Copying and pasting content in PowerPoint is a common task that can sometimes lead to frustrating errors. You may encounter messages like “No clipboard access” or “Something went wrong that might make PowerPoint unstable.” Don’t worry – in most cases these issues can be easily resolved with a few troubleshooting steps.

Understand What’s Causing the Problem

There are a few potential culprits behind copy/paste failures in PowerPoint:

Browser settings – Many browsers block websites from accessing clipboard data for security reasons. This can prevent copy/paste in web-based Office apps like PowerPoint for the web.

Too many open apps – Lots of background processes running can create conflicts and stop copy/paste from working properly.
Corrupted temporary files – PowerPoint uses temp files to store clipboard data. If these files become corrupted, it can break copy/paste.
Add-ins – Outdated or problematic add-ins can sometimes interfere with PowerPoint’s copy/paste functions.

Viruses/malware – Malicious software could be the cause behind clipboard and PowerPoint stability issues.

Try Browser Settings First

If you encounter copy/paste errors in the PowerPoint web app, browser settings are likely blocking clipboard access.

To fix this:

Open Chrome/Edge browser settings
Go to Security & Privacy > Site Settings > Permissions > Clipboard
Enable clipboard access for Office.com or all sites

You may need to fully close and reopen the browser for changes to take effect. Test copy/paste again in PowerPoint for the web after updating settings.

Close Unnecessary Apps and Tabs

Too many open apps and browser tabs can overwhelm your computer and cause PowerPoint copy/paste to fail.

To troubleshoot this:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
Go to the Processes tab
Select non-essential processes and click “End task”

Close unnecessary browser tabs and programs
Try copy/pasting in PowerPoint again

Ending background tasks forces apps to release resources needed for PowerPoint functionality.

Clear the Office Clipboard

If other fixes don’t resolve your PowerPoint copy/paste issues, try clearing the Office clipboard:

Open any Office app like Word or Excel
Go to the Home tab and click the bottom corner of the clipboard icon

Select “Clear All” to wipe the clipboard contents
Switch to PowerPoint and test copy/pasting again

This forces Office to restart the clipboard process. Corrupted data is cleared out so fresh content can be stored.

Launch PowerPoint in Safe Mode

As a last resort, boot PowerPoint in safe mode to isolate add-in conflicts:

Fully close all PowerPoint windows
Press the Windows key to open the Start menu

Type “powerpoint /safe” and hit Enter
Try copying/pasting content in this safe mode session

Safe mode launches the app with only essential processes, disabling problematic add-ins. If copy/paste works here, outdated add-ins are likely causing your issues.

With a few simple troubleshooting steps, you can get frustrating PowerPoint copy/paste errors resolved quickly. Just take it one fix at a time until normal functionality is restored.