Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 18, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Have you ever noticed that after you've copied a large amount of data to the Clipboard, and then you close Excel, you see a dialog box stating that "A large amount of data is present in the Clipboard. Do you want to save it before quitting?" You may get tired of seeing this message. If so, then there are a couple of things you can do.
First, you can replace the "large amount" with a "small amount." (Excel never asks if you want to discard a small amount.) To do this, just select a single cell in your worksheet and copy it to the Clipboard. The contents of the single cell replace the large amount of data on the Clipboard, and you can exit Excel without seeing the message.
If you'd rather have a macro approach, you can do the exact same thing in a macro—just select cell A1 and have your macro copy it to the Clipboard:
Sub GoAway1() ActiveSheet.Range("A1").Copy End Sub
Another approach is to use a single-line macro that basically "disables" the Clipboard by canceling any current copy operation:
Sub GoAway2() Application.CutCopyMode = False End Sub
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10696) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Clearing Large Clipboard Entries.
Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
In order to make working with a workbook comfortable, you often need to set both a window size and a zoom level for the ...
Discover MoreBy default, Excel provides some feedback on your formulas so that you can easily locate potential errors. If you get ...
Discover MoreHate to take your fingers off the keyboard? Here's how you can move from worksheet to worksheet without touching the mouse.
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments