Can't Copy & Paste!!!

Question

I regularly have two different workbooks open on my computer.  We'll call them Workbook 1 and Workbook 2.  The regular process is that I copy cells from Wookbook 1 and paste that data to the Workbook 2.  However, after doing this for YEARS, now I'm getting the error message, "Microsoft Excel cannot paste the data."  No other explanation is provided.  Regardless if I copy/paste one cell or one thousand, it just won't work.  I have done everything; restart, reboot, etc.  No luck.  I can copy/paste to a new workbook.  Just not to Workbook 2. 

Anyone have any idea what's going on?  Thanks in advance.

Cheers.

Answer 1

I had to create an acct here just to reply in hopes I could help others with this error as it was driving me nuts.

There is one solution I have not seen suggested, that I determined I could reproduce 100% of the time for the messagebox error of "Microsoft Excel cannot paste the data" either between workbooks, worksheets, or even within the same worksheet.

I wonder how many of these folks have clipboard managers/enhancers running?  Even though there is no legitimate reason a simple paste even of unformatted cells of only values would still result in the above error, but in my case having CLIPJUMP running and simply maintaining clipboard history of multiple entries, a simple single data item paste from Excel, to Excel, results in this Excel error.

My clipboard manager <tries> to grab formatting, as do many others, which is why I believe some posted workarounds involving pasting into another app and back have helped.

So, even though they may not ever conflict with anything.....disable <anything> that touches the clipboard in <any> way, and from what I can tell that will solve many occurrences of this error since different clipboard managers/enhancers have become more and more common.

Simply shutting down my clipboard manager for the time I use Excel has 100% eliminated this error.

Answer 2

Hello Bernard,

I have working on this problem all day.  Thinking my Workbook 2 may have become corrupted, I have gone so far as to re-create it.  But I get the same error.  <sigh>.

During this all-day project I have discoverd several things.

1.  I cannot copy and paste data from one workbook to another workbook.  (the original problem).

2.  I cannot copy a worksheet from Workbook 2 to another workbook.  Workbook 2 simply does not list (can't see) any other workbooks in the "copy/move" option when you right-click the worksheet.

3.  I have noticed several HUNDRED "Normal" formats in the Home tab of my MS Excel.

4.  When I open a brand new workbook it has only ONE Normal format.  Once I copy and paste any data from my Workbook 1 to it I instantly get severl HUNDRED "Normal" formats again.

Any idea what is going on?!?!?  Thank you in advance for your help.

Cheers.

Answer 3

Hello Bernard,

Thanks for that try.  Nope. I didn't work.   I'm thinking that this Workbook 2 of mine is corrupted.  Which means I'm going to have to make it again.  What a pain!  Thanks again.

Cheers!

Answer 4

I hope this is caused by Skype Click-to-Call

See http://community.skype.com/t5/General-Discussion/Skype-breaks-Excel-cut-and-paste-paste-special/td-p/619275

I say 'hope' since the solution is simple

best wishes