Home → Troubleshooting → All Products: Other Issues → 'Microsoft Excel cannot open or save any more documents ...'
Mar 10, 2005 I have an Excel 2000 file in which I created a very long macro that basically copies indiviudal cells from one worksheet into another changing structure of the data basically. It worked fine when I ran it against 3 files I needed to copy the data from.
Applies to:
Excel 2016, with @RISK open
Excel 2016, with @RISK open
When I have @RISK open, and try to open a file using File » Open in Excel's menu, I get this error:
Microsoft Excel cannot open or save any more documents because there is not enough available memory or disk space.
· To make more memory available, close workbooks or programs you no longer need.
· To free disk space, delete files you no longer need from the disk you are saving to.
The same thing happens if I double-click an Excel file in Windows' File Explorer while @RISK is open in Excel.
The actual problem has nothing to do with disk space. Excel is trying to display a security warning about the file you want to open, but for some reason it is unable to. Security warnings typically come for files you downloaded from the Internet, but not always. To work around this problem, you need to answer the security prompt before Microsoft Excel tries to display it. There are two methods to do this:
- Method 1 (by file): Before trying to open the file in Excel, find it in Windows' File Explorer. Right-click the file and select Properties. At the bottom of the General tab, click the Unblock button. Once you unblock a file, Windows should remember and Excel should not ask you again.
This option is available for some file types, but not others. If you don't have an Unblock button, use Method 2. - Method 2 (by folder): This option is better if you usually store your downloaded Excel files in one folder. In Excel, click File » Options » Trust Center » Trust Center Settings » Trusted Locations. Click Add new location. Browse to the folder where you store your Excel files, select Subfolders of this location are also trusted, and click OK.
Note: This has been fixed in Microsoft Office 2019.
Last edited: 2019-06-27
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-->Symptoms
When you work with a Microsoft Excel file, you receive one of the following messages:
Cause
The above memory error messages can be very generic and don't always identify the real cause of the issue. However, if your file is large or contains a large amount of features, it is possible you are running low on available memory resources.
Before we explore the more common reasons for the memory errors, it good to understand Excel's limitations. Please see the following resources for more information:
If you are not hitting a resource limitation, these are the most common resolutions.
Resolution
Follow the provided methods in this article to resolve the available resource error message in Excel. If you have previously tried one of these methods and it did not help, go to another method from this list:
Method 1: Contents of the spreadsheet
The first thing to determine is if the error is specific to one workbook (or others created from the same template). Typical actions that cause memory error messages are:
- Inserting a row or column
- Sorting
- Performing calculations
- Copy and pasting
- Opening or closing the workbook
- Running VBA
If you are seeing the error when performing any of the above actions, it's time to look to determine what is going on in your file. These will be addressed in the sections below.
Calculations
If you are inserting rows and columns, performing calculations, or copying and pasting and receive the message, it can be tied to formulas having to recalculate.
Consider this scenario:
You have a spreadsheet with 1 million formulas on a sheet and you insert a new column. This will force Excel to recalculate all the formulas in the spreadsheet adjusting for the new column that you inserted. It is very possible, depending on the complexity of your spreadsheet, bitness of Excel, and how the spreadsheet is built, and what formulas are used, that you receive the out of resources error.
The following articles address how to optimize performance with calculations:
Other Spreadsheet Elements
Other areas that can cause the memory issues are excess shapes, complex PivotTables, macros, and complex charts with many data points. The following article walks through identifying and fixing these issues.
Custom Views in a Shared Workbook
If you are using the feature Shared Workbook. (Review Ribbon>Share Workbook) Cleaning out the Custom Views may help with available memory. To do this;
- On the View Ribbon
- Custom Views on the dialog choose Delete
Deleting Custom Views doesn't delete anything in the spreadsheet, it does delete the print areas, and filters. These can easily be reapplied.
If your issue is not resolved after you clean up the file, go to method 2.
Method 2: Verify/install the latest updates
You might have to set Windows Update to automatically download and install recommended updates. Installing any important, recommended, and optional updates can frequently correct problems by replacing out-of-date files and fixing vulnerabilities. To install the latest Office updates, click the link specific to your version of Windows and follow the steps in that article.
Operating system updates:
Office updates:
For more information about Office updates, see Office downloads & updates.
If your issue is not resolved after you install the updates, go to method 3.
Method 3: Add-ins interfering
Check the Add-ins that are running, and try disabling them to see if Excel is working properly. Follow the directions in the following article to disable the add-ins.
If you find that Excel is no longer giving you the error after you remove the add-ins, then it is recommended to contact the manufacturer of the add-in for support.
If your issue is not resolved after you remove the add-ins, go to method 4.
Method 4: Test disabling Preview/Details Pane in Windows 7
If you are running Windows 7, try disabling the preview and details panes in Windows. You will have to disable them in three locations.
Windows Explorer:
- Right click on Start button
- Click Open Windows Explorer
- Click Organize | Layout
- Uncheck Details Pane and Preview Pane
Excel:
- Click File | Open
- Click Organize | Layout
- Uncheck Details Pane and Preview Pane Outlook:
- Open a new e-mail
- In the 'Include' group on the Ribbon, click Attach File
- Click Organize | Layout
- Uncheck Details Pane and Preview Pane
If your issue is not resolved after you turn off preview and details panes, go to method 5.
Method 5: Test a different Default Printer
When Excel launches, it uses the default printer to help render the file. Try testing with the 'Microsoft XPS Document Writer' as the default printer and see if we continue to get the error. To do this;
- Close Excel
- Open the printer and faxes window (XP) or Devices and Printers (Vista, 7, 8, 10)
- Right click the 'Microsoft XPS Document Writer' printer
- Click Set as Default
If your issue is not resolved after you change your default printer, go to method 6.
Method 6: Test without Antivirus
Antivirus can sometimes cause problems by continuously trying to scan the Excel file or something in the file. Many times the memory error will be random and will be found with any spreadsheet. Test this by shutting off the antivirus temporarily, or by not having Excel files scanned. In some cases the AV will need to be removed.
If your issue is not resolved after you turn off antivirus, go to method 7.
Method 7: Test with 64 bit version of Excel
Working with large Excel files can use the memory available to the 32 bit Excel application. In any 32 bit application there is a 2 GB limitation.
If your processes need to use more than 2 GB's, then you need to carefully consider moving to Microsoft Excel 64 bit version. The 64 bit version will allow all available physical RAM on the machine to be used. If you are interested in researching 64 bit versions, see 64-bit editions of Office 2013.
If your issue is not resolved after testing on 64 bit, go to method 8.
Method 8: Other applications are consuming the computer's memory and not enough is being allocated to Excel
Does the message clear up for some time after you reboot or shut off some of your applications? That's probably a good sign this is your issue, follow the steps to shut down some of the extra applications running on your computer.
More Information
Additional article
If the information in this article did not help resolve the error in Excel, select one of the following options:
- More Microsoft online articles:Perform a search to find more online articles about this specific error
- Help from the Microsoft Community online:Visit the Microsoft Community and post your question about this error
- Contact Microsoft support:Find the phone number to contact Microsoft Support