Microsoft’s Latest Patch Tuesday Update Leaves Excel Users in a Sticky Situation
A growing number of users have reported that the KB5002914 security update, released last week as part of Microsoft’s September 2026 Patch Tuesday, is causing copy and paste functionality to break in Excel. The issue affects various versions of Excel, including 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, leaving users unable to transfer data between applications.
The problem arises from a code regression contained within the recent service update. In other words, Microsoft’s developers introduced a bug that caused the copy-and-paste feature to malfunction, but didn’t catch it during testing. When attempting to paste content, users may experience no indication of failure, such as error messages or beeps. The issue remains silent, making it challenging for affected users to identify the problem.
Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and is currently researching a fix. In a separate service alert, the company stated that its development and validation process for resolving this bug is ongoing. However, in the meantime, some Excel users have reported success in restoring copy-and-paste functionality by uninstalling the KB5002914 update. To do so, affected users can run specific commands in a Command Prompt window with administrative privileges.
For those who are struggling with this issue, it’s essential to be aware that uninstalling the KB5002914 update will remove other security patches, including fixes for remote code execution and information disclosure vulnerabilities. As such, this workaround should only be considered as a temporary solution until Microsoft releases an official patch.
Microsoft has been releasing numerous updates in recent weeks, addressing various issues affecting Office apps and Windows systems. Just last week, the company fixed a problem that prevented third-party applications from launching Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and other Office apps on up-to-date Windows systems. Additionally, Microsoft released emergency out-of-band updates to resolve Remote Desktop Services failures caused by the September 2026 security updates.
To avoid encountering similar issues in the future, it’s crucial for users to stay informed about updates and patches affecting their applications and operating systems. Regularly monitoring official support documents and release notes can help identify potential problems before they become major headaches.
As a practical takeaway, we recommend that Excel users who rely on copy-and-paste functionality take extra precautions when installing updates. Before applying any new security patch, make sure to review the release notes and documentation to understand what changes are being made and whether any known issues have been addressed. This can help mitigate the risk of encountering unexpected problems like the one described above.
Source: Bleeping Computer — 2026-09-15