"Unable to paste data in Microsoft Excel? [Solved]"

In your professional life, it's impossible to avoid using Microsoft Excel to organize data and perform complex calculations with ease. But for some, the program can be an intimidating tool. Packed with jargon and features, it requires more of a learning curve than its more user-friendly cousins, Word or PowerPoint.

"Microsoft Excel unable to paste data"

Even if you've mastered working with its features, the road can still be bumpy. Like any other computer program, Microsoft's spreadsheet application, Excel, can run into various issues that can be incredibly frustrating. In this article, we'll guide you through the "Cannot paste data due to Microsoft Excel error" and provide reliable solutions to fix it.

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How to Fix Issues with Not Being Able to Paste in Microsoft Excel (10 Solutions)

Excel problems are common when copying and pasting from a spreadsheet. Sometimes, you might run into trouble with merged cells or unfamiliar copy and paste options. The ten fixes here will help you get around these issues quickly.

Method 1: Fix the "Cannot Paste Data" Issue by Restarting Excel

Before trying more complex solutions, why not start with the simple ones? In most cases, reopening the Excel file will fix the problem with no advanced preparation needed. However, make sure to save your data before closing the program.

Step 1: Close Excel.

Step 2: Restart the app.

Step 3: Try using “copy and paste.” See if it works.

Method 2: Check and Fix Merged Cells Issues in Excel to Repair Unable to Paste Data in Microsoft Excel

You cannot copy data from merged cells in one Excel worksheet and paste it into another Excel worksheet. Before attempting to copy the information, you need to unmerge all of the cells using one of these methods.

Step 1: Open the source Excel spreadsheet and list all the data that needs to be copied. Click on "Copy."

Step 2: To unmerge the cells, from the Start tab on the ribbon, choose Merge and Center > Unmerge Cells.

Method 3: Disable Macros for Quick App Display

The issue might also be caused by the “Macro Express” software. It is a Windows-based program that lets you create and record mouse macros. Therefore, before transferring data from Excel, check for any running programs in the background. To temporarily disable the macro, select it from the “Macro Express Pro – Explorer” list, and then proceed as follows.

Right-click the macro, and then choose Disable Macro from the shortcut menu.

Method 4: Fix the Error with “Special Paste”

Encountered an error while attempting to paste data using the "Paste" option in Microsoft Excel.

Step 1: Copy the relevant data after opening the Excel workbook.

Step 2: In the target workbook, right-click on any cell and select it from the menu. From the drop-down menu, choose the "Special Paste" option, and select the appropriate settings to paste your copied data correctly.

Method 5: Fix Cannot Paste in Excel by Disabling DDE

Disabling DDE can also help with the copy-and-paste problem. Here's how.

Step 1: Open Excel and select Options from the File drop-down menu.

Step 2: To clear the Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) check box, click Advanced in the dialog box.

Step 3: After you click "OK" to save your changes, you're ready to move on to the next step.

Method 6: Start Excel in Safe Mode

You can immediately launch the spreadsheet in Safe Mode by pressing the CTRL key on your keyboard and clicking on the Excel shortcut icon. Here are the steps to open Excel in Safe Mode using this method:

Also read: How to Boot into Safe Mode?

1. Find the Excel shortcut on your computer. It may be on the desktop, taskbar, or Start menu.

Step 2. If it's on your desktop, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and double-click the Excel shortcut on your screen. If the shortcut is on the taskbar or Start menu, hold down Ctrl and click it.

Step 3: Hold down the CTRL key until you see a message asking, "You're pressing the CTRL key. Do you want me to start [application] in Safe Mode?"

Step 4. Select “Yes” from the drop-down menu.

5. This will start Excel in Safe Mode.

Method 7: Restart your PC in a clean boot state

To restart your computer in a clean boot state, follow these steps.

Step 1: First, type MSConfig in the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Clear the Load Startup Items check box in the General tab under Selective Startup.

Step 3: On the Services tab, click “Hide all Microsoft services” to prevent them from trying to start up. Then click on the “Startup” tab and open Task Manager.

Step 4: Disable all startup programs, and then return to the System Configuration window to save your changes.

Method 8: Use an XLSX Worksheet Instead of an XLS

Because you are transferring large amounts of data, you might need to switch from a standard XLS table to an XLSX table. The maximum row length in an XLS table is 65,000 characters.

This means that if you copy data with more rows, you'll get an "Cannot paste into Excel" error message. In contrast, an XLSX sheet can hold up to a million rows.

Method 9: Run Microsoft's automated repair tool to fix the problem with pasting in Excel

When Microsoft Excel opens a corrupted workbook, it immediately goes into Recovery Mode and attempts to fix the file. If Recovery Mode isn't activated, you can manually recover your workbook. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: To open a file, go to the "File" menu and choose "Open."

2. Right-click the corrupted worksheet and choose “Copy to Clipboard.”

Step 3: Select the damaged workbook by clicking on it in the Open dialog box.

4. Right-click Open, and then click Open and Repair.

5. Try to Repair the file to recover as much information as possible. If Repair doesn't work, choose Extract Data to get the values and formulas from your worksheet.

Method 10: Fix the "Excel cannot paste data" issue with Excel's built-in repair tool

If you unfortunately come across a corrupted Word document, you can use the Fixo Document Repair tool for assistance. It's an easy-to-use application that repairs Word documents without altering their elements, such as images, fonts, original text, hyperlinks, headers, or footers, and no additional software is required. It offers three straightforward repair options.

Most importantly, you can try it; so download the program from its official website and see for yourself the wonderful features of the software. The application can fix corruption issues in various Word files and other files that are inaccessible or contain some special characters.

You can also preview the document before saving the corrected Word file. Maintain compatibility with Microsoft Word 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, and earlier versions.

• Repairable file types include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files.
• Offers add and save options to immediately locate and save corrupted files once detected.
• Use this program to scan and fix all data within damaged files.
• Repair corrupted files for various reasons and on multiple devices with corrupted file recovery.

Step 1: Download and run Fixo on your computer or laptop. Select "File Repair" to fix corrupted Office documents, including Word, Excel, PDF, and so on. Click "Add File" to select the damaged document.

Click “Save” to save the selected documents. Choose “Save All” to save all repaired files. Select “View Repaired Files” to locate the folder with the repaired files.

III. Conclusion

Regardless of the reason that your Microsoft Word document got corrupted, you can use this method to restore it. For the "Cannot paste data - Microsoft Excel" error, you can try any of the above options to resolve it. However, if your file gets damaged while following these steps, the Microsoft Office Repair Tool can help you recover your data. We hope these suggestions work best for you.