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.
Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!
Excel displays, by default, a row label or heading at the left side of each row on the screen. As you scroll down the ...
Discover MoreThe two newest versions of Excel rely upon the Internet to grab help information. If you don't want Excel to seek help ...
Discover MoreScreenTips are one of those artifacts of Microsoft trying to make Excel be overly helpful. If the ScreenTips bother you, ...
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