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
    2025-03-07T19:27:10+00:00

    Good catch.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-17T17:40:27+00:00

    I found that process too. It was called Clipboard User Service_96a2841. The 96a2841 is an instance ID. It changes every time you boot up. I found out how to disable it in the registry because it can't be disabled in services.msc. The latter gives an invalid parameter error if you try and disable it there. After a couple times of doing it and just closing the dialogue with the X in the corner, it does disable, but only for that boot-up.

    After all that, Clipboard User Service isn't the problem. The error just continues and continues with that disabled. The error is 100% caused by Microsoft incompetent programming, not this Clipboard service or Logitech - which I don't even have. It always says the clipboard is locked by another user. That means that in something with Microsoft 365 working with OneDrive, Microsoft has set up another user to do all its useless shenanigans and, for no reason whatsoever, lock the clipboard while it's doing them.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-17T18:00:24+00:00

    I agree with your analysis. I no longer have the problem -reinstalled three updates some time ago, removed the Logitech application, and I don't use One Drive. I think the updates were the key issue. Sorry, I don't remember their names, but when they were uninstalled it worked fine. Of course Microsoft immediately reinstalled them. This occurred three times and somehow the problem went away. So, it may have been the software or the update process. The updates may have assumed that some property existed when it did not.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-04-06T09:09:55+00:00

    I had the same problem, very annoying.
    I noticed on my computer that Logi Options+ also adds the following parts:

    • LogiOptionsPlusExcelAddin
    • LogiOptionsPlusPowerPointAddin
    • LogiOptionsPlusWordAddin

    I'm removing them now and will see if it helps.

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-06-02T18:40:19+00:00

    Since this doesn't happen in the 32-bit version it borders on fraud by Microsoft. They take no responsibility for fixing the bugs in their programs. They let us slog it out in forums with halfassed work arounds. This problm is over a year old. Then again, they've had a problem with the Excel screen refusing to update after locking titles for about 15 or 20 years (not a joke).

    Speaking of halfassed work-arounds, instead of a DoEvent, I use a simpler soulution: I build in a defined wait. It's a single line and isn't affected by any load on the processor. I you're tryig to run something else at the same time a Do Loop can bog down. 

    Application.Wait Now + #12:00:03 AM#    'allow screen to catch up

    That's a 3 second pause. Change the last digits to add/subtract seconds. I started using it when VBA would execute commands before data finished loading ito a file. It's not very useful to tell it to perform a sort on data that's not actually loaded yet. I also use it when I want to temporarily display a message to the user about what the macro is going to do next. It's easy to adjust to determine the abslute minimum time needed to keep your macros from crashing in on themselves.

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