Cannot Paste Data in MS Excel if Object from MS Project

ID: Q149572

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Copy command to copy a project in Microsoft Project 4.0, if you then switch to Microsoft Excel 5.0a and attempt to use the Paste command to paste the project into Microsoft Excel, you may receive the following error message: 

   Cannot paste data.
If you try to use the Paste Special command in Microsoft Excel, the Project 4.0 Project Object is not available as an option. However, if you start Word version 6.0, and you use the Paste or the Paste Special With Links command, the Project 4.0 object is available. In all of these circumstances, when you view the Clipboard, the information appears as text that is available to paste.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you open both programs, and you then close and reopen Microsoft Excel. Before you close Microsoft Excel and then reopen it, the Paste command works correctly and the Project Object is available to select in Paste Special, thus allowing a paste link to the object.

WORKAROUND

To work around the problem once it has occurred, close Microsoft Project and then reopen it. After you do so, you can again use the Copy command in Microsoft Project and the Paste or Paste Special command in Microsoft Excel.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem occurs with both the Macintosh and Power Macintosh versions of Microsoft Excel version 5.0.

Additional query words: 5.00 prj4 

Keywords          : kbinterop
Version           : MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a
Platform          : MACINTOSH
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: February 4, 1998