How to Fix the “Microsoft Excel Cannot Paste the Data” Error

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Easy Solutions to Solve Microsoft Excel
Cannot Paste The Data Error

Don’t worry if you’re seeing the “Microsoft Excel cannot paste the data” error; there are a few simple and quick fixes for it.  

Solution 1. Remove the Worksheet’s Protection

Worksheet protection may prevent you from pasting data. To remove protection:

• Go to the “Review” tab on the ribbon.
• Click on “Unprotect Sheet”.

• If the sheet is password-protected, provide the password when prompted.

Solution 2. Use the Paste Special Option

Specific elements like values or formulas can be pasted using this method without formatting issues.

• Copy the data you want to paste.
• Go to the destination cells where you want to paste the data.
• Right-click on the destination cells and choose “Paste Special” from the context menu.
• In the “Paste Special” dialog box, select the appropriate option, such as “Values”, “Formulas”, or “Formats”, depending on what you want to paste.

Solution 3. Look for Any Merged Cells

Excel has trouble aligning data with merged cells, which is why merged cells are frequently a hidden reason for paste errors. This issue can be fixed by unmerging those cells:

• Select all of the data you need to copy by opening the original Excel workbook.
• In the Excel toolbar, select the “Home” tab.
• Locate and click on “Merge & Center” and select the “Unmerge Cells” option, to undo any cell merging.

Advanced Solutions to Solve Microsoft Excel
Cannot Paste The Data Error

If the basic fixes for the “Microsoft Excel cannot paste the data” error don’t work, it’s time to explore more advanced solutions.

Solution 4. Open Excel in Safe Mode

Paste issues in Excel can occasionally be caused by add-ins or external programs that are integrated with the application. Safe Mode disables add-ins to help identify if they are causing the issue.

• Close “Excel” completely.
• Press and hold the ‘Ctrl’ key and open the Excel Sheet.

• Try pasting data into a new sheet to test if you see the same error or not.

Solution 5. Disable Cross-Device Copy and Paste in Phone Link

Excel may have issues when using cross-device copy-and-paste functions, particularly those associated with the Phone Link app. The interference can be removed by disabling this feature

• Press the ‘Win’ key, type “Phone Link” and open it.

• Click on the “Settings” icon (Gear icon) of the Phone Link app window.
• In the Settings menu, select “Features” from the list of options.
• Scroll down to find the “Cross-device copy and paste” feature.
• Toggle the switch to turn off the “Cross-device copy and paste” feature.

• Restart “Microsoft Excel” to ensure the changes take effect and see if the paste issue is resolved. This will prevent background sync from interfering with Excel’s clipboard.

Solution 6. Use VBA Macro Editor

Using Macro Editing mode, you can create custom scripts that might resolve hidden issues causing paste errors.

• Open “Microsoft Excel” and the workbook where you’re encountering the paste issue.
• Press ‘Alt + F11’ to open the “Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)” editor. This is where you can create and edit macros.
• From the left pane, select “ThisWorkbook” under “Microsoft Excel Objects”.

• Locate the following line: DisplayDrawingObjects = if “3 – xlHide”
• Once you’ve located it, update it to the following: “xlDisplayShapes –4104”
• If it’s already set to “xlDisplayShapes –4104” close VBA and try the next solution.

Please note that this solution requires some knowledge of macro scripting. If you’re not comfortable with VBA, consider seeking professional assistance to avoid unintended changes to your workbook.

Solution 7. Restart the Computer in Clean Boot Mode

If the problem persists, try restarting your computer in Clean Boot Mode to identify potential conflicts. Clean Boot State can help identify if Excel sheets are corrupted.

• Open the “Run” box and enter “msconfig”.
• Under the “General” tab, select “Selective Startup” and uncheck the box next to “Load Startup Items”.

• In the “Services” tab, check “Hide all Microsoft services” and then click “Disable All” to turn off all unnecessary startup services.

• Now, select the “Startup” tab and select “Open Task Manager”.

• Disable all startup processes in the “Task Manager” window.

• Return to the “System Configuration” window and click “OK”.

Your computer will start in clean mode when you restart it, and you’ll be able to check whether the Excel sheet is corrupted or not.

Last note: if you experience Excel runtime error 1004 — see our fix guide here.