We could not copy the content to the Clipboard, it is in use by another application. You can still paste your content within this workbook but it will not be available in other applications.

With all due respect:

"the copy-paste function in Excel may behave like this"- why? If it is a known problem why isn't it fixed?

What you are proposing that I do is essentially a "work-around". It is NOT a Windows/Office solution.

You expect me to go through a "safe boot", alter my configuration settings and disenable my start-ups in order to discover the app at fault?

I have 38 programs in my start-up list and you want me to go through a "binary chop" exercise? And then re-instate my original configuration?

Get real Microsoft and fix the problem permanently.

This problem happens to me also. Very annoying and reduces confidence in the software.

You must be kidding me. The way in which we must sort this unpleasant issue out is just, being polite, improbable. If you guys know that, in many cases, the copy-paste function in Excel may behave like this, just SORT IT OUT.

Your proposal is like going to the doctor and reporting sickness and the answer you hear is, "don't worry, just go to medical school and in six years, you will have a much more clear your problem ...".

Speechless.

I'm with you on this. There is no reason for another app to be using the clipboard, so that's not the answer. What I would say though is that excel isn't actually frozen for me, it's just that the active cells that you are in aren't highlighted. So to fix that, if you click in a cell or three and then press esc, the highlighting returns.

I agree with BSM#48. If it is helpful to Microsoft I can tell you that I did not have this problem until I recently uninstalled Office 2016 and redownloaded Office 365 software.