the MOST

When you paste something in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and some of the other Office programs, a Paste Options button will appear.  (It is usually at the bottom of the pasted material, although with something really long, I sometimes see it appear at the top right.)  If you click on this button, you see different options.  They vary depending on what you are pasting and if you are pasting between programs.  In Word, they are usually Keep Source Formatting, Match Destination Formatting, and Keep Text Only.

This button can save you time and work.  I use it all the time.

To access the Paste Options, click on the button immediately after you paste.  If you start working on something else, it goes away.  Sometimes, I realize I want to use it but have already moved on in my document.  In that case, I just delete what I pasted and paste the information again to get it back.

If you do not see the Paste Options button when you paste, you might need to turn it on.  You can do this through the Options for the program you are using.

Office 2007

1. Go to the Office Button.
2. Click on the program Options button at the bottom right side of the Office Button menu.
3. In the left column, select Advanced.
4. Go to the Cut, Copy, and Paste section.
5. Check the box for Show Paste Options Button.
6. Click OK.

Office 2003

1. Go to the Tools menu and select Options.
2. Click on the Edit tab.
3. In the Cut and paste options section, check the box for Show Paste Options buttons.
4. Click OK.

If you use Word 2007 or Outlook 2007, you will see many more options in the Cut, Copy, and Paste section.  If you find that every time you paste you use the Paste Options button to change to a specific option, you might want to change the paste settings.  To learn more about this, read the Microsoft help article about controlling formatting when you paste.