4 Major Reasons Why CTRL C Might Not Be Working in Excel
- Hardware problem can create the issue.
- The keyboard can malfunction so that CTRL C does not work in Excel.
- The Excel you are using may be affected by a virus, so CTRL C is not working in Excel.
- The Excel file may be corrupted.
Solution 1 – Enable Excel Clipboard Shortcut
Steps
- Go to the Home tab, click on the corner icon of Clipboard, click on Options and choose Show Office Clipboard When Ctrl + C Pressed Twice.
- Select the cell that you want to copy, and it will appear on the clipboard (e.g., B5).
- Paste it wherever needed.
Read More: How to Copy Number Not Formula in Excel
Solution 2 – Utilizing Context Menu
Steps
- Select the cell that you want to copy.
- Right-click on it. A Context Menu will pop out.
- Select Copy.
This gives you an alternative method to copy when Ctrl-C is not working.
Read More: [Solved] Excel Copy Paste Loses Formatting
Solution 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
- Open the Run function by pressing Windows + R.
- A dialog box will pop up.
- Enter cmd and click OK.
- Select Properties from the Context Menu.
- Check Enable Ctrl key shortcuts from the Options.
- Press OK.
- Close it and reopen the command prompt in order for the changes to take effect.
Solution 4 – Reboot the PC in Clean Boot State
Steps
- Open Run (Windows + R) or press Windows + R.
- Enter msconfig in the Open box and press OK.
- Under the General tab, uncheck Load startup items in the Selective startup.
- Move to Services, select Hide all Microsoft services, and Disable all.
- In the Startup tab, select Open Task Manager.
- Then disable each and every startup process.
- Save changes and reboot in Clean Mode.
Solution 5 – Enable and Disable the Excel Add-In
Steps
- Open the Excel file.
- Select the File tab and click on Options.
- In the Add-ins tab, click Go next to Manage.
- Uncheck all the boxes to disable the Add-Ins.
- Enable them again and CTRL C should be working.
Solution 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
- Go to Device Manager, select Keyboards and click on Update Driver.
- If no update is available, then reinstall the keyboard driver.
Solution 7 – Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter
Steps
- Go to Settings, select Update & Security, choose Troubleshoot and click on Additional troubleshooters.
- Select the Keyboard and Run the troubleshooter.
Solution 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.
- Open the Excel file.
- A dialog box will appear, select Yes.
Launching Excel in safe mode should help address any issues related to copying data.
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