Microsoft Excel users are reporting that this week's KB5002914 Office security update is breaking copy-and-paste operations and formula dragging. According to user accounts, removing or rolling back the update restores normal functionality. The update was released this week as part of Microsoft's September 2026 Patch Tuesday. Reports of the problems began appearing soon after on Reddit and the Microsoft Q&A forums.
A Reddit user wrote that security update KB5002914 may have disabled autofill and copy-paste in Excel 2016. Other users confirmed similar problems, with one saying copy and paste and formula dragging stopped working and that an entire team was blocked after most employees had already installed the update. Another user reported that copy-paste shortcuts and formula dragging no longer worked. Similar reports appeared on the Microsoft Q&A forums, where users said copying and pasting failed after the September 9 update.
The reports indicate the problem is not limited to one Office release or installation method. One user reported the same issue on Office LTSC Standard 2021. Another said it affects both MSI and Click-to-Run installations and Office versions ranging from 2016 through 2024. BleepingComputer tested Excel 2019 Version 2508, Build 19127.20302 Click-to-Run, and was unable to reproduce the reported copy-and-paste or autofill problems.
Affected users say uninstalling KB5002914 from MSI-based Office installations restores Excel's copy-and-paste functionality. One Microsoft Q&A user shared a PowerShell command for removing the update and reported that copy-and-paste was working again afterward. For Click-to-Run installations, another user said downgrading the Office build using XML or Group Policy also resolves the problem matching.
Another workaround circulating among affected users involves leaving KB5002914 installed but replacing the updated excel.exe executable with an older version. BleepingComputer does not recommend that approach, noting that replacing individual Office binaries with files from an older version could leave the installation with mismatched files and potentially cause other stability, compatibility, or security problems.
Microsoft told BleepingComputer that it is aware of the reports and is investigating, and that it will share guidance as it becomes available. The affected versions span Office 2016 through 2024, covering both consumer and business installations widely used across US workplaces. Until Microsoft publishes guidance, the reported fixes remain user-driven, including uninstalling the update, downgrading the build, or swapping in an older executable.
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