[Fixed!] CTRL C Not Working in Excel

CTRL + C  or CTRL C, a widely used keyboard shortcut, is utilized for copying text or anything to the clipboard. Later, you can paste the copied things to your desired space. Unfortunately, due to some reasons in some cases, this handy shortcut might not work in Excel. Did you ever face such a tiresome situation? In this article, we have given 6 workable solutions for CTRL C not working In Excel.


If CTRL C Not Working in Excel: 4 Major Reasons

Notable reasons for CTRL C not working in Excel include:

  • Hardware problem that creates the issue.
  • The keyboard can malfunction so that CTRL C does not work in Excel.
  • The Excel you are using may be affected by the virus, so CTRL C is not working in Excel.
  • The Excel file can be corrupted.

CTRL C Not Working in Excel: 8 Possible Solutions

In this section, you’ll explore eight effective workarounds you have trouble using the CTRL C keyboard shortcut is not working in Excel.

1. Enable Excel Clipboard Shortcut

Excel clipboard shortcut is an amazing process of copying a cell or entire cell. When CTRL C is not working in Excel, you can use the Excel clipboard shortcut. Follow the steps below.

📌 Steps:

  • Go to the Home tab >> click on the corner icon of Clipboard >> click on the Options >> select Show Office Clipboard When Ctrl + C Pressed Twice.

Enable Clipboard Shortcut

  • Secondly, select the cell that you want to copy. For example, here we select cell B5. It will appear on the clipboard as shown in the screenshot.

Enable Excel Clipboard Shortcut

  • Finally, we select the word of the Clipboard and paste it wherever we want to paste it. Here, we paste it into a cell.

Read More: How to Copy Number Not Formula in Excel


2. Utilizing Context Menu

You can use the computer’s built-in context menu instead of using the CTRL C.

📌 Steps:

  • Firstly, select the cell that you want to copy.
  • Then, right-click on it. A context menu will pop out.
  • Select Copy. So you can copy the text without CTRL C.

Utilizing Context Menu

Read More: [Solved] Excel Copy Paste Loses Formatting


3. Enable CTRL C in Command Prompt and PowerShell

If CTRL C is not working in Excel, you can enable windows command prompt or PowerShell.

📌 Steps:

  • Firstly, open the Run function by pressing Windows + R. A dialog box will pop up. Write down cmd and click OK.

Enable CTRL C in Command Prompt and PowerShell

  • After that select Properties from the Context Menu.

Enable CTRL C in Command Prompt and PowerShell

  • Check the box “Enable Ctrl key shortcuts” from the Options.
  • Press OK.

Enable CTRL C in Command Prompt and PowerShell

  • Close it and reopen the command so that the changes may take effect.

4. Reboot the PC in Clean Boot State

However, rebooting the PC in a clean boot state will show you if the Excel sheet is corrupted or not. So, follow the steps below to do it.

📌 Steps:

  • Firstly, select the Windows icon and search for You can also do that by pressing Windows + R.
  • Then, type msconfig in the Open box and press OK.

Reboot the PC in Clean Boot State

  • As a result, a dialog box will pop up. There, under the General tab, uncheck Load startup items in the Selective startup.

Reboot the PC in Clean Boot State

  • After that, jump to Services. Here, check to Hide all Microsoft services, and select Disable all. It is shown in the screenshot for your better understanding.

Reboot the PC in Clean Boot State

  • In the Startup tab, select Open Task Manager.

  • Then disable each and every startup process.

  • Finally, go back to the System Configuration window >> press OK to save the changes. It’ll reboot in clean mode after you restart your PC.

5. Enable and Disable the Excel Add-In

Add-Ins can make the Excel Sheet freeze so that CTRL C does not work in Excel. Therefore, we need to follow the steps to disable and again enable the Excel Add-In.

📌 Steps:

  • At first, Open the Excel file.
  • Select File >> click Options.
  • Apparently, a dialog box will pop out, In the Add-ins tab, select option Go and it is beside the manage box.

Enable and Disable the Excel Add-In

  • Uncheck all the boxes to disable the Add-In.

  • After that, enable them again then the issue of CTRL C not working in Excel issues will be fixed.

6. Update the Keyboard Driver

A corrupted driver may cause an issue with CTRL C not working in Excel. You can update the driver or reinstall it to resolve the issue.

📌 Steps:

  • First, go to Device Manager. Next, select Keyboards >> click Update Driver.

Update the Keyboard Driver

  • Lastly, if there is no update available, then reinstall the keyboard driver and use it. It will fix the CTRL C not working problem.

7. Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter

The PC troubleshooters often solve software-related problems. You need to follow the steps to run the keyboard troubleshooter.

📌 Steps:

  • Go to Settings >> Update & Security >> Troubleshoot >> Additional troubleshooters.

Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter

  • Subsequently, select the Keyboard and Run the troubleshooter.

Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter

  • Finally, the problem of CTRL C not working in Excel will be solved.

8. Launch Excel in Safe Mode

Sometimes damaged or corrupted Excel functions restrain you from copying the data. You can use Excel in safe mode to solve this.

📌 Steps:

  • Press and hold the CTRL key and open the Excel file.
  • A box will appear, Select Yes.

Launch Excel in Safe Mode


Download Practice Workbook

Download the following practice workbook. It will help you to realize the topic more clearly.


Conclusion

So, these are some solutions to fix CTRL C not working in Excel. Please let us know in the comment section if you have any questions or suggestions. For your better understanding please download the practice sheet.


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Fahim Shahriyar Dipto
Fahim Shahriyar Dipto

Fahim Shahriyar Dipto is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering at BUET. With over 1.5 years of experience at Exceldemy, he authored 70+ articles on ExcelDemy. He has expertise in designing worksheets at You’ve Got This Math. Currently, He is a Team Leader at Brainor. Dipto's passion extends to exploring various aspects of Excel. Beyond tech, he enjoys creating engaging kids' worksheets using Illustrator. A dedicated employee and innovative content developer, He incorporates a commitment to academic excellence and... Read Full Bio

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