Excel 2016 blocks the clipboard for external content (for example CTRL+C from Word)
Experimental setup:
1. Type “aaa” in a cell
2. Copy the cell with CTRL+C and paste it into Word with CTRL+V
3. Then type “bbb” in Word
4. Copy the “bbb” from Word with CTRL+C
5. Paste it into Excel with CTRL+V
Bug: The insertion does not show "bbb" (recently taken from Word) as expected, but "aaa" (previously taken from Excel).
To free the clipboard from the previous "aaa", you have to press ESC first, while being in Excel. After that you can go back to Word and copy "bbb" again, to paste it to Excel.
Second setup, even better:
1. Type “aaa” in a cell
2. Copy the cell with CTRL+C and paste it into Word with CTRL+V
3. Then type “bbb” in Word
4. Copy the “bbb” from Word with CTRL+C (until here same as above)
5. Paste the "bbb" anywhere in Word with CTRL+V
6. Then close Excel completely (with or without saving)
7. Change to Word and press CTRL+V to paste the "bbb" once again
Bug: The insertion does not show "bbb" as expected, but "aaa" (from the already closed Excel).
Third setup:
1. Type “aaa” in a cell
2. Copy the cell with CTRL+C and paste it into Word with CTRL+V
3. Then type “bbb” in Word
4. Copy the “bbb” from Word with CTRL+C
5. Paste the "bbb" anywhere in Word with CTRL+V (until here same as above)
6. Switch to Excel and press ESC
7. Then close Excel completely (with or without saving)
8. Change to Word and press CTRL+V to paste the "bbb" once again
Bug: The insertion shows nothing. The clipboard is empty.
Excel Professional Plus 2016 last update on Windows 10
Problem persisting since June 2017 through all updates.
Origin of this bug presumably through mistake at fixing this:
https://excel.uservoice.com/forums/304921-excel-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/9735714-maintain-copied-data-on-the-clipboard-even-if-the?page=2&perpage=20&trackingcode=2263df3db982d2cf3fdd1ea1c4c7a595
This request was misunderstood and/or misfixed. It was clearly not to keep a copied content from Excel above all other keyboard and mouse commands on the computer. It was meant to keep the copied content inside Excel as long as you don’t deliberately delete (ESC) or overwrite (CTRL+C) it. Nobody wanted it to block copied content from Word (or any other program) into Excel.

11 comments
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Anonymous commented
I have this problem too :( Excel 2013 still works great though, but that is only on my laptop) I am running Excel 2016 and updated just last month.
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UweHa commented
Still not fixed or even recognized by Microsoft.
You can call it ignored.
So disruptive! -
hgitz Guj commented
I support this bug to be fixed, but I disagree with "It was meant to keep the copied content inside Excel as long as you don’t deliberately delete (ESC) or overwrite (CTRL+C) it."
In my opinion, to conform with any other software that exists, Excel should also _never_ CLEAR the clipboard. Excel is not special among software and should have never behaved like it was special in this matter.
I do see there are people that like the behavior of clearing the clipboard by pressing ESC or doing any other move that removes the "ants" marquee and hence triggers the deletion, so I am happy with this being an OPT IN/OUT setting.
Ultimately, though, the goal should be to behave like any other software by default.
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UweHa commented
Sorry, Ian. Not even recognized by Microsoft. On any forum.
Maybe they are too busy planning cell frames to fly around when you click cells.I'm kidding. They don't plan such a thing. THEY ALREADY DID iT!
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Ian commented
Has this insanity been fixed yet?
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UweHa commented
Hi Eric Patterson,
Last July you "fixed" this:
https://excel.uservoice.com/forums/304921-excel-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/9735714-maintain-copied-data-on-the-clipboard-even-if-the?page=1&per_page=20&tracking_code=2263df3db982d2cf3fdd1ea1c4c7a595and caused a major bug in the aftermath.
The new bug is sneaky and corrupts the work.
Especially if you don't know about the bug
- or when you don't think about the bug and don't check the insert immediately
- or if the paste procedure is made via VBA. In the latter case you can't undo it with the undo-button, even if you recognize it!! -
kent schonert commented
I am able to reproduce this buggish and maddening behavior with both 8431.2153 and 8201.2193. I'm hoping it's fixed on the next Semi-Annual that my company's schedule is on.
I often strip formatting (and/or convert Excel formulas to values) of my clipboard contents by pasting and recopy through a simple text editor (or use PureText which does basically the same thing). I do this for multiple applications, but the new behavior completely breaks it for Excel, where I used to use it the most. It's extremely frustrating, to the point where I I'm looking to run 2007 side by side with O365.
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UweC commented
Well, the possibilities/functions and bugs/flaws of 365 and regular 2016 are different. Not only on this topic.
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Sergei Baklan commented
O365 E3; Click-to-Run installation on PC
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UweC commented
@ Sergei:
There is no Build 1710 available for me. I have 1709 (8528.2147 click to run).
What kind of Office do you have? Local installation, server installation or web application? -
Sergei Baklan commented
Can't reproduce no one of that. Build 1710.8625.2090. If open Clipboard pane (both in Excel and Word) it shows nothing is reset and copy/paste works correctly.