Can't Copy and Paste or Paste Special between Excel Workbooks

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

We have a number of Excel users in our office who cannot copy and paste
between Excel workbooks. They can copy and paste between worksheets. When
you highlight the section to copy and then go to the new workbook both the
paste
and paste special are "grayed out". This is true whether you right-click the
mouse, go to the edit menu, or use control keys. This occurs with any data
type and the most simple workbooks. I have seen some suggestions here but
none have worked for this particular problem. I have reset the menus and
renamed the .xlb files and neither helps. You can open the clipboard and the
paste will work, but there is no paste special option. Any help would be
greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Do you have the same problem when you open excel in Safe modus

Try opening Excel without any Add-ins or hidden workbooks:
Start>Run
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Excel.exe" /Safe
Or Excel.exe /Safe
 
I just tried what you suggested and I do not have the same problems. What
should I check next. I really appreciate your time.

Bill
 
Hi Bill

It is either an add-in or a (hidden) workbook that is
Loaded upon XL's start, which is causing problems.
Tools-Addins and uncheck all Addins.
Write down which ones were selected.
Now close Excel and then reopen.

If it is working then one of the Addins was causing the problem.
Add them back one at a time, closing and opening Excel each time until you find it.

If this didn't stop the problem, then the problem is a file in your xlStart directory.
Any file in there Is loaded when you start Excel.
Remove the files out of that folder and open Excel to see if the problem is gone.
If it is then add them back one at a time, closing and opening Excel each time until you find it
 
Thanks very much for your time, I have figured it out. It was an
obetexcelvbacommon addin that was causing the problem or actually the lack of
it.

Thanks again,

Bill
 
I've got the same problem. Opening in Safe mode makes no difference. All my add ins are not selected.

I've also checked the XLSTART file - it's empty.

Any other ideas?
 
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I got this sorted by paying a company (BT) who took my machine over online. They re-set the registers, whatever they are.
 
@Ron de Bruin,
Thanks! I had a custom .xlam add-in where I had some WorkbookActivate event code that was clearing Excel's clipboard. Best regards.
 
Last edited:
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