Fix Excel Cannot Open Clipboard in 4 Tested Ways

When you encounter the "Excel cannot open clipboard" issue while editing a spreadsheet, it can be annoying because Excel does not allow you to copy, paste, or perform other Excel tasks.

Some Excel add-ins usually cause this problem; you can quickly solve it by removing unnecessary add-ins in Microsoft Excel or restarting the computer. Running out of RAM, the copied data being too large, and other issues can also lead to this Excel problem.

And we'll introduce more comprehensive solutions in this article to help you better! Keep reading the passage and find detailed information.

Method 1. Fix Excel Cannot Open Clipboard in Safe Mode

Starting Microsoft Excel in Safe Mode can also help you solve this clipboard problem because this will block any add-ins, extensions, toolbar, or command bar modifications in Excel. Check on how to start Excel in Safe Mode:

Step 1. Press the Ctrl + R keys to bring up the Run box.

Step 2. Enter excel /safe and press Enter to run Microsoft Excel in Safe Mode.

Step 3. Click the File tab and open the Options settings.

Step 4. Then, click "Add-ins", manage the "COM Add-ins", and choose "Go".

Step 5. Uncheck all the COM add-ins and click "OK" to save the changes.

Share this method on social media to help users fix the Excel cannot paste the data or open the clipboard.

Method 2. Fix Excel Clipboard Error by Deleting Clipboard Items

It can be simple to solve the problem of the clipboard not being opened by clearing all the items in it. This Excel clipboard can be caused by too many clipboard items or too large copied data. Check the following guide to delete clipboard items in MS Excel:

Step 1. Open the Excel clipboard by clicking this arrow button.

Step 2. You'll see all the copied items and history in the clipboard. Click "Clear All" to delete all the copied items. After emptying the clipboard, this "Excel cannot open clipboard" issue should be resolved.

Method 3. Resolve Excel Cannot Open Clipboard by Repair MS Excel

To repair the Excel clipboard error, you can also try to repair Microsoft Office in the Apps & Features settings. Repair Microsoft Office can help you quickly replace some corrupted program files and troubleshoot Microsoft Excel clipboard faults.

Step 1. Right-click the Windows taskbar and open Taskbar settings.

Step 2. Go to Apps > Apps & features.

Step 3. Find Microsoft Office, click the three dots icon, and choose "Modify".

Step 4. Select Quick Repair and choose "Repair" to run the Microsoft Office repair tool. If the Qicuk Repair does not work, try Online Repair and run the program again.

After repairing the Microsoft Office, restart the software to check if the clipboard error still exists.

Method 4. Repair Excel Files to Fix the Clipboard Not Opening in Excel

Sometimes, it's not the Microsoft Excel software that causes the problem, but the Excel file you are processing is corrupted. To repair corrupted Excel files, you should use a reliable file repair tool, and EaseUS Fixo Document Repair is a clever choice when you encounter Excel errors.

What can this Excel repair software do for you? It can fix Excel files that cannot be opened in Windows or the Excel spreadsheet shows up blank.

This software can repair Excel files and other Microsoft Office documents, including Word and PowerPoint documents.

Use the drag-and-drop feature to add and repair corrupted xlsx, .xltm, .xltx, and .xlsm files quickly. Check the following guide to fix Excel issues with EaseUS Fixo Document Repair:

Step 1. Download and launch Fixo on your PC or laptop. Choose "File Repair" to repair corrupted Office documents, including Word, Excel, PDF, and others. Click "Add Files" to select corrupted documents.

Step 2. To repair multiple files at once, click the "Repair All" button. If you want to repair a single document, move your pointer to the target file and choose "Repair". You can also preview the documents by clicking the eye icon.

Step 3. Click "Save" to save a selected document. Select "Save All" to save all the repaired files. Choose "View Repaired" to locate the repaired folder.

If this Excel repair software solves your problem, remember to share it on social media and help more Microsoft Office users!

Clipboard Error in Excel

Check the following frequently asked questions to learn more info about this Excel clipboard error.

1. How do I open the clipboard in Microsoft Excel?

It is simple to open the clipboard in Microsoft Excel, you just need to click the arrow next to the "Clipboard" under the Home tab to open the clipboard.

2. How can I fix error 521 - can't open clipboard?

When you encounter the run-time error 521 while trying to copy and paste some content, it means some other programs are using the clipboard, so you cannot open it in Excel. You can quit other applications and try to paste them into Excel again.

3. How can I clear the clipboard in Excel?

To clear the clipboard in Excel, you should open it first under the Home tab in Microsoft Excel. After opening the clipboard, click the Clear All button to remove all the copied items.

The Bottom Line

The Excel cannot open the clipboard is not a serious issue, and you can also try to solve the problem by clearing the temp files of Microsoft Office Excel.

If you encounter other Excel issues or the Excel files are not working in Windows, repair these corrupted files with EaseUS Fixo Document Repair.