I've been using Excel for about 10 years now and I see this problem from time to time in versions from 95 thtough 2003.

It's a first day of class type question.

I have two spreadsheets and I want to copy the header row from the first spreadsheet into the second.

So I open both spreadsheets and select Window and select the first spreadsheet and highligh the rows I want to copy and select Edit -> Copy (I also tried CTRL-C). Then I go back to Window and select cell A1 (which is also the beginning of the range on workbook 1) and select Edit -> Paste.

I get the error:

"The information cannot be pasted because the copy area and the paste area are not the same size and shape. Try one of the following: Click a single cell and then paste. Select a rectangle that's the same size and shape and then paste."

Isn't cell A1 a single cell?

So I did the following. I went back to workbook 1. Unforze the panes. Unmerged the cells. Copied and pasted a values only and tried again. Same error message.

Then I selected cell C1 on the first spreadsheet which contains the stirng "January". Then I selected cell C1 (both a single cell and a rectangle that's the same size and shape as the copy area), and tried to paste and got the same error message.

I checked, workbook 1 and 2 both have protection of sheets and workbooks turned off.

My workaround was to put my cursor in cell A1 in workbook2 then press =, then navigate to workbook 2 and select cell A1. Then I removed the absolute reference and copied cell A1 in workbook 2 to the range where I wanted my titles. Now I have workbook 2 cells linked to cells in workbook 1. I then copied this area and pasted as values only over itself. What could be easier?

Anyone have an idea or know of any Excel "feature" that may be preventing copy and paste as documented?

I found a better work-around. Copy to notepad, copy from notepad, paste into second workbook.

This is the second time today I had to use another application to fix a product deficiency. This morning I had to use word mailmerge to fix an MS-Query table problem.

I guess Microsoft still hasn't worked out the bugs in its old software.

Well! Well! What to Say Dan. Things work very well for me.
I tried to make the cells merged and of different shaps but still it is working for me. I can very easily copy and paste to another workbook any sort of cell. Headers and Datas even the merged datas I don't get any errors like this.

Looks strange


Ali