When I copy and paste onto an email outlook does not keep source formatting. I have been through so many options screens. How do I keep the source formatting intact?

Anonymous
2023-05-01T15:00:25+00:00

When I copy and paste onto an email outlook does not keep source formatting. I have been through so many options screens. How do I keep the source formatting intact? For instance I'll copy an excel file and paste it and it only come out as plain text . This wasn't an issue until I came into work today.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Other

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Anonymous
2024-05-03T20:05:00+00:00

Hey everyone,

I may have a small workaround that I just discovered. I tested it out twice, but it seems to have worked for me so far, please let me know if you also have success or not. So, I typically copy my messages in color similar to the one displayed by Ornelaks in this thread. I decided (out of random curiosity) to use the copy and paste function within outlook to see if it would paste and keep the color formatting.

The first two tries of using copy and paste, I used the keyboard shortcut and the left click of the mouse. THEN, I used the the copy and paste icon located in the top left corner of outlook to paste it, and VIOLA! It kept all the color in the formatting. I hope this is helpful to you all (until it stops working again), but let me know if this is helpful!

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T14:27:44+00:00

    Yes, this is helpful for us right clickers! Using the Paste Command Control V also works. Of course I figured that out by trial and error after none of the Microsoft "solutions" worked. Keep Source Formatting essentially being the only one they had to offer.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-02-04T16:55:55+00:00

    Nope, tried it, doesn't work. Microsoft makes all these changes and doesn't check to make sure their changes didn't directly impact other platforms. The web version vs the desktop version operate differently.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-02-04T16:44:09+00:00

    To keep the original source formatting when copying from Word to Outlook you need to set the default to "keep original formatting" by

    1.) clicking the copy / paste ico in on the Outlook toolbar

    2.) click on the "Set default Paste" / gear icon

    3.) select "keep source formatting" from the dropdown menu in the "pasting from other apps" box

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-12-11T18:26:31+00:00

    That tip does help a lot, but I find that the pasted text still loses line spacing.

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