Excel Performance Problems

Fix Bloomberg RTD Excel Copy and Paste Delays in Outlook

Guest Writer Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users experience a severe delay, taking up to 20 seconds, when attempting to copy real-time data from an Excel spreadsheet with an active Bloomberg RTD feed and paste it into Microsoft Outlook.

Fix Bloomberg RTD Excel Copy and Paste Delays in Outlook

Product: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Bloomberg RTD
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Copying and pasting real-time financial data from Excel into Outlook emails.
Observed behavior: The copy-and-paste process takes approximately 20 seconds instead of the standard 1-second timeframe while the Bloomberg RTD feed is active.

Before you start

Ensure that your Microsoft Office suite and Bloomberg Terminal application are updated to their latest builds, as performance bugs involving RTD integration are frequently resolved in new releases.

Solution 1Recommended

Increase the Bloomberg RTD Update Interval

Adjusting the throttle interval reduces the frequency of data updates, freeing up system resources for clipboard operations.

By default, real-time data feeds refresh at a very high frequency. If the update interval is too aggressive, the constant data flow can overwhelm the Windows clipboard, resulting in noticeable delays when transferring data between Excel and Outlook.

Open Excel Options

Launch Microsoft Excel, click on the 'File' tab in the top ribbon, and select 'Options' from the bottom left corner.

Modify RTD Settings

Navigate to your specific Bloomberg add-in configuration or RTD throttle properties. This can typically be found under the Bloomberg ribbon tab or within the Excel Add-ins menu.

Increase Interval

Change the RTD update interval to a higher value (for example, change it from 1000 milliseconds to 5000 milliseconds) to purposefully reduce the data refresh rate.

Restart and Test

Restart both Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Outlook, activate the RTD feed, and attempt to copy and paste your data to check if the 20-second delay is resolved.

Increase the Bloomberg RTD Update Interval

Solution 2

Temporarily Disable the Bloomberg RTD Feed

If you need to quickly copy and paste large blocks of data without delay, pausing the real-time feed serves as an effective temporary workaround.

Solution 3

Collect Performance Details and Contact Support

If adjusting the interval does not resolve the delay, the issue may require a software patch or advanced troubleshooting from Microsoft or Bloomberg support.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Experience Faster Spreadsheet Performance with WPS Office

Heavy COM add-ins and RTD feeds can sometimes bog down traditional spreadsheet software. While WPS Office does not run Bloomberg's proprietary Microsoft add-in, it serves as a lightweight, fast, and free alternative for standard data processing, ensuring your copy-and-paste operations are always instantaneous.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package.
2. Install the Software: Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to set up WPS Office on your computer.
3. Open Your Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open your existing Excel files to enjoy faster performance and instantaneous copying and pasting.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xls, .csv).Lightweight architecture ensures fast performance without copy-and-paste delays.Familiar user interface makes transitioning away from sluggish software seamless.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Bloomberg RTD feed slow down Excel copy and paste?

RTD (Real-Time Data) continuously pushes data updates to Excel. If the update interval is extremely aggressive, it consumes significant system and clipboard resources, causing cross-application operations like pasting data into Outlook to severely lag.

How do I find my current Microsoft Excel and Outlook build versions?

Open either Microsoft Excel or Outlook, click on 'File', select 'Account' (or 'Office Account'), and look under the 'Product Information' section. Click 'About Excel' or 'About Outlook' to find the exact version and build number you need for support tickets.

Does completely disabling the RTD feed permanently solve the issue?

Disabling the feed eliminates the copy-paste delay, but it entirely stops your real-time data stream. It is considered a temporary workaround until you can adjust the update interval or receive a software patch from Microsoft or Bloomberg.

Excel & Data Problems