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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
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.

Was this answer helpful?

70+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

255 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2019-08-08T18:07:55+00:00

    The error is actually pretty accurate. It's not an issue with Excel, or clipboard but actually another piece of software, PUPware or malware that is reading your clipboard data obsessively and interrupting your access to the clipboard. Find the software on your system that is reading your clipboard remove it and your issue will go away. 

    "Cannot open the Clipboard"

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

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2019-08-08T17:56:43+00:00

    I love following this question.  This has been open for over 3 years now and nothing has changed.  Problem still happens.  Everyone is working around it.  Microsoft doesn't see a need to fix it if we're still willing to buy it.  Perhaps in the next version of Excel the number "3" won't work.  How I wish I still had my XP machine with Office 2010.  That was pretty stable.  I could work so fast.  Wow, bygone days.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2019-08-08T17:40:48+00:00

    It is simply not the case that this happens once per session. It happens over and over again, and interferes tremendously with my work.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2019-04-23T00:10:23+00:00

    I do not have Beyond Compare or any other 3rd party clipboard tool so why do I STILL have the clipboard issue 2 years after I initially reported this issue. Seems like Mocrosoftdo not yet know how to repair, so is there a 3rd party tool that may fix this annoying, time wasting problem.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments