Virtualbox Windows clipboard integration causes problems copying in Excel

[hakster]

Host: Windows 10 1607 14393.447 (+ all available updates up to mid-November 2016) with Office 2016 (+ all available updates up to mid-November 2016; Excel version 16.0.7466.2038) VirtualBox: 5.1.8 r111374 Guest VM: Linux Mint

When, and only when, a guest VM is running (but even if the clipboard integration is disabled for that VM) then copying data in Excel 2016 on the host frequently gives the error "There's a problem with the clipboard, but you can still paste your content within this workbook."

How to reproduce: run Excel 2016 on the host, and start the guest VM. In Excel 2016 on the host, select a cell with some data, and repeatedly press CTRL+C - roughly 1 in 4 attempts will cause the above error - highly reproducible. With the VM shut down, CTRL+C on Excel on the host will never give this error.

Note that Excel has long been affected by applications that access/lock the clipboard. It seems that MS have recently tried to mitigate, and changed the message in Excel. I suspect it is possible older Excel versions may also be affected, but if so, the error will be slightly different: ​https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_excel-mso_win10/clipboard-problem-in-excel-2016/224b2a59-8a0c-4897-baba-a481dd06e085?page=5

[hakster]

Update - seems that to cause this issue, the guest VM that is launched needs to have the Guest Additions installed - which makes sense, since that provides the clipboard integration.

[molsonrocks]

Having the exact same issue. Will lock/corrupt the clipboard in Windows regardless if Shared Clipboard is enabled for the Linux VM. No issues with Excel clipboard if VirtualBox is not running.

[f_ckoff-sso]

I have this exact same problem. :-(

[Elvibo]

Same here. Host is Windows 10, guest is Windows 7. Is there anything we can do to resolve this?

[5460]

Having the same problem. With the latest version
VirtualBox 5.1.26 r117224
Host: Windows 10 1703 15063.483 (x64)
Guest: Windows XP, Windows 10 (Guest Additions installed)
Microsoft Excel 2016 MSO (16.0.4549.1000)

When a guest with Guest Additions is running, pressing Ctrl+C in Excel may result in a popup "Cannot open the Clipboard." even if Clipboard sharing is set to disabled.
On my computer, 32-bit Excel is more serious than 64-bit Excel. I can reproduce this problem both on my office computer and home computer.

Simple ways of triggering the problem:

Start a Windows guest with Guest Additions installed, start Excel, click on any cell, hold (not necessary, just to expose the problem as soon as possible, you can press repeatly if you have patience) Ctrl+C. Usually, the popup would come within 10 seconds, if not, hold for 20 more seconds to see.

[fyah-t]

Hello,

Exact same problem running 5.2.18

any idea how to move forward ?

[Mihai Hanor]

Please start the VM (not resume it), reproduce the problem, shutdown the VM and attach the VM log to this ticket.

[fyah-t]

Hi,

problems appears as soon as VM is booted.

log attached

[Daniel]

I have confirmed this issue also exists VBox 5.2.18 with Win10 Host and the following guests: Win7, Win Xp, Debian testing - all VM's and host are 64bit.