Windows 7: "Could not open clipboard" - Office 2007 and Windows 7 x64

uidl7526 · 24 Nov 2011

Hi guys,

I am new to the forum and want to post a thread hoping for some help.
I have already searched the internet, but got no good solution.

It's like this: My company has now the Windows 7 rollout. 99% of the clients are x64.
We are using Office 2007.
Since the rollout, multiple users complained that they got the error "Could not open clipboard." in Excel when they are copying cells. I get the error too.

It appears exactly at the point where I press CTRL+C. It does not appear every time (I am able to copy and paste cells 10 times and the next time, the error appears). I can click the error away, but I have to copy the cells again. I never get the error 2 times in a row.

There are also colleagues with same hardware and software configuration. One of them might get the error, the other one not.

We never get this error on our Windows XP x86 machines. Only on Windows 7 x64. Even though we use the same Office 2007 version.

Irene · 24 Nov 2011

Have you tried any of the suggestions here:
Stop error message 'Cannot empty clipboard' - Microsoft Answers
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Quote:

Try to empty the temp folder:
Click on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Run

Copy and paste the following text in the Open field and then press Enter:

%temp%

Note: ensure all applications are closed before deleting the files.

Delete all the files and folders from the above location.

Also try the steps given under the ‘Delete items from the Office Clipboard’ section available on the following link to be able to clear clipboard:

Copy and paste multiple items by using the Office Clipboard - Word - Office.com

If the issue still persists, try to open Excel in safe mode and check if that fixes the issue. To know how to open Excel in Safe mode, refer to the following link:

Work with Office safe modes - Outlook - Office.com

If Excel works fine in safe mode, try to disable the add-in(s) in Excel using the steps given in the link below:

Enable or disable add-ins in Office programs - Support - Office.com

uidl7526 · 30 Nov 2011

I emptied the temp folder. And the error still appeared.
I also emptied the clipboard. And the error still appeared.
I started Excel in safe mode. And the error still appeared.

Please mark that the error is: Could not open clipboard. Not: Cannot empty clipboard.

Irene · 30 Nov 2011

You don't seem to be alone with this problem - I came across numerous instances in my search!

You could try running an sfc scan on one of the problem PC's:
How to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files on Windows Vista or on Windows 7

uidl7526 · 15 Dec 2011

Well, no proposed solution worked until now. But a colleague of mine discovered that the problem only occurs on PCs which have Visual Studio installed. Even though some of the Visual Studio versions don't install Add-Ons in Excel, the error still appears.
Some of my colleagues have Visual Studio 2008 incl. SP1. That version also installs some Add-Ons in Excel. As soon as these Add-Ons are deactivated, the error doesn't appear anymore.
I have Visual Studio 2010 Express installed. There are no Add-Ons in Excel, but the error still appears.
We have also tested this on a test PC. And the error only appears after installing Visual Studio.

Irene · 15 Dec 2011

Thank you for reporting back with your findings, uild7526.

I am sure that others searching for an answer to this problem will be grateful to read your post.

uidl7526 · 06 Jan 2012

Hi guys, I had to reopen this thread since we also have other users who get the error and they have no Visual Studio installed.
We are hundreds with this error in our company. I really don't know why there are so few posts on the internet regarding this issue.

Irene · 06 Jan 2012

When the upgrades to Windows 7 have taken place, is Office 2007 reinstalled? If so, have all the Office updates been applied - particularly SP1?

Issues that are fixed in Excel 2007 by the 2007 Microsoft Office suites Service Pack 1

uidl7526 · 09 Jan 2012

Updates are controlled centrally at our company. We have Windows 7 Enterprise (Build 7601: Service Pack 1) and Excel has the version: Microsoft Office Excel 2007 (12.0.6565.5003) SP2 MSO (12.0.6562.5003).

So, we already have SP1 for Windows 7 and SP2 for Office 2007.

Irene · 18 Jan 2012

Coincidentally, I received this very same message on my Windows 7 PC at work, running Office 2010.

I seem to have resolved the issue by disabling an Excel add-inn related to VBA/XRL reporting.

In Excel 2007:
Enable or disable add-ins in Office programs - Support - Office.com
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Quote:

Excel

Click the Microsoft Office Button , click Excel Options, and then click Add-Ins.
View the add-ins and application extensions that are categorized as follows:
- Active Application Add-ins Lists the extensions that are registered and currently running in your Office program.
- Inactive Application Add-ins Lists the add-ins that are present on your computer but are not currently loaded. For example, smart tags or XML Schemas are active only when the document that references them is open. Another example is the COM add-ins that are listed in the COM Add-ins dialog box. If the check box for a COM add-in is selected, the add-in is active. If the check box for a COM add-in is cleared, the add-in is inactive. To learn how to open the COM Add-in dialog box, see the section called Turn off or manage the installed add-ins.
- Document Related Add-ins Lists template files that are referenced by currently open documents.
- Disabled Application Add-ins Lists add-ins that were automatically disabled because they are causing Office programs to crash.

Quote:

Excel

Click the Microsoft Office Button , click Excel Options, and then click Add-Ins.
In the Add-ins box, identify the add-in that you want to enable or disable and note the Add-in type located in the Type column.
Select the Add-in type in the Manage box and then click Go.
Select or clear the check box for the Add-in that you want enable or disable and then click OK.

Note Add-ins of type Document Inspector are enabled using a different method. These add-ins are automatically enabled when you inspect the document for hidden metadata or personal information. To inspect your document, click the Microsoft Office Button

, click Prepare, and then click Inspect Document.

Windows 7: "Could not open clipboard" - Office 2007 and Windows 7 x64

"Could not open clipboard" - Office 2007 and Windows 7 x64 problems?