I recently had a problem with Excel on my work computer where it didnt want to paste special. It would only paste the values and when ever I tried to use "paste special", I got a message about "unicode text" or "text".

After hours of trying to figure it out, I called the IT guy and he figured it out.

It was the SKYPE to CALL function that I had installed on my machine when I was installing skype the week before.

He un-installed that function by going to the control panel and removing the skype to call funtion but he did not remove all of skype b/c he said the auto calling function was the issue NOT the whole skype program.

After restarting the machine, excel was restored to its original functionality.

I just thought this might be helpful to somebody somewhere.

Thanks

Stephen K

Hi Stephen K,

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. It's great to hear that you were able to resolve the issue with the help of your IT guy.

For those who may be experiencing a similar issue, here are the steps to remove the Skype to Call function from your computer:

1. Go to the Control Panel on your computer.
2. Click on "Programs and Features" or "Add/Remove Programs".
3. Find the Skype to Call function in the list of installed programs.
4. Click on it and select "Uninstall".
5. Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation process.

After the uninstallation is complete, restart your computer and try using the "Paste Special" function in Excel again. It should work as expected.

Thanks again for sharing your solution with us. Have a great day!

Thanks for your post, Stephen. I recently encountered the same problem, wondering what happened and why I no longer had paste options, just this "Unicode text" window.

I found your post on a Google search. I too had recently installed the Skype Click to Call function.

So I uninstalled that program, restarted the computer, and the paste function worked again.

Weird....

Thanks for your post, Stephen.

I recently encountered the same problem, wondering what happened and why I no longer had paste options, just this "Unicode text" window.

I found your post on a Google search. I too had recently installed the Skype Click to Call function.

So I uninstalled that program, restarted the computer, and the paste function worked again.

Weird....

Had the exact same problem, and by removing Skype to Call fixed my problem too. These posts saved me a ton a time.

Yes, that is incredibly useful. I had exactly the same problem and it was driving me round the bend. And it was not only paste special that it messes up, you can't copy rows and insert them, or copy highlighted groups of cells. Fortunately I only spent half an hour trying to figure out what was going on before googling and finding this post which hits the nail on the head. I removed Skype click to call as well and things are back to normal.

Thanks for saving the day!

A Huge Thanks for this tip Stephen.

I was working on an important worksheet, had a Skype call to make, and updated my skype application which was seriously out of date (well, why not?). Went back to finishing off the spreadsheet later in the day and the behaviour was truly bizarre. I messed up quite a few cells before I realized something was SERIOUSLY wrong. Spent two hours trying to make Excel behave. How can a person associate Excel problems with some totally non related application. I have worked in the IT industry for 30 years and have seen my share of crazy bugs but this one deserves a prize. The fact that Skype is a Microsoft company makes allowing such a fault in this software raise real questions about Microsoft quality control proceedures.
Anyhow for anyone seeing this bug let me clarify the fix:
1) go to Control Panel
2) Select show/delete softward choice
3) You will see two Skype applications
4) Delete the one saying Skype click to call

Problem fixed
Howie

Thanks .... It worked ... :-)

Thanks Stephen it worked superbly!!

OMTucker wrote on 04/20/2012 16:56 ET :
Had the exact same problem, and by removing Skype to Call fixed m
problem too. These posts saved me a ton a time.

tedrobert;1600726 Wrote:
Thanks for your post, Stephen.

I recently encountered the same problem, wondering what happened and wh
I no longer had paste options, just this "Unicode text" window.

I found your post on a Google search. I too had recently installed th
Skype Click to Call function.

So I uninstalled that program, restarted the computer, and the past
function worked again.

Weird...




OMTucker

Hi, i also face the same problem, removing Skype to Call fixed ? meaning i need
to uninstall the skype software?

Stephen K
I am grateful for your post re the "unicode text" problem in excel. I uninstalled the "click to call" optionn from Skupe and that fixed my problem as itt did with you. Many thanks.
Max Milne

I don't have Skype, and I have the same problem with Excel, as of today: by default, it pastes only values instead of formulas. Even if I right-click and select Formulas, it still pastes only values. Has anyone come across another cause?

Thanks.

THANK YOU so much for posting this - I have been trying to work this problem out for about 2 months (I am not in IT but work with excel and Skype all the time).

You have saved me so much time!

Jonathan