Not able to copy and paste two of six pie charts from Excel worksheet

Brass Contributor

If you look at the pie charts tab in the attached file, I have a note and arrows pointing to the bottom two pie charts. I am absolutely not able to copy either of these and then paste somewhere. I have tried CTRL-C, using the ribbon to copy as a picture, and using the ribbon to copy as a bitmap. Neither of them will go on my clipboard. I also tried a co-worker's PC and could not do it either. 

 

Please help. I need to add these to a presentation for my boss!!

 

UPDATE: I have narrowed the issue down to the act of adding "values from cells" to the data labels on these two charts. I can copy them prior to adding "values from cells" and after adding them, the chart will not go on the clipboard. 

20 Replies
I can reproduce your issue. I'm afraid you have little options other than recreating those two charts.
NB: Three-D pie charts are not a very good way of displaying your data or conveying your message. It is recommended to use a flat (2D) pie instead, or a bar chart.

@kkb_IHC 

 

Agree with the previous author that, although Excel allows you to create such pie-charts it may be better to redesign them. But, you have them now and they work for you. Your only problem is that you can't copy and past them. I'm on a Mac and in my Excel version I can right-click on the chart and select "save as picture". Saved both graphs and pasted them into a Word doc. Attaching the document in case you still need the pictures for you presentation.

@Riny_van_Eekelen 

Thank you! I checked and in Windows, I do not have that option. Unfortunately, I attached a very generic example of my workbook. 

 

I will convert all pie charts to 2-D on both of your recommendations.

 

Thank you for taking the time to generate the pictures.

 

kb

@Jan Karel Pieterse 

 

Thank you for taking time to see if you have the same issue. 

I will convert all pie charts to 2-D on your recommendation and just redo those charts. I've actually never used them before - usually use run charts. But need to be able to show parts of 100%.

 

kb

@Jan Karel Pieterse 

You will not believe it - I converted all the pie charts to 2-D, copied one of the ones that will copy, changed the data to be the data from the first chart that would not copy, AND - that one will not copy either!!

Perhaps this is caused by the fact that the source data is spread out over non-adjacent cells? I don't really know. I tried to create an intermediate table with source data for the bottom-left chart and it did not help.

@Jan Karel Pieterse 

I don't think it is the issue. All the pie charts have non-contiguous cells. I even completely recreated the chart on a new tab and it will not copy either. I started monitoring my clipboard, and the issue is that it won't go on the clipboard. I have a pie chart that is more complicated (more slices) and it WILL copy. Of course, I have an issue with that one too - I have tried to add "value from cells" to the data labels and they just won't show up. 

 

I should state that I am using Office 365 and from doing some searching, it may have some overall clipboard issues. 

The odd thing is, if I uncheck "Locked" of the two charts, I can copy and paste them. But the other charts are all locked and can be pasted.

@Jan Karel Pieterse 

Where are you unchecking that? I can only get to it if I select cells, not a chart.

UPDATE:

If I remove "values from cells" I am able to copy the chart. So, I will do that for now and later do some searching online to see why that causes the issue with this chart but not the others.

@kkb_IHC

@Jan Karel Pieterse 

Have followed your discussion on the issue with interest. Couldn't resist testing a little bit on my own.

I couldn't copy-paste the original two charts at the bottom either. After successfully copying and pasting one of the others, the last chart copied kept on being pasted, even after having pressed Ctrl-C on one of the problem pies. So this indeed confirms that the pies at the bottom don't reach the clipboard.

 

As said, I'm on a Mac with the latest Office365 version and I could right-click on the graphs and save them as a picture, and insert them in whatever program desired. Thought it would work on a PC as well, but apparently not.

 

I have recreated some of the pies in the a new tab (including the one at the bottom left) in the original file, and I encounter non of the problems you describe. No need to unlock or delete values. Attaching the file for your reference. See if it works on your end. Perhaps it helps identifying the issue.

@Jan Karel Pieterse  Okay, I tried that but still wasn't able to copy. Are you using Office 365? 

@Riny_van_Eekelen 

This is interesting - thank you. I wonder if my data sheet is corrupted? I'll have to analyze each of the cells in the original sheet that appear on this particular graph. The version I attached doesn't have any formulas like my original, I did a copy/paste special/values in order to delete the sheets with PHI. I think I posted that I have tied this copy issue to the "values from cells" action for the data label. Before I do that, I can copy it fine. After I do that, I can no longer copy. FYI: I have another pie chart in this workbook that also has an issue with "values from cells," but it doesn't have to do with copying. When I include "values from cells" on the data labels, they just don't show up.

I was unable to copy the two bottom charts, either manually or using various VBA approaches. Neither Copy, Copy as Picture, nor Cut would work. I could make a copy by dragging the chart with the control key depressed, or by typing Ctrl+D (duplicate), but this restricts the copies to the active sheet.

 

It is not possible to copy the newer chart types (e.g. Waterfall) in VBA, but a workaround is to make a duplicate and cut it:

ActiveChart.Parent.Duplicate.Cut

Sadly, this does not work in this case (it works with the charts which can be copied).

 

@kkb_IHC Just so you know: Jon and I have made the Microsoft Excel team aware of the issue.