Fix for "Clipboard Error. We couldn't copy the content of the clipboard"

Anonymous
2024-04-29T02:20:04+00:00

There have been many posts on how to fix the message Clipboard Error. We couldn't copy the content to the clipboard because its in use by another application.

I tried many of the suggestions:

  • Turn off live preview
  • Clear the clipboard
  • Reboot
  • Repair Excel
  • Add special folders to the Windows directory.
  • Issue the command prompt 'Echo Off | clip
  • Use the statement "Application.CutCopyMode = False after doing a copy and before closing a file
  • Copying one cell before closing a file
  • Removing com add-ins
  • Closing all other applications
  • And a score of others

None worked. I have a test macro that works for several minutes and does many copy/paste, graphics, formatting, etc. It would display the clipboard error at least once every 2 or 3 executions, and often every execution. I used it to test all the posted cures.

What I finally realized is that the application that was using the clipboard and causing the error was Excel itself. Excel was basically not able to keep up with the command to clear the clipboard.

The cure then became simple. Slow excel down by using the statement "DoEvents" right after I issued the command "Application.CutCopyMode = False". And to put the Application.CutCopyMode = False after I was finished with any copy that I did and right before any workbook close command. I've run my macro 10 times and no clipboard error message appears.

Please give it a try.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-06-03T04:07:40+00:00

    I'm very unfamiliar with the command / programming what so ever. So, my question is where can I find this and which command box / menu should I set up the correction that you mentioned below ?

    Slow excel down by using the statement "DoEvents" right after I issued the command "Application.CutCopyMode = False".

    Thank you

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-05-29T16:55:08+00:00

    That helped a lot - thank you.

    I had updated one of my macros to include a loop to copy specific sheet information to another spreadsheet. And I started getting the clipboard error.

    I added the "DoEvents" statement in the line before my "Next" statement.

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