[Solved] OpenOffice Calc freezes when using copy

[orionstar]

Win 11 Home 22H2 will only let you uninstall certain updates and KBB5019980 is not one of them since it is probably a base for other Windows updates on top of oit. Tried the Repair installation of OO 4.1.13 . No effect. Tried resetting my OO user profile. No effect.
Previously tried turning off Autocorrect/Autocomplete suggested elsewhere. No effect.
In Task Manager, the OO process zooms to >50% CPU utilization when trying to copy, suggestive of a loop problem.

[John_Ha]

... I use copy function in OpenOffice 4.1.13 Calc, the entire program freezes and becomes unusable and crashes

Often caused by a heavily edited and hence "tangled" file - eg see Calc crashes on copy/paste.

Try copying the content of the spreadsheet to a new, empty file. Does the new file work OK?

[creativenikki]

... I use copy function in OpenOffice 4.1.13 Calc, the entire program freezes and becomes unusable and crashes

Often caused by a heavily edited and hence "tangled" file - eg see Calc crashes on copy/paste.

Try copying the content of the spreadsheet to a new, empty file. Does the new file work OK?

The problem is that you cannot copy or paste at all. There's no way I can copy anything into a new document. I can't copy a single cell.

[John_Ha]

The problem is that you cannot copy or paste at all. There's no way I can copy anything into a new document. I can't copy a single cell.

I assume other files are OK but it is just one file which causes the problem.

Create a new, empty spreadsheet. Go Insert > Sheet from file ..., and pull in the problem file. Is the new file OK?

If not, please upload the file showing the problem so that it can be analysed. Click Full Editor and Preview. Click the Upload attachment tab below where you type for files up to 128 kB max; or use a file share site such as mediafire, Dropbox or Google Drive for a larger file.

[creativenikki]

The problem is that you cannot copy or paste at all. There's no way I can copy anything into a new document. I can't copy a single cell.

I assume other files are OK but it is just one file which causes the problem.

Create a new, empty spreadsheet. Go Insert > Sheet from file ..., and pull in the problem file. Is the new file OK?

If not, please upload the file showing the problem so that it can be analysed. Click Full Editor and Preview. Click the Upload attachment tab below where you type for files up to 128 kB max; or use a file share site such as mediafire, Dropbox or Google Drive for a larger file.

That worked. I had no idea you could import sheets like that. Thank you.

[John_Ha]

That worked. I had no idea you could import sheets like that. Thank you.

If you still have the old file is not confidential I would appreciate examining it to work out why this happens. I have sent you a Private Message with my email ID.

[knightgambit]

I have been having the same issue and ran into a potential solution and/or something for the OpenOffice developers to look into.

If I use OpenOffice, then select the Spreadsheet, then Open - very consistently, I can't copy/paste.

If I assign the .ods file to use OpenCalc, then double-click on the file - I haven't had the copy/paste issue.

Coincidence, possibly - but seems to me that there could be a memory leak or conflict when going through the main OpenOffice app.

[John_Ha]

Doe it happen with just one file? Or with any file?

[John_Ha]

In a separate communication RoryOF pointed out that Windows 11 has an enhanced Clipboard Manager which replaces the old Clipboard. See https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-use-cl ... indows-11/

It is well known that clipboard managers can affect AOO badly. It seems that AOO doesn't like anything touching the clipboard (ie interrogating the clipboard status). It is also known that the AOO clipboard code is rather flaky.

There has been a spate of recent posts about copy/paste causing Calc to freeze, hang or crash making it possible it is the new W11 clipboard causing it.

As a test, go to the W11 Clipboard settings and disable History (and everything else) and see if that fixes the crash/hang/freeze.

[orionstar]

I already had the History off in Win11 Clipboard and I don't share it across devices, so that wasn't it.
> As a test, go to the W11 Clipboard settings and disable History (and everything else) and see if that fixes the crash/hang/freeze.

[John_Ha]

It seems there is a similar problem in LO which is fixed by switching off the Clipboard Manager Suggested Actions. See Calc Freezes on Copy. Nov 22 Solution/Recommendations make no difference which says

Went to System > Clipboard (didn’t know I had one in windows) and Clipboard history was turned off.

Suggested Actions was turned on so I turned it off and everything worked fine. Turned it back on and it locked up again. Turned it off again and everything works fine so you were right, it was in the Windows clipboard software.

Thank you, and I am considering this Solved.

If this does fix it then it will be interesting to identify if it is Windows 11 doing something it shouldn't do; or whether there is something in AOO and LO (which both forked from OpenOffice.org) causing the problem.

A thought: Does Writer or Impress have the problem too or is it just Calc?

An interesting test while you still have the problem would be to try the macro in Clearing the Clipboard which clears the clipboard. Do the following test

1. Install the macro
2. Start Calc
3. Run the macro to clear the clipboard
4. Do a copy paste.

Does Calc hang/crash? If Calc does not hang/crash

5. Do another copy/paste.

Does Calc hang/crash this time? (ie a copy/paste without the clipboard being cleared.

If running the macro does fix the problem then the macro can be set up so it runs automatically each time Calc is started.

[orionstar]

Wow, turning off Suggested Actions restored normal operation of the copy/cut for my AOO Calc! No need to clear the clipboard.

> Suggested Actions was turned on so I turned it off and everything worked fine. Turned it back on and it locked up again. Turned it off again and everything works fine so you were right, it was in the Windows clipboard software.

[rshonfield]

I can confirm that simply turning off Suggested Actions in the Windows 11 Clipboard Settings solved the problems. I had continued use Open Office Calc for the last two months using only single cell copy/paste. Once Suggested Actions was turned off, I can now copy and paste multiple cells. I was having this problem with new spreadsheets as well as spreadsheets with many many updates so I don't think it made any difference if the spreadsheets were "tangled" as discussed above. Thank you onionstar for pursuing this problem to a final conclusion.

[mypersnickety]

I have Windows 11. I did everything but what finally worked was clearing the history of my clipboard.
Thank you everyone for your tips.

[Noici]

Wow, turning off Suggested Actions restored normal operation of the copy/cut for my AOO Calc! No need to clear the clipboard.
bitlife
> Suggested Actions was turned on so I turned it off and everything worked fine. Turned it back on and it locked up again. Turned it off again and everything works fine so you were right, it was in the Windows clipboard software.

Where is this Suggested Actions setting? It is not in the Clipboard settings.

[robleyd]

As that is a Windows feature, you should probably be asking in a Windows forum. A quick web search for suggested actions windows clipboard found this MicroSloth support page.

Especially, see the NOTE following the first paragraph.

[orionstar]

Nolci- In Win11: Windows key, Settings gear, System, Clipboard, Suggested Actions, Off

Where is this Suggested Actions setting? It is not in the Clipboard settings.

Wow, turning off Suggested Actions restored normal operation of the copy/cut for my AOO Calc! No need to clear the clipboard.
bitlife
> Suggested Actions was turned on so I turned it off and everything worked fine. Turned it back on and it locked up again. Turned it off again and everything works fine so you were right, it was in the Windows clipboard software.

[Noici]

Sorry for asking this question here as it's related to windows features.
But as you guys explained: Settings >> System >> Clipboard. I got there and there are only 3 options: Clipboard History, Sync Across Devices, and Clear Clipboard Data.
Suggested Actions option is not available here.

[robleyd]

If Suggested Actions isn't a feature of Windows in your region, then it won't be the cause of the problem. Try the other suggestions listed above if you have problems with copy/paste.

Especially, see the NOTE following the first paragraph.

For those who may not have looked at the note on the MicroSloth support page I linked, the note is:

Note: The suggested actions feature is currently only available in North America.

[Noici]

Especially, see the NOTE following the first paragraph.

For those who may not have looked at the note on the MicroSloth support page I linked, the note is:

Note: The suggested actions feature is currently only available in North America.

I'm so fkin dumb to miss this even after you mentioned it Truly sorry for causing you trouble.

[LucaJones]

Assigning .ods files to use opencalc directly instead of going through the main openoffice app seems to resolve the copy/paste issue for some users.
Sometimes it occurs due to memory leak or conflict within the main app.

[rohanbarb]

Assigning .ods files to use opencalc directly instead of going through the main openoffice app seems to resolve the copy/paste issue for some users.
Sometimes it occurs due to memory leak or conflict within the main app..

Yeah man, it worked for me pretty well.

[captaincringe]

I tried resetting my OO user profile and it solved for the first time but unfortunately, I couldn't repair the other installation..

[lakejake]

Also worked for me Windows 11 v 23h2

[jimboylan]

Thank you, "In Win11: Windows key, Settings gear, System, Clipboard, Suggested Actions, Off" worked for me in Windows 11, Open Office 4.1.15.
jimboylan