Excel Performance Problems

How to Fix Excel 365 Freezing During Copy and Paste

Adam Davis Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where Excel becomes unresponsive and requires a forced restart when attempting to copy and paste data.

How to Fix Excel 365 Freezing During Copy and Paste

Product: Microsoft Excel 365
Device & OS: Windows 11
Scenario: Copying and pasting data or cells within a workbook or across different workbooks.
Observed behavior: Excel 365 frequently freezes and stops responding during copy-and-paste operations, requiring the user to restart the application to resume work.

Before you start

Verify your current Office version by navigating to File > Account in Excel, and save any open workbooks to prevent data loss before troubleshooting.

Solution 1Recommended

Run Excel in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins

Starting Excel in Safe Mode allows you to identify if a third-party COM add-in is causing the application to freeze during copy-and-paste operations.

Add-ins can sometimes conflict with Excel's core processes, especially after a recent system update. Safe Mode launches Excel without these extensions, helping you isolate the root cause.

Launch Excel in Safe Mode

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type 'excel /safe' and press Enter to open Excel in Safe Mode.

Test Copy and Paste

Open a workbook and attempt to copy and paste data. If the freezing issue does not occur, an add-in is likely the culprit.

Disable COM Add-ins

Click on File > Options > Add-ins. In the Manage drop-down at the bottom, select 'COM Add-ins' and click 'Go'. Uncheck all the boxes to disable the add-ins and click OK. Restart Excel normally to see if the issue is resolved.

Run Excel in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins

Isolating the problematic add-in: If disabling all add-ins fixes the issue, you can re-enable them one by one to pinpoint exactly which extension is causing Excel to freeze.

Solution 2

Roll Back Office 365 to a Previous Stable Version

If the freezing started immediately after a recent Microsoft Office update, reverting to a known working build can temporarily bypass the bug.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Experience Smooth Copying and Pasting with WPS Office

Tired of Excel 365 freezing and lagging on Windows 11? Switch to WPS Office for a lightweight, highly compatible spreadsheet experience that handles complex data, large files, and daily operations flawlessly without performance hiccups.

1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the free WPS Office installer and follow the on-screen prompts to install it on your Windows 11 PC.
2. Open Your Existing Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheet. Click 'Open' to browse and select your existing .xlsx or .xls files.
3. Work Without Interruptions: Experience seamless copy-and-paste operations, complex formula calculations, and data formatting without worrying about application freezes.

Free and lightweight alternative to Microsoft OfficeFully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xls, .csv)Smooth copy-and-paste performance without freezing or laggingFamiliar user interface for seamless migration and zero learning curve

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel 365 freeze only when I copy and paste?

Freezing during copy and paste in Excel is often caused by conflicting third-party COM add-ins, overly complex workbooks with excessive external links, clipboard managers interfering with Office, or newly introduced bugs in a recent Windows or Office update.

How do I check my current Excel 365 version?

To check your version, open Excel, click on 'File' in the top-left corner, and select 'Account' from the bottom-left menu. Look under the 'About Excel' section on the right side of the screen to find your Version and Build number.

Is it safe to roll back my Office 365 version?

Yes, rolling back is an officially supported troubleshooting method for bypassing temporary bugs. However, you should only do this as a temporary fix and remember to turn automatic updates back on once Microsoft releases a patch to resolve the freezing issue.

Excel & Data Problems