Microsoft Releases Limited Excel Hotfix for Paste Bug Tied to September Security Update

The bug affected Microsoft Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, as well as Excel Online in Office Online Server. Microsoft said in a status update that paste operations might fail silently: users could try to paste content, but the source would remain selected and the destination would be unmodified. There was no error message or sound to alert users that the paste had failed, the update said.

TechRadar reported that the issue appeared just days after the security update was introduced. Microsoft chose to issue a hot fix instead of forcing users to wait until the next update cycle. Even so, the hot fix is not comprehensive. Microsoft confirmed that Office LTSC 2021 and 2024 are officially fixed, but only a mitigation is available for Office LTSC 2019 and Office 2016, so users of those versions may still experience some problems.

The limited scope of the hot fix means many users may never have been aware of the issue. TechRadar noted that Excel 2016 is unlikely to have the same global reach and usage as Microsoft 365 versions of the app. Other non-Microsoft 365 versions were also impacted, however, according to Microsoft's status update.

While a full fix is in the works, Microsoft provided a simple workaround. Users can select Paste Special from the Home tab instead of using the standard paste command. Conditional formatting appears to be causing problems at this stage, TechRadar reported.

The affected security update was released on September 8, 2026. TechRadar reported that the hotfix came days later. Microsoft has not said when a complete fix will be available for the remaining affected versions. For users on Office LTSC 2019 and Office 2016, the Paste Special option from the Home tab is the workaround the company has offered while it continues to develop a full repair.