back on this blog I saw mention of this clipboard problem being caused by ZoneAlarm anti-virus (W10/Office365 environment).  I also reported other problems but I decided to remove my Zone Alarm a few weeks ago and I am no longer receiving the clipboard error message.  I still have some minor "disappearing cell boundary" issues but nothing like my previous experience.

    So if you are using Zone Alarm security you may care to test the effect of removing it.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-11-29T12:19:01+00:00

    I'm sorry, what is the solution? I'm having similar issues with Office 2016 (build 7466.2038) on Win10 home.  Pasting content from other programs into Excel is reeeeally slow, and the stupid clipboard error comes up EVERY time I drag a cell.  Cut and paste is OK.  This is a brand new PC with nothing else installed but Win10 and Office2016, so there's no-one to blame but Microsoft.  Come on !!  Get your act together.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-11-28T19:35:20+00:00

    Hello

    I have the same problem, but  I am using the last version of Excel 1610 (7466.2038)

    Please some help.

    Thanks

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