Troubleshooting the "There Is a Problem with Clipboard" Error in Excel (3 Solutions)

Introduction to Clipboard Issues

Before we delve into the solutions, let’s first understand the problem. The clipboard feature is available in all Microsoft Office programs, including Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

Sometimes, when you try to copy content from a file in Microsoft Excel, you encounter an error message: There’s a problem with the clipboard, but you can still paste your content within this workbook. This issue arises when another program is already using the clipboard. Once this error message appears, you won’t be able to copy from or paste into any other Microsoft Office apps.

Here’s what the error message looks like:

Problem

Solution 1 – Enable Live Preview Option

To address this issue, follow these steps:

Go to the File menu.

Select Options.

Enable Live Preview

Check the box for Enable Live Preview.
Click OK.

Enable Live Preview

Solution 2 – Clear Excel Clipboard

If you’ve copied too many items to your clipboard, Excel may display this error. To resolve it:

Navigate to the Home tab.
Click the arrow icon (as shown in the image).

Clear Clipboard

Choose Clear All to clear the clipboard.

Excel will clear all the copied items.

Clear Clipboard

Solution 3 – Reinstall Microsoft Excel

If the first two solutions don’t work, consider reinstalling Microsoft Office:

Uninstall Microsoft Office from the Control Panel.

Uninstall Microsoft

Then, reinstall Microsoft Office.

Things to Remember

Remember that clipboard problems can occur when another program is actively using the clipboard. If you encounter this error, try the solutions above to regain clipboard functionality in Excel.