Retrieving Data. Wait A Few Seconds and Try to Cut or Copy Again [Fix]

Microsoft Office Excel is one of the best and most used programs in the world. It is helpful for business reports, financial reports, grading systems, or even your personal use to track your income and expenses. However, in recent years, users have been reporting an issue they faced sometimes while trying to move data from Excel to another place through the copy and paste feature. That can be quite frustrating since the copy and paste feature was created to save time and effort.

"Retrieving data. wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again" or "Please wait while we retrieve data" is an error message that Microsoft Excel users see when they copy something from Excel and try to paste it in another place. This issue has been reported by hundreds of users worldwide while using both the Desktop version as well as the Online version of Microsoft Office Excel.

While users of Windows 10 think that this is a Windows 10 bug issue, that is not true. Users of Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 have also reported encountering the same issue while using Microsoft Excel on their devices. However, until this moment, Microsoft did not provide any official solution to this widespread issue.
 

Why Does Excel Say Retrieving Data. Wait A Few Seconds and Try to Cut or Copy Again?

While it is still unclear why this issue occurs when using Microsoft Excel, some reports have given us enough data to list out the most obvious causes behind this error. We studied the reasons and were able to curate a list of the most common reasons why this issue might occur to you or other users:

• Malicious software: Your device could be infected with malicious software. This might happen if you recently opened an unsafe website or downloaded an application from an unofficial website.
   
• Malicious application: You might have downloaded an application recently that contained a virus or was a virus itself. Third-party applications could be harmful to your device, so make sure you know exactly what you're downloading before you install it on your PC.
   
• Corrupt registry entry: Corrupt entries could cause a lot of issues, not just this error. It was reported to cause blue screen error, copy and paste issues, and a slow system. This is why it is important to fix corrupt registry entries as soon as possible.

If you read through our list of possible causes but still couldn't pinpoint the exact cause, that is okay. In the next section, we will list a number of solutions for you to try to fix the "retrieving data. wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again" error in no time. 

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How to Fix Retrieving Data. Wait A Few Seconds and Try to Cut or Copy Again

Since the reasons for the retrieving data. wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again error vary, the solutions also vary. In this section, we tested the best ways to fix this issue and listed them for you to skim through and try one by one. 

Here is how you can fix "retrieving data. wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again:"

1. Try to switch the browser you're using
 

If you're facing the issue "retrieving data. wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again" while using Online Excel in a browser like Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer try to close them and use Excel in Google Chrome or Firefox. It has been reported by many users that they encountered this issue more often when using Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer. 

We recommend that you use Chrome since it is user-friendly, customizable, and would rarely give you issues.

2. Open your document with the desktop app of Microsoft Office Excel

If you're using the online version of Excel, you might want to try downloading the document and opening it in the desktop app instead. A lot of users admitted that using the desktop variant of Excel solved their issue and they were able to copy and paste easily. Here is how you can do that:

1. First, you will need to open your document in Online Excel Web App.
2. Head to "File" and click on "Save As."
3. Pick the option that says "Download a Copy"
    
4. Once the document is downloaded, open it and try to copy and paste your data to see if the problem has been solved.

3. Scan your computer for malware

In the reasons for the "retrieving data. wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again" error, we mentioned that malware infecting your device could be the reason behind this error. You can scan your computer for viruses and malware either manually or automatically. We will list the steps for both options down below:

Manually

1. Go to the Settings through your taskbar's search bar, or press the Windows + I keys to open Settings.
2. Head to the Update & Security option.
3. From the left-side menu, choose Windows Security. 
    
    
4. Now, click on Virus & threat protection then choose Scan options.

5. Select Windows Defender Offline scan, and then click on Scan now.

The Windows Defender Offline scan will take about 15 minutes to run, and then your PC will automatically restart.

Automatically

1. Find a good antivirus (we recommend Intego Antivirus).
2. Sign up and choose a plan that suits you.
3. Download the software to your device.
4. Activate it and allow it to make changes to your computer.
5. Finally, scan your computer using Intego antivirus.

4. Check and fix your internet connection

Poor internet connection could cause many errors to rise to the surface when you're working on the internet. That is why you need to constantly check your internet connection and fix it if you find any errors. 

Make sure that you're using a fast and stable connection while using Microsoft Excel online. However, if it is impossible to find such an internet connection, it is better if you resort to using the offline version of MS Excel.
 

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5. Repaste the text you copied/cut

If you're facing the "retrieving data. wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again" error while using MS Excel, here's a temporary fix. You should try to deselect the text then select it again. It reportedly worked for many users, so why not try it yourself. Here's how to do that:

1. Deselect the fields that you are trying to copy/paste.
2. Wait around one minute.
3. Select the fields(s) you want to copy and try pasting it again.
    

Conclusion

If you were using MS Excel online and you encountered an error message saying: "retrieving data. wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again," then you've probably come across one of the errors we mentioned in the blog. 

As a start, try deselecting the text then selecting it again and pasting it somewhere else. If it does not work for you, then we recommend that you try the other methods listed in this blog.
 

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