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Prince20's avatar
Prince20
Copper Contributor
Aug 02, 2024

Excel copy and paste error

Usually, when I copy something in Excel, it highlights the cell and keeps it highlighted until I finish pasting it on the Excel or if I copy something else, even on another app or browser.

But now when I copy something from Excel, paste it on the browser (URL bar), copy something else from the opened page, and then try to paste the browser data back to Excel, the initially copied cell is still highlighted, and it pastes that data only, not the browser data. I have to then paste the browser data from the clipboard.

Can someone confirm this issue or suggest a solution?

excel
office 365

4 Replies

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  • rhtheunisssen's avatar
    rhtheunisssen
    Copper Contributor
    Dec 11, 2024

    Same issue here. Office 365. It is a bug and I can reproduce it. Control + C text from a browser window, Open Clipboard (Windows + V). Coppied text is on the clipboard. Pasting with Control V in Excel will paste nothing or other stuff. Pasting from the clipboard manually (Windows + V) will do the trick, allthough confirms the bug.

  • HuyHoangVN's avatar
    HuyHoangVN
    Copper Contributor
    Nov 07, 2024

    I have same your problem with excel 2019 - windows 11. I try uninstall 2 windows update: KB5044030+KB5044284.
    Excel working OK before.

  • SergeiBaklan's avatar
    SergeiBaklan
    MVP
    Aug 03, 2024

    Prince20 

    Can't reproduce that:

    Platform is Windows 11

    - open Excel in Edge browser, in A1 is hyperlink www.google.com

    - stay on A1, Ctrl+C, cell border is highlighted

    - open new tab in browser, Ctrl+V in address bar

    - select text under search bar, Ctrl+C

    - back to Excel tab, A1 border is highlighted

    - stay on A2, Ctrl+V, text from google.com is pasted, A1 is not highlighted after that

     

    Same with desktop app, Excel 365 Current channel. The only difference A1 is not highlighted when I'm back to Excel.

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Gold Contributor
    Aug 03, 2024

    Prince20 

    Here are several steps you can try to resolve this issue:

    1. Check Clipboard Settings

    Windows has a clipboard history feature that can sometimes cause confusion.

    • Windows Clipboard History:
      1. Press Windows + V to open the clipboard history.
      2. Here, you can see and manage the history of copied items. If clipboard history is on, try clearing it and see if the problem persists.

    2. Use Excel’s Clipboard Pane

    Excel has its own clipboard pane that might be interfering.

    • Clear Excel Clipboard:
      1. Open Excel.
      2. Go to the Home tab.
      3. In the Clipboard group, click the small arrow in the bottom right corner to open the Clipboard pane.
      4. Click Clear All to clear the Excel clipboard.

    3. Reset Clipboard

    Sometimes, resetting the clipboard can resolve this issue.

    • Clear Windows Clipboard:
      1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
      2. In the command prompt, type echo off | clip and press Enter. This command clears the clipboard.

    4. Restart Applications

    A simple restart can often fix many issues.

    • Restart Excel and Browser:
      1. Close Excel and any browsers you’re using.
      2. Restart them and try copying and pasting again.

    5. Update Office

    Ensure that your Office 365 is up to date, as updates can fix known issues.

    1. Open Excel.
    2. Go to File > Account.
    3. Under Product Information, click Update Options and select Update Now.

    6. Check for Add-ins or Extensions

    Add-ins or browser extensions might be causing conflicts.

    • Disable Excel Add-ins:
      1. Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
      2. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins and click Go.
      3. Uncheck all add-ins and click OK.
    • Disable Browser Extensions:
      1. In your browser, go to the extensions or add-ons settings.
      2. Disable extensions and check if the issue persists.

    7. Use Paste Special

    If the issue persists, you can try using the Paste Special option.

    1. Copy the data from the browser.
    2. In Excel, use Paste Special (found under Home > Paste > Paste Special or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + V).
    3. Choose the appropriate format to paste.

    8. Check for Conflicting Software

    Some software can interfere with clipboard operations.

    • Check Recent Software:
      1. Consider if you’ve recently installed or updated any software that might affect clipboard functionality.
      2. Try disabling or uninstalling such software temporarily to see if it resolves the issue.

    9. Reboot Your Computer

    A full system reboot can often clear up clipboard issues.

    1. Save all your work and restart your computer.

    10. Reinstall Office

    If none of the above steps work, consider reinstalling Office.

    1. Uninstall Office from Control Panel > Programs and Features.
    2. Restart your computer.
    3. Reinstall Office 365 from the Office website.

    Following these steps should help you resolve the issue with Excel's copy and paste functionality. If the problem persists, you might want to reach out to Microsoft Support for further assistance. The text and steps were edited with the help of AI.

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.

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