Excel LTSC 2021 16.0.14334.20906/20914: copy/paste and sheet copy fail after September 2026 update

ZTS 65 Reputation points
2026-09-17T12:51:11.9966667+00:00

Issue summary After Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 was updated from Build 16.0.14334.20848 to Build 16.0.14334.20906 (8 September 2026):

  • Copy/paste in Excel fails with no error message.
  • Copying a worksheet fails with "We couldn't copy this sheet."

The same failures occur on Build 16.0.14334.20914 (12 September 2026). Rolling back to 16.0.14334.20848 fixes the problem

This appears to match Microsoft's known issue "The paste operation might fail in Excel" (KB5002914).

Is there any workaround or fix on this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | Other | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-17T12:51:26.93+00:00

    Yes. The documented workaround is to use Paste Special, because Microsoft lists this issue as investigating for Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016.

    Supported workaround for paste failures:

    1. In Excel, go to Home > Paste dropdown > Paste Special.
    2. Choose one of the working options:
      • Formula
      • Formula and number formats
      • Values
      • Values and number formats
      • Paste Link

    For the affected LTSC 2021 builds, the update history shows both of the builds mentioned:

    • 16.0.14334.20906 = September 8, 2026
    • 16.0.14334.20914 = September 12, 2026

    There is no published permanent fix in the provided documentation yet. The current Microsoft status for the paste issue is Investigating.

    For worksheet copy failures specifically, the provided documentation does not publish a separate fix. A related Microsoft Q&A indicates some worksheet copy operations may also be affected after the September 2026 Excel update, and reporting it through Excel Help > Feedback is suggested.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Ana Le 2,615 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-17T13:16:08.3166667+00:00

    Hello ZTS,

    Microsoft has acknowledged this issue under incident OP1470668: “Users may be unable to copy, paste, drag, or duplicate cells and worksheets in Microsoft Excel.” The notice includes Excel 2021, so the reported impact covers both cell operations and worksheet copying.

    According to the September 16 incident update, a code regression in a recent update caused the issue. Microsoft is testing fixes and evaluating an additional workaround. That update does not confirm a released fix or a resolution date.

    As the forum’s AI recommended, you can try Home > Paste > Paste Special for cell data, using options such as Formulas or Values. This is documented in Microsoft’s paste issue article, but it does not replace copying an entire worksheet.

    Since you have confirmed that reverting to build 16.0.14334.20848 restores functionality, please coordinate with your IT team if you need to remain on that build temporarily, considering the security updates it would exclude.

    Your administrator can follow OP1470668 in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Health > Service health. The notice schedules the next update for September 17 at 19:00 UTC; this is a progress update, not a promised fix date.

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  3. CHRISTIAN_1999 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-22T20:41:27.39+00:00

    Microsoft Office was completely uninstalled using Revo Uninstaller, followed by a clean installation of Office. After the reinstallation, Excel's copy, paste, and cell dragging functions were verified to be working correctly

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  4. EmilyS_726 30,175 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-22T21:13:57.0533333+00:00

    Microsoft has already rolled out fixes for this issue.

    Office LTSC 2024: fixed in Build 17932.21000 (Update via Excel Files > Accounts > Update Options > Update now)

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    3 people found this answer helpful.
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