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.

Anonymous
2022-05-18T13:29:01+00:00

Win 10 version 21H2 Build 19044.1706

Excel 2016 Version 2204 Build 15128.20224

This problem occurs randomly and with only a few cells being copied. The spreadsheet locks up and the only way out is Save>Close and open the book again. Sometimes that doesn't work and I have to close Excel completely.

Sometimes the top ribbon completely greys out and I can't do anything.

This is becoming a significant problem.

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 No comments

111 answers

Sort by: Newest
  1. Anonymous
    2023-02-26T23:33:57+00:00

    meh... been having this problem for years. i can copy and paste from two sheets in the same directory, one drive, C drive, whatever and it happens. my sheets are pretty big, which might enhance the problem. also i have some custom macro command buttons, but other than that, pretty vanilla. no plug-ins, etc.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2023-02-26T23:21:18+00:00

    I was having this problem just today. One of two things fixed it for me. Either it was because I was opening the Excel file from the C: drive rather than from the OneDrive location. Or it was because I had copied text from a reply here and pasted it in the my browser search bar. I don't know if the Copy outside of Excel fixed it or if it was opening the file from the OneDrive location. It's working so I'm not going to try to break it again to test it. :D

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2023-02-24T23:20:27+00:00

    It's redicoulos that they can't fix their problem.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2023-02-24T16:06:12+00:00

    I tried this and tons of other things on the internet. My Excel still takes ages to load and every time I copy something I get a window: "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". I also get tones of other error messages. Really desperate.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  5. Anonymous
    2023-02-23T19:31:26+00:00

    I have been experiencing this problem across 8 different Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers in our business that are running Excel from version 2010, to 2016 to 2021. This problem has been around in one form or another for at least 8 years as far as I'm aware. With each new version of Excel I hope that Microsoft will fix this problem and yet it still goes unresolved.

    Was this answer helpful?

    4 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments