Microsoft KB Archive/108279

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

XL: Format of Pasted Data Is Different If Source File Closed
Last reviewed: June 3, 1997

Article ID: Q108279

3.00 4.00 4.00a 5.00 7.00 97 | 5.00

WINDOWS                     | MACINTOSH kbusage

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
 * Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
 * Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
 * Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0

SUMMARY
In Microsoft Excel, if you copy a range containing formatting or formulas and paste that range into another workbook or another program, the way the pasted information is formatted will vary depending on whether or not the source workbook is closed after you copy it. The formatting that will be affected includes: borders, patterns, fonts, and hidden rows and columns.

This behavior is by design for compatibility with other programs.

MORE INFORMATION
When you copy range of cells from a Microsoft Excel worksheet, the information is copied to the clipboard in text format. Other formats such as picture, bitmap, and Microsoft Excel worksheet are available to other programs as long as the Microsoft Excel source file remains open; however, these formats are not stored on the clipboard. When the source file is closed, those formats are no longer available.

When you choose the Paste command in Microsoft Excel, if the moving border surrounds a range of cells, those cells will be pasted. If there is no moving border (as is the case when the source workbook has been closed), Microsoft Excel will import information from the clipboard.

Note that in Microsoft Excel versions 3.0 and 4.0, data from hidden rows and columns is copied to the clipboard.