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
    2017-07-26T14:19:57+00:00

    I have Professional Plus 2016 and have it 90% fixed since build 8229.2073. See my post from July 18.

    My recent build is 8229.2103.

    365 has different updates. Maybe it comes soon.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-07-25T23:50:07+00:00

    Sorry UweHa. Was looking in wrong place.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-07-25T23:49:05+00:00

    You are correct ChrisWillsher, I was looking in the wrong place. I am also subscribed to Office 365 and my version is 1706 (Build 8229.2086 Click-to-Run).

    And I am still having the clipboard issue. I just save the file every time I make a change.

    Hope Microsoft gets this fixed soon.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-07-25T13:11:37+00:00

    DennisLong63 would seem to be confusing version information about Windows 10 (where his version 1703 is correct and up to date) with the version of Office he has installed. 

    For the record, I am subscribed to Office 365 as an "Office Insider Slow" and my version is currently 1707 (Build 8326.2052 Click-to-Run).

    As understand it this means that I have agreed to install versions of Office that are in advance of the final release but are behind the early update versions offered to those on the Fast track.

    I only rarely seem to get the clipboard issue now and find that the whole scenario has improved considerably with the most recent releases of Office.

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