Excel 2016 Copy/Paste Issue After KB5002934 Update – Recurrence of Previously Fixed Issue

Question

Excel 2016 Copy/Paste Issue After KB5002934 Update – Recurrence of Previously Fixed Issue

Yiğit Selçuk 0

Hello Microsoft Support Team,

Following the installation of the KB5002934 security update released on October 13, 2026, we have encountered copy-and-paste issues in Microsoft Excel 2016 (64-bit) across multiple computers in our organization.

Issue Description:

Copying cells using Ctrl+C works, but pasting with Ctrl+V fails.

No error message is displayed.

Cut and Paste (Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V) and Paste Special continue to work.

The issue mainly affects existing Excel workbooks, while newly created workbooks function normally.

The problem persists even when Excel is started in Safe Mode.

Disabling add-ins and using the Open and Repair feature did not resolve the issue.

Technical Details:

Product: Microsoft Excel 2016 (64-bit, MSI)

Problematic Update: KB5002934

Affected EXCEL.EXE Version: 16.0.5574.1004

Previously Applied Fix: KB5002665

Environment: Active Directory domain with multiple affected endpoints

Background:

We previously experienced a similar issue following the KB5002914 update. The problem was resolved after applying Microsoft's KB5002665 update.

However, following the installation of KB5002934, the same symptoms have reappeared, suggesting a possible regression.

We would appreciate clarification on the following:

Is Microsoft aware of any copy-and-paste issues introduced by KB5002934?

Is a new hotfix or corrective update planned?

Is there a permanent workaround that does not require uninstalling the security update?

Could KB5002934 be reintroducing the issue previously addressed by KB5002665?

As this issue affects multiple users in our production environment, it is causing operational disruptions.

We would appreciate your technical assistance and guidance on a permanent resolution.

Best regards,

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Dear @Yiğit Selçuk ,

Good day! Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum!

First of all, I would like to clarify one point: this forum is intended for users to assist one another. No one, including myself, has the authority or the tools to help you with this issue on your behalf.

The article "September 16, 2026, update for Excel 2016 (KB5002665)" describes update 5002665 for Microsoft Excel 2016 that was released on September 16, 2026. It has one point

Known issues in this update

In a previous version of this update, paste operations might continue to fail if the workbook contains conditional formatting. Download and install the latest version of the update for the complete fix.

Workaround for the previous version

If the paste operation fails in a previous version of the update, try one of the following Paste Special options:

1/ On the Home tab, select the Paste dropdown list, and then select Paste Special.

2/ In the Paste Special window, select one of the following options:

Formulas

Formulas & Number Formatting

Values

Values & Number Formatting

Link

Currently, I haven't seen any record of the bug or hotfix for the issue. Additionally, you can report the problem about Windows in the Feedback Hub following the steps in this article: Send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app

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As a forum moderator, I do not have the necessary tools or permissions to resolve it. However, I will keep an eye on this matter and let you know if there are any updates. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Answer 2

Microsoft has documented a silent paste failure issue in Excel 2016 where copy appears to succeed, but paste does nothing and no error is shown. That issue is listed as fixed, and for Excel 2016 the documented fix is the latest version of KB 5002665.

Based on the available information, there is no documented Microsoft acknowledgment in the provided sources that KB5002934 reintroduced this copy/paste bug, and there is no documented new hotfix plan for KB5002934 specifically.

Supported guidance:

Use the documented workaround when paste fails
- In Excel, go to Home > Paste dropdown > Paste Special.
- Then choose one of the supported options such as Formula, Formula and number formats, Values, Values and number formats, or Paste Link.
- This is the official workaround for the silent paste failure issue.
Verify that the corrective fix for the earlier known issue is installed
- Microsoft states the Excel 2016 silent paste issue was fixed in the latest version of KB 5002665.
- If the environment already has KB5002665 and the issue returned after KB5002934, the provided sources do not confirm a regression, but they also do not provide a newer Excel 2016 hotfix for this scenario.
Check update applicability
- KB5002934 applies to the MSI-based edition of Office 2016 and not Click-to-Run editions.
- Since the environment is Excel 2016 64-bit MSI, that matches the documented applicability.
If formulas are involved, use Paste Values where appropriate
- For workbook scenarios where formula references can break, Excel recommends Paste Values instead of pasting the underlying formula.
- In Windows Excel: Home > Paste > Paste Values, or Alt > E > S > V > Enter.

For the specific questions:

Is Microsoft aware of copy-and-paste issues introduced by KB5002934?
No such acknowledgment is documented in the provided sources.
Is a new hotfix or corrective update planned?
No such plan is documented in the provided sources.
Is there a permanent workaround that does not require uninstalling the security update?
The documented workaround is Paste Special. No permanent KB5002934-specific workaround is documented in the provided sources.
Could KB5002934 be reintroducing the issue previously addressed by KB5002665?
The provided sources do not confirm that.

References: