"It seems that security update kb5002914 might have bricked autofill and copy paste in Excel 2016," a Reddit user wrote, sparking a thread of confirmations that the September 2026 Office security update was disrupting basic Excel workflows for some customers.
User reports on Reddit and Microsoft Q&A
Within hours of Microsoft issuing KB5002914 as part of its September 2026 Patch Tuesday, multiple users reported that copy-and-paste and formula dragging stopped working in Excel. The reports appeared on Reddit and in the Microsoft Q&A forums. One poster said their entire team was blocked after most employees had installed the update, and other users described shortcuts for copy/paste and autofill no longer functioning following the September 9 update.
Scope: Office versions and installation methods affected
Reports indicate the problem is not confined to a single Office release or deployment method. Users cited issues across Office versions from 2016 through 2024, and a specific report named Office LTSC Standard 2021. Affected installation types include both MSI-based and Click-to-Run Office packages, according to forum posts collected by BleepingComputer.
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Fix the backlogBleepingComputer testing and partial replication
BleepingComputer tested Excel 2019 Version 2508 (Build 19127.20302 Click-to-Run) and was unable to reproduce the copy-and-paste or autofill failures reported by other users. That mismatch between independent testing and user reports suggests the problem may be intermittent, environment-dependent, or tied to particular combinations of Office builds, add-ins, or system configurations.
Workarounds, rollbacks, and risks
A consistent finding among affected users is that removing or rolling back KB5002914 restores Excel's copy-and-paste functionality for MSI-based Office installations. One Microsoft Q&A user shared a PowerShell command they said restored functionality:
& "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16\Oarpmany.exe" /removereleaseinpatch "{{90160000-0012-0000-1000-0000000FF1CE}}" "{{27882596-A8ED-4382-9C71-6CD2DD19F732}}" '1036' "0"
For Click-to-Run installations, users reported that downgrading the Office build via XML or Group Policy also resolves the problem. A third workaround circulating among users involves leaving KB5002914 installed but replacing the updated excel.exe executable with an older version; BleepingComputer explicitly warns against that approach, noting that replacing individual Office binaries can leave installations with mismatched files and could cause other stability, compatibility, or security problems.
What this means for IT administrators, end users, and security teams
- IT administrators: If MSI-based Office installations show copy/paste failures after KB5002914, uninstalling the update appears to restore functionality; Click-to-Run shops may need to consider temporary build rollbacks via XML or Group Policy. Any rollback should be weighed against the security purpose of the update.
- End users and teams reliant on spreadsheet workflows: Work stoppage is possible — one user said their entire team was blocked — so coordination with IT for testing and potential rollback is a practical immediate step.
- Security teams: The reported restoration after uninstall implies the issue is update-related rather than an unrelated configuration change, but the interaction between security fixes and productivity functionality elevates the need for testing Patch Tuesday releases in representative environments before wide deployment.
BleepingComputer contacted Microsoft to ask whether the company was aware of the problem and if it had recommended workarounds; the outlet said it would update the story if it received a response. For now, affected organizations face a choice between restoring functionality by rolling back or downgrading Office builds and leaving a security update in place that some users say breaks critical Excel features.
The record shows two immediate facts: users report KB5002914 can disable basic Excel functionality, and uninstalling or downgrading the update appears to fix it in the reported cases. Whether Microsoft issues a hotfix or guidance to reconcile the security and usability trade-offs remains to be seen; BleepingComputer has asked the company and will report any reply.
