Access Error: Data on the Clipboard is damaged, so Microsoft Access can't paste it

Original KB number:   2221635

Symptoms

When performing a copy/paste operation from Microsoft Excel into Microsoft Access, you receive the following error message:

The data on the Clipboard is damaged, so Microsoft Access can't paste it. There may be an error in the Clipboard, or there may not be enough free memory. Try the operation again.

Cause

There are multiple scenarios which may lead to this error. Microsoft is aware of this problem in recent versions of Microsoft Access.

Scenario 1

This issue occurs when the following two conditions are true:

• One of the values in the first row of data contains a decimal point
• You copy more than one row of data

Scenario 2

The Excel sheet name contains a single quote character, or an apostrophe character.

Workaround

Use one of the following workarounds:

Method 1

In Microsoft Access, select the dropdown arrow on the Paste icon, and then select Paste Special. Then, select either Text or CSV.

Method 2

Ensure there are no decimal points in the first row of the Excel data that you copy.

Method 3

Copy and paste a single row at a time.

More information

The problem does not occur in Microsoft Access 2003.

Steps to Reproduce

1. In Access, create a new blank database.

2. Create a new table in table Design View.

3. Add the following field:

   Name: Field1

   Data Type: Number

   Field Size: Double

4. Save the table as Table1.

5. Open Table1 in Datasheet View.

6. In Microsoft Excel, create a new spreadsheet.

7. Add these values to the following cells:

   A1: 83.9

   A2: 3020

8. In Excel, select A1 and A2, and then click the Copy icon.

9. In Access, select Field1, and then click the Paste icon.

Result

You receive the one of these versions of the error:

• The data on the Clipboard is damaged, so Microsoft Office Access can't paste it. There may be an error in the Clipboard, or there may not be enough free memory. Try the operation again.
• The data on the Clipboard is damaged, so Microsoft Access can't paste it. There may be an error in the Clipboard, or there may not be enough free memory. Try the operation again.