Excel 2016 64-bit – Copy and Paste stopped working after October 2026 updates (KB5002934)

Carlos Vásquez 0 Reputation points
2026-10-15T22:30:47.6433333+00:00

Hello,

I am experiencing a copy-and-paste issue in Microsoft Excel 2016 on Windows 11.

System information:

  • Operating System: Windows 11

Office Edition: Microsoft Office Standard 2016

Architecture: 64-bit

Excel Version: 16.0.5569.1003

Reported update: KB5002934

Previous fix attempted: KB5002665

Problem:

The standard Copy and Paste commands (Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V) no longer work correctly in Excel. The issue occurs in all workbooks, including newly created blank workbooks.

Troubleshooting already performed:

Attempted to uninstall the affected Office update using the Office patch removal utility.

Verified that the KB5002934 uninstall entry was no longer present in the registry location checked.

Tested copying and pasting in a new blank workbook.

Tested Excel in Safe Mode. The issue persists.

Repaired Microsoft Office Standard 2016. The issue persists.

Attempted to install KB5002665, but the installer reported that the update was already installed.

Additional findings:

The Paste Special → Values command works, but standard Paste does not. The issue also occurs in workbooks without conditional formatting.

Could this be related to the October 2026 Office security update KB5002934? Is there a confirmed workaround or an updated fix for Office 2016 MSI 64-bit?

Thank you for your help.

Moved from: [Windows for home › Windows 11 › Performance and system failures]

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows
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  1. Vikki-T 12,080 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-16T09:51:41.6833333+00:00

    Hi Carlos Vásquez,

    Thank you for documenting the tests you have already completed. Since the same behavior occurs in a new workbook and in Safe Mode, while Paste Special > Values still works, repeating an Office repair or add-in troubleshooting is unlikely to provide additional information.

    Microsoft currently lists this silent paste issue as fixed for Excel 2016 in the latest revision of KB5002665. Please note that the message stating that KB5002665 is “already installed” does not necessarily confirm whether the latest refreshed package and file versions are present.

    Please download and try the current 64-bit package from September 16, 2026, update for Excel 2016 (KB5002665), restart Windows, and test standard Copy/Paste again.

    If the installer still reports that the update is already installed and the issue remains on build 16.0.5569.1003, this result does not match Microsoft’s current “fixed” status. In that case, please submit the behavior through Excel > Help > Feedback > Report a Problem, including the Excel build, installed KBs, and the fact that the problem returned after KB5002934. You may also contact Microsoft Support so that the installed Excel files and update state can be reviewed more closely.

    For now, Paste Special > Values or another suitable Paste Special option remains the safest workaround. I would not recommend removing a security update unless Microsoft Support or your IT administrator specifically advises it. Thank you so much for your understanding.     

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-15T22:31:55.0466667+00:00

    There is currently no Microsoft-documented replacement fix for an Excel 2016 MSI copy/paste regression associated with KB5002934; continue using Paste Special → Values as the immediate workaround and plan an upgrade from unsupported Office 2016.

    What is confirmed

    • KB5002914 introduced a documented Excel 2016 issue in which paste operations could fail silently, leaving the source selected and the destination unchanged. Microsoft fixed that issue with KB5002665.^1^
    • Microsoft later updated KB5002665 because its earlier version could still fail in workbooks containing conditional formatting. The latest KB5002665 package is documented as the complete fix for that September issue.^2^
    • KB5002934 is the October 13, 2026 security update for Excel 2016 MSI, supports both x86 and x64 packages, and replaces KB5002914.^3^
    • Microsoft’s current Office 2016 MSP list identifies KB5002934 as the latest excel-x-none security update and KB5002914 as the update it supersedes.^4^

    The KB5002934 support article does not currently document copy/paste as a known issue or identify a newer corrective update. A matching report that KB5002934 reintroduced the problem exists on Microsoft Q&A, but it has no accepted or moderator-recommended resolution.^5^

    Consequently, the timing and matching symptoms support a possible regression, but they do not establish it as a confirmed KB5002934 defect.

    Why KB5002665 reports “already installed”

    KB5002665 is specifically the corrective update for the earlier KB5002914 defect. Because it is already registered as installed—or because Excel files at the same or a newer servicing level are present—the standalone installer will not apply it again. Installing the same package therefore will not necessarily overwrite files subsequently serviced by KB5002934.

    The Excel version 16.0.5569.1003 alone cannot determine from the published KB information whether every file from the latest KB5002665 revision remains active; the official KB5002934 x64 file list is the authoritative file-level comparison, but no documented corrective file version for this October symptom has been published.

    Practical options now

    1. Use the functioning workaround
      • Excel Home → Paste ▼ → Paste Special.
      • Select Values. Depending on the operation, Microsoft also documents Formulas, Formulas & Number Formatting, Values & Number Formatting, or Link as workarounds for earlier KB5002665 paste failures.^2^
    2. Do not repeat Safe Mode, Office repair, or KB5002665 installation. Those paths have already been exhausted, and persistence in Safe Mode and blank workbooks makes another add-in or workbook-format investigation low value.
    3. Monitor the KB5002934 article and Office 2016 MSP list for a revised package or superseding Excel update. A genuine replacement should appear in those records rather than only in community reports.
    4. Move to a supported Office release as the durable resolution. Support for Office 2016—including Office Standard 2016—ended on October 14, 2025, so Microsoft may no longer provide bug fixes or technical support for newly discovered problems.^6^

    Avoid permanently rolling back a security update unless that decision is made by the organization’s security administrator: KB5002934 addresses remote-code-execution and information-disclosure vulnerabilities.^3^

    References

    1. Description of the security update for Excel 2016: September 08, 2026 ...
    2. September 16, 2026, update for Excel 2016 (KB5002665) | Microsoft Support
    3. Description of the security update for Excel 2016: October 13, 2026 (KB5002934) | Microsoft Support
    4. List of the most current .msp files for Office 2016 products
    5. Patch Regression: KB5002934 (October 2026) breaks copy/paste fix ...
    6. Office suites for enterprise, business, education, and government | Microsoft Support
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