Forum Discussion
Copy/paste no longer working in Excel
Sometime in the last few months the copy/paste function within Excel (Office 365 version) stopped working for me. I have updated Windows and all Office apps to the latest version but that hasn't fixed the problem. I've also run the Office 365
The symptom is very strange. When I hit Ctrl-C (or use the drop-down menus) on a cell in Excel the dashed lines that surround a cell selected for copying show up very briefly but immediately disappear. If I go to another cell and paste it just puts a open parenthesis "(" in the cell. Using Ctrl-X to cut exhibits similar behavior.
If I repeatedly hit Ctrl-C it will occasionally work (the dashed lines remain and I can paste) but it typically takes 15-20 tries before it will work and if I try again it will fail. This only seems to affect me when I try to copy cells. If I select a cell and then edit the cell and manually select the content of the cell I can copy and paste with no issue. It also appears to only be an issue when a cell is not empty. If I select an empty cell I can copy/paste just fine. If I select a cell that has been highlighted but has no content that also works properly. It's only when there's text or a formula in the cell that this is an issue.
This only affects Excel, I haven't observed the issue in any other app.
Any ideas?
- I’d recommend that everyone having thus issue goes to File > Feedback and send a frown, putting your details in the section and start it [Can’t Copy Paste]
Also what version is everyone in who’s having this problem ? File > Account
It will read something like
Semi Annual Channel
Build 1234.567
102 Replies
Jon Firooz Hi, same issue i faced for dashed lines being disappearing. but its kind of solved, when i understand that it was happening due to a remote app " Teamviewer" being used at the same time. As when i closed the teamviewer app, excel started behaving normally. I hope this could help for any one facing same issue within similar circumstances.
I just found out that if I "close my Adobe Acrobat XI Pro" program I was able to again copy and paste - I was also having the same issues from time to time - with Excel and with Word 360.
Hope this helps... Ben
The problem is with multiple worksheets, created by Excel due to problems, and Excel can't deal with changes in just one version.
The solution is to look at any worksheet it wants to save under an alternate name and to save it as a replacement for the original worksheet if it is fine, or to save it under a different name and then eliminate it. In any case eliminate saved duplicate files.
Then restart the program, choose your files from the file menu (File-Open-Browse), not the list of previously opened files.
Copy from one worksheet to another - the problem should be gone.
Change formula "calculation options" from manual to automatic. Rumor has it that some obscure hotkey inadvertently hit may change this setting from "automatic" to "manual. Change it back to automatic.
Jim's suggestion about making the "calculate options" automatic took care of this issue for me. I do not know how it got to manual, but it did. I had noticed that the formula was correctly being pasted but the data was not updating.
Thanks!
Complete all your copy and paste activity. Whenever you want the accurate results of your formulas recalculate the worksheet by "Select cells that contain formulas you'd like to update. Press CTRL+ H . Find what: = Replace with: = "
- Hi Jon, I had a similar issue. To my surprise I was able to fix it by simply highlighting the cell content and changing the color to black: on Home I clicked the icon A with color underneath and set the theme color to black. And abracadabra it worked. I know many moons passed by since you entered this ticket in the forum and probably you already fixed it. Anyway for future reference trying to help other users, as well.
Thank you, Michael MasterLinguist Clearing the clipboard seems to work for me and other colleagues when encountering this problem. From the Home tab, click the little breakout icon next to "Clipboard" (underneath Format Painter), then click Clear All in the Clipboard window.
Excel is basically unusable for me for well over a year now as I have to *really* need to process data by saving into a file instead of copy+pasting it. I didn't realize it was such a widespread issue and if Microsoft isn't fixing it then I'm afraid I'll just have to ask for money back... it's just ridiculous - every time I want to paste I need to:
1. Open new blank spreadsheet
2. Only then copy from the other app
3. Paste into blank spreadsheet
This is a one time thing - next copy+paste - new spreadsheet is needed...
Copy and paste does not work in my excel either! Hint: the copied cell has text with greek letters inserted via the windows character map.
Hi
I have only experienced this issue (and many others) since the company moved to Win 10- Office 365 - Office 2016
I have to say since we have made this move, i have more issues than i have ever experienced going right back to win 3.1, and before.
The only solution I have found the works is save the file close it & open again.
I raised this isse with our retained IT maintanance company have been unable to succesfully find a solution.
It obviously something wrong with excel in its latest version.
Just a note
One of my other laptops I have left with, win 7 in & the previous office, I as yet have not experienced this issue, ever.
p.s. since i rolled the last windows 10 update back, due to it interefering with Photoshop I experience "cant copy & paste" a lot less!
Regards
I contacted Office 365 Support and they said.....
In the recent Office 365 builds of Office they have removed this functionality of pasting multiple times with the "Enter" key. The only way to do this is using Ctrl+V.
I my case Excel opens my workbook with multiple sheets selected by default.
When i selected a range of cells, Excel copies the same range on multiple sheets.
Excel will not let you paste these cells into a single sheet.
Deselecting the other sheets solved it for me.
I've had the same problem with Excel, and now a similar problem with Word, pasting content from one table to another. The company uses 365 on PCs.
I take problematic documents home with me to test with an older version of Office, on a different OS (Mac). 9 times out of 10, it works, and converts back without issues. That's what I'll do in this case. I'll update accordingly if it works.
Otherwise, if you can get this to function with your current configuration, I recommend saving a copy of your work on a USB stick, and storing it in a Grand Cayman bank vault.
Clear temp files in user profile that is logged on \\User name\appdata\local\Temp. Clear all items there. A shorter method to drill down to the folder is go to "Run" then enter %temp%, hit enter.
Also clear the Windows Temp Files \\OSDisk (C) \ Windows\ Temp.
