Paste Special options?

**AKM1** · 01-31-2013, 04:36 PM

Why is it that sometimes, when I right click and choose Paste Special, I get different options than other times?

For example, sometimes it will look like this:

pastespecial1.PNG

And other times it will look like this:

pastespecial2.PNG

**FDibbins** · 01-31-2013, 04:47 PM

not every1 can open .png files, myself included. It would be far better if you could upload a sample of your file, showing what you have, and an example of your expected outcome. Thanks

**AKM1** · 01-31-2013, 05:13 PM

Basically, sometimes it will give me an option to post values, and other times it won't, so I'll have to choose paste as Text.

Does it have to do with pasting between different versions of Excel?

**FDibbins** · 02-01-2013, 01:17 AM

OK I have played around in 2000, and if you paste special either text or numbers, you get the "other" window. But if you copy/paste special formulas, then you get the all/formats/values etc

edit: ok, nope, I just tried again with text and got the all/formats/values etc

sorry, got me stumped

**MarvinP** · 02-01-2013, 01:46 AM

Hi AKM1,

I believe the contents of your windows clipboard determine what Paste Special Dialog you get. If you copy a Picture from Paint into the clipboard and then try to Paste Special into Excel you will get your first picture. If you copy cells out of Excel and try to Paste special into other cells you will get your second picture.

The short answer is - Paste Special knows what type of stuff in in the windows clipboard and will give you the appropriate dialog box to paste with.