Microsoft KB Archive/917637

= You cannot paste any attributes into a workbook in another instance of Excel =

Article ID: 917637

Article Last Modified on 4/25/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Office Excel 2003
 * Microsoft Excel 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 2000 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

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SYMPTOMS
Consider the following scenario. You run two instances of Microsoft Excel. You open a workbook in each instance of Excel. Then, you use the Paste Special menu command to paste attributes from a cell in one workbook to a cell in the other workbook. In this scenario, you cannot paste any attributes into the other workbook. The Paste Special dialog box from Excel does not appear. Instead, the Paste Special dialog box from Microsoft Windows appears. Therefore, you cannot select any one of the following options:
 * Formulas
 * Values
 * Formats
 * Comments

These options appear only in the Paste Special dialog box from Excel.



CAUSE
This behavior occurs because Excel cannot use its internal copying functionality when you run multiple instances of Microsoft Excel. Instead, Excel relies on the Paste Special dialog box from Windows for its copying functionality. When you run a single instance of Excel, Excel uses its internal copying functionality. Therefore, the Paste Special dialog box from Excel is available.



WORKAROUND
To work around this behavior, open both workbooks in the same instance of Excel.

Additional query words: excel2003 excel2k3 excel11 xl2003 xl2k3 xl11 xl97 xl2k xl2002 xl10 xl9

Keywords: kbtshoot kbprb kbclipboard kbexpertisebeginner KB917637

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