If you are seeing the “Retrieving Data. Wait a Few Seconds and Try to Cut or Copy Again.” message in Excel, it means that your copy or cut action cannot be performed because Excel is currently unable to connect to the document that you are attempting to copy or cut from. This situation occurs frequently when using Excel Online or working with file types that require sharing or synchronization using the web version of Excel. With Excel Online, Excel does not use your computer’s local clipboard; instead, Excel saves anything that you have copied for use in an Excel Online document in your web browser cache or through syncing to the cloud. If the web version of Excel cannot retrieve the copied data fast enough, then it will display this error message.
Delays can frequently occur when your internet connection is slow, when files are saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, and syncing is slow, or when you are attempting to copy a large quantity of information that may take a while for the cloud to access. Since Excel Online always needs to find out whether or not the web version of the document exists, any interruption or delay to the sync between the web version of the document and your internet connection can trigger this message.
Read Also >>> Deepseekplay Com
Common Reasons This Error Appears
Significant delays in cloud synchronization could be attributed to one of the largest reasons that files uploaded via OneDrive and SharePoint (and other similar services) must sync with those services as a matter of course, and large delays in the syncing process usually occur because the receiving end has an inconsistent connection to the internet. Browser limitations on clipboard functionality could also result as one source of inaccuracy when multiple people work on the same file at the same time; for example, if one person copies a file from the browser’s clipboard and the file he/she has copied from the clipboard becomes too large for the browser cache, then unless that person saves the copy somewhere else and has the cache automatically cleared, there may be nothing in the browser cache to retrieve from the clipboard.
You are highly likely to receive an error message of this type when there are many rows or formulas within the spreadsheet (due to the number of users working on it at the same time).
How to Fix and Prevent the Error
To resolve this issue quickly, you can unselect the copied cells, wait a few seconds, and then attempt to copy again. The majority of the time, restarting the Clipboard process will allow the use of copy & paste functions correctly. In the event you would like a more permanent solution to the issue, download the file directly to your computer, then open it in Excel on the Desktop. The desktop Excel application works with your local computer’s clipboard, versus the cloud version of Excel that relies on syncing between devices. This typically resolves this issue.
If you experience this issue frequently, try clearing the Cache of your browser or try to use a different browser. Copying smaller amounts of data, as opposed to copying the entire worksheet, can reduce the time required to be processed as well.
To prevent experiencing this error again in the future, consider maintaining a strong and stable Internet connection, try to limit the number of people with whom you share access to your file (if at all), and utilize Excel desktop for any complex files or those with large amounts of data.
Why This Error Happens More Often in Excel Online
The error mentioned is much more likely to occur in Excel Online due to the fact that the web version functions very differently from desktop Excel. Unlike on the desktop, where you simply access your local drive and clipboard directly, Excel Online requires you to use the browser and rely on cloud storage and live synchronization to accomplish even the simplest of tasks, such as copying and pasting.
When you select a cell(s) and copy it, the data must first be retrieved from the cloud and then temporarily stored until it can be used again. Any delay in any part of this process will result in Excel showing you a “retrieving data” screen.
Internet speed has a large effect on this. Even minute disturbances in connectivity can disrupt the retrieval of data, particularly if the spreadsheet is large or has many calculated formulas. This issue is compounded when files are saved and accessed from shared drives, where multiple users are accessing them concurrently. To ensure all users see the same version of the spreadsheet at the same time, Excel might delay the copying action until all users have seen the current version.
Browser performance is also a critical part of this. If you are using an older version of your web browser, opened too many tabs, or have limited memory on your system, clipboard operations may be significantly delayed. Over time, the cache in your web browser may become inefficient and make it difficult for Excel to get copied content back to you quickly.
