Forum Discussion
Office 2016 pro plus - XL copy paste is not functioning (no issue with MS Word)
Troubleshooting Order (Safest → Most Invasive)
Order | Step | Risk Level |
1 | Test in Excel Safe Mode | None — diagnostic only |
2 | Check both workbooks are in the same Excel instance | None |
3 | Verify Paste Options setting in File → Options → Advanced | None |
4 | Disable add-ins one by one (if Safe Mode worked) | Low — reversible |
5 | Online Repair of Office | Low — fixes files, doesn't remove updates |
6 | Uninstall KB5002914 | Higher — removes a security patch |
Based on your description, this is a known issue affecting Excel 2016 (and some other Office versions) after recent Windows updates. The symptoms you describe—copy/paste failing and the Esc key not clearing the "marching ants" border—are classic signs of this problem.
The most effective solution reported by users is uninstalling KB5002914. If you cannot uninstall this update or it doesn't resolve the issue, the repair and troubleshooting steps above should help identify the underlying cause.
Hope this Helps! 🙂