The Ultimate Guide to Excel Memory Errors: Troubleshooting Tips to the Rescue!

Excel's out of memory error can appear on any version of Microsoft Excel. It is quite a common error and there are several ways in which you can solve it. You should be able to solve this rather basic error in no time as long as you try one of the solutions below.

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Are you working with Excel files but receiving an insufficient memory notification? Try one of the seven methods below to address the issue of Excel reporting insufficient memory.

Reasons for Excel Reporting Insufficient Memory

Microsoft Excel typically displays an error message when a file exceeds 2GB in size. The error message, “There isn’t Enough Memory to Complete this Action,” can occur due to the following reasons:

  • Background applications are consuming a significant amount of system memory, leaving insufficient memory to launch Excel.
  • Too many add-ins are installed on Microsoft Excel.
  • Antivirus software may be blocking Excel services, resulting in the error.

7 Ways to Address Insufficient Memory in Excel

1. Close All Unnecessary Background Applications

If you receive the message, “There is not enough memory to run Microsoft Excel. Please close other applications and try again,” the first step is to close any unnecessary background applications. Here’s how:

Step 1: Move your mouse to the taskbar, right-click, and select Task Manager from the menu.

Step 2: In the Processes tab, right-click on all unnecessary applications and select End task.

2. Run Excel with Administrative Privileges

Insufficient memory issues in Excel may be due to a lack of administrative privileges. To run Excel with administrative privileges, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on the search icon and type “Excel.”

Step 2: Right-click on the Excel application and select Run as administrator.

Step 3: If UAC is enabled, click Yes and check again.

3. Update Windows

Each Windows update includes new features and bug fixes. To update your version of Windows, follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the Windows icon and select Settings to open the Settings menu.

Step 2: Click on Update & Security.

Step 3: Choose Windows Update and then select Check for Updates.

Step 4: Windows will automatically search for and download any available updates. After the update process is complete, restart your computer and check if the issue persists.

4. Update Microsoft Office

Updating Microsoft Office can effectively address memory-related issues. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Open Microsoft Excel and click on the Account tab.

Step 2: Click on Update Options and then select Update Now.

Microsoft Office will search for and install any available updates. Make sure to save and close any open tasks before initiating the update process.

5. Disable Windows Cortana

Disabling Windows Cortana can help resolve Excel’s insufficient memory issue. Here’s how to turn off Cortana on Windows 11:

Step 1: Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features.

Step 2: Click on the three dots next to Cortana and select Advanced options. Then, slide the toggle to the left to disable the Runs at log-in option.

Step 3: Restart Excel and check if the issue persists.

6. Run Excel in Safe Mode

Add-ins installed on Excel may be the cause of memory-related issues. It is recommended to run Excel in Safe Mode as follows:

Step 1: Hold the Ctrl key and click on the Excel application to launch it in Safe Mode.

Step 2: If the issue is resolved, you can relaunch Excel in normal mode.

Step 3: Click on File > Options > Add-ins. Change Manage to COM Add-ins and click Go.

Step 5: Select the add-in and click OK to disable it.

7. Modify Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) Settings

Changing the Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) settings in Excel can quickly resolve this issue. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open Excel, click on File, and then select Options.

Step 2: Click on Advanced, select General, and uncheck the box next to Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE).

Step 3: Click OK to save the changes.

Conclusion

We hope that these methods help you resolve the issue of Excel reporting insufficient memory and allow you to continue your work uninterrupted. Don’t forget to visit the FPT Shop’s news section to stay up-to-date with the latest tips and tricks!

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Frequently asked questions

There are several reasons why Microsoft Excel may display an ‘insufficient memory’ error message. This typically occurs when a file exceeds 2GB in size, and it can be due to background applications consuming too much memory, having too many add-ins installed, or antivirus software blocking Excel services.

Try one or more of these seven methods: Close all unnecessary background applications; run Excel with administrative privileges; update Windows and Microsoft Office to the latest versions; disable Windows Cortana; run Excel in Safe Mode; modify Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) settings; or a combination of these steps.

Right-click on your taskbar and select ‘Task Manager’. From there, you can select and end any unnecessary applications running in the background.

Search for ‘Excel’ in your search bar, right-click on the Excel application, and select ‘Run as administrator’. If you have UAC enabled, click ‘Yes’ and then check again.

Each Windows update includes new features and bug fixes, which can help resolve memory-related issues. Updating Microsoft Office ensures that any known bugs or issues with memory management are addressed.

Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Click on the three dots next to Cortana and select ‘Advanced options’. From there, you can disable the ‘Runs at log-in’ option.

Hold the Ctrl key and click on the Excel application to launch it in Safe Mode. If the issue is resolved, you can then relaunch Excel in normal mode and disable any add-ins that may be causing memory issues.

DDE allows applications to exchange data and commands. To modify DDE settings in Excel, go to File > Options > Advanced > General, and uncheck the box next to ‘Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE).’
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