VBA .SetText and .PutInClipboard putting two symbols in clipboard instead of desired data - excel

Question

Using Excel 2016 and a reference to the Microsoft Forms 2.0 Object Library, I'm trying to copy the ActiveCell's contents to my clipboard. Instead, the resulting contents of my clipboard are the following 2 symbols (if they'll actually show up in this text field.
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(In case those symbols aren't rendering, in the StackOverflow website's text editor they look like white rectanges. Depending on the text editor I'm pasting it in, they've also resembled a question mark, a black diamond containing a white question mark, and just a blank space as if the space bar was pressed.)
I'm not trying to copy symbols of any kind, it's plain English. I've used code similar to this in other macros and it's always worked until today. The code itself is below. I hope you can help!
Dim clipboard As New MSForms.DataObject
clipboard.SetText ActiveCell.Value
clipboard.PutInClipboard
Debug.Print clipboard.GetText(1)
Set clipboard = Nothing
The Debug.Print command prints out the desired text, but after the macro finishes, the desired text is not there and instead there are the 2 symbols again.

Answer 1

In Windows 10, if file explorer is open the putinclipboard does not work. Go figure.
https://www.mrexcel.com/board/threads/copy-cell-address-to-clipboard-issue-putinclipboard-not-working.983442/

Answer 2

One way that worked for me is;
-Close Excel and File Explorer.
-Reopen Excel test the functionality of PutInClipboard /paste
-Open Window 10 File Explorer
-Test again.
*I work for me why? I don't know but it seems that excel has to be open prior to File Explorer.

Answer 3

The effect seems version dependent, whether the explorer window is opened before or after Excel. It also depends on what is in the explorer window - if it is a 'system location' such as "This PC", then putinclipboard still works normally.
I had tried various options for ages, but eventually found one workaround - acting as if copying manually...
In this case, the text to be copied to the clipboard is in the active cell, but the approach can be adapted for other circumstances:
Sub AACopyText() 'has to be called from Excel workbook (ie not from the VB window!)
SendKeys "{F2}^a^c{ESC}"
End Sub
F2 activates the contents of the cell, ^a selects the entire contents, ^c copies the contents to the clipboard; {ESC} is then required or the cell contents remain active.
if the required text is not the activecell content, for example is in a variable eg MyTextToCopy then the activecell can be temporarily over-written:
AppActivate ActiveWorkbook.Name
SendKeys "{F2}^a" & MyTextToCopy & "^a^c{ESC}"
These lines activate the activecell in the active workbook (so can be used in a procedure called from a form, etc), selects the contents, overwrites the contents, copies the new contents, then returns the original contents.
Alternatively, use can be made of Notepad; the following routine will work in programs other than Excel:
Function clip(ClipText As String)
On Error Resume Next
Dim WasntOpen As Boolean
AppActivate ("Notepad")
If Err Then
WasntOpen = True
Err.Clear
x = Shell("Notepad.exe", vbNormalFocus)
AppActivate ("Notepad")
End If
SendKeys "^a" & ClipText & "^a^c^z"
If WasntOpen Then SendKeys "%Fx"
End Function
where 'ClipText' is the text you want to save
eg In your routine, the line
Clip("1234")
will put "1234" on the clipboard