Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Clearing Large Clipboard Entries.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 25, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Have you ever noticed that after you've copied a large amount of data to the Clipboard, and then you close Excel, you see a dialog box stating that "A large amount of data is present in the Clipboard. Do you want to save it before quitting?" You may get tired of seeing this message. If so, then there are a couple of things you can do.
First, you can replace the "large amount" with a "small amount." (Excel never asks if you want to discard a small amount.) To do this, just select a single cell in your worksheet and copy it to the Clipboard. The contents of the single cell replace the large amount of data on the Clipboard, and you can exit Excel without seeing the message.
If you'd rather have a macro approach, you can do the exact same thing in a macro—just select cell A1 and have your macro copy it to the Clipboard:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here:
Sub GoAway1()
ActiveSheet.Range("A1").Copy
End Sub
Another approach is to use a single-line macro that basically "disables" the Clipboard by canceling any current copy operation:
Sub GoAway2()
Application.CutCopyMode = False
End Sub
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2379) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Clearing Large Clipboard Entries.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
One of the important configuration files for Excel is known as the XLB file. You should periodically make backups of this ...
Discover MoreExcel displays, by default, a row label or heading at the left side of each row on the screen. As you scroll down the ...
Discover MoreOne of the international features of Excel is the ability to switch the orientation of how information is presented. This ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments