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 repeatedly) 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.