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
    2024-05-14T17:28:00+00:00

    That worked for me as well.

    Web OUTLOOK.

    Copy and paste function went all monochromatic very recently.

    Using the Paste button from the tool bar HAS ALL the highlights in place.

    Good catch..

    --Dennis

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-05-06T20:48:48+00:00

    This happened about a year ago and the problem was eventually fixed. This issue is, microsoft will update something within the full version and it messes up formatting in the web version. They really need to look over BOTH versions when making changes to make sure both are operating fully. Alas, they don't...

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-05-04T12:36:15+00:00

    This functionality still works on the "old" desktop version. It does not work on the new desktop or web versions. I am trying to cut and paste from an Edge webpage to an email and various sections that had white text over a black bar are now entirely black and unreadable. This seems to have started in the last week or so if I can remember (end of April - Beginning of May 2024).

    Source Material Example:

    Pastes as:

    which is unreadable.

    Current Version that DOES NOT work and does not have the special "Paste" Menu as described in one of the solutions above:

    Older desktop client that still works and will paste correctly:

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-05-03T18:24:15+00:00

    I'm having the same issue, I always open a previous email, copy and paste it into a new one to keep the same formatting, and then edit from there. The frequency changes so the last time I did that was february, and now it is not working.
    Both the previous email and my new one are open in the Outlook app:
    You have Microsoft Outlook Version 1.2024.424.300 (Production). Client Version is 20240419007.18 .

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