Microsoft KB Archive/280590

Knowledge Base

You are unable to drag information between workbooks in Excel

Article ID: 280590

Article Last Modified on 1/29/2007

---

APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Office Excel 2007
• Microsoft Office Excel 2003
• Microsoft Excel 2002 Standard Edition

---

This article was previously published under Q280590

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to drag a selection in a workbook to a different workbook that is minimized on the taskbar, the minimized workbook briefly flashes but does not open, and you are unable to drop the selection onto it.

When you release the mouse button over the minimized workbook, you receive the following message, which is incorrect:

You cannot drag an item onto a button on the taskbar.

However, if you do this without releasing the mouse button, the window will open and you can then drag the item into the window.

You expect the workbook window to open when you drag a selection over it.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when both of the following conditions are true:

• You drag information from one workbook to a different workbook that is minimized on the Windows taskbar.
  

-and-

• Both workbooks are open in the same instance of Excel.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

Copy and Paste the Information

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Copy the information from the first workbook.
2. Switch to the second workbook.
3. Paste the information into the second workbook.

Drag Between Open Windows in Excel

To do this, follow these steps:

1. In Excel 2003 and earlier versions, click Arrange on the Window menu. Select a window arrangement, and then click OK.
   

In Excel 2007, click the View tab, click Arrange All in the Window group.

1. Select an arrangement, and then click OK.
2. Drag the information between the open windows.

Open Each Workbook in a Separate Instance of Excel

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Close one of the workbooks.
2. Minimize Excel.
3. Start another instance of Excel (click Start, point to Programs, and then click Microsoft Excel).
4. In the new instance of Excel, open the workbook that you closed in step 1.

You can now drag information to the other workbook that is minimized on the taskbar.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

293188 WD2002: Unable to Drag and Drop Between Multiple Documents

Additional query words: paste cut drop XL2002 WD2002 XL2007 XL2003

Keywords: kbbug kbpending KB280590

---

Send feedback to Microsoft

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.