Excel: Paste Command Unavailable when Copying Range of CellsLast reviewed: November 4, 1994Article ID: Q93177 |
The information in this article applies to:
SUMMARYWhen you copy a range of cells from a worksheet, Microsoft Excel for Windows uses a "fast copy" method. This "fast copy" method results in faster copying and lower memory consumption. However, "fast copy" also increases the possibility that cell data will be lost from the clipboard and the Paste command on the Edit menu will be unavailable from the Edit menu.
MORE INFORMATIONWhen you copy a range of cells from a Microsoft Excel for Windows worksheet to the clipboard, Microsoft Excel places a reference to those worksheet cells in the clipboard (it does not copy the actual data from the cells). This method of storing data is faster because placing a reference in the clipboard takes less time and uses less memory than placing the actual data in the clipboard. When the clipboard contains cell data, you will see a moving border around the cells in the Excel worksheet and the following message will appear in the status bar:
Select destination and press ENTER or choose PasteAs long as the moving border is visible and the above message appears in the status bar, the reference to the cells exists in the clipboard. If you press the ESC key or choose another menu command, the reference to the cells is removed from the clipboard and the Paste command on the Edit menu is be unavailable (dimmed).
WorkaroundsTo copy the actual cell contents to the clipboard, use one of the following methods.
To copy data from one cell
To copy data from a range of cells
REFERENCES"Microsoft Excel User's Guide 1," version 4.0, pages 360-361.
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