Microsoft Fixes Copy-and-Paste Failures in Excel 2016 Users

Microsoft has addressed a critical issue that caused Excel users to experience copy-and-paste failures after installing the September 2026 KB5002914 security update. The problem, which was reported on Microsoft's Q&A forums and Reddit, affected users of Excel Online and various Office versions.

The company attributed the bug to a code regression and released an interim fix, KB5002655, specifically for Excel 2016 users. However, this solution does not address the issue in other affected Office versions, including Excel Online, 2024, 2021, and 2019.

Users who are experiencing copy-and-paste failures can try using the 'Paste Special' option by selecting it from the drop-down menu after opening the 'Home' tab. They can also choose to uninstall the KB5002914 security update, which will restore their Excel functionality but remove other important security patches.