4 Fixes for “There Isn’t Enough Memory to Complete This Action” in Microsoft Excel

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Try Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Modify Dynamic Data Exchange Settings

When the Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) option is enabled in Excel, it allows other apps to access and update data within your spreadsheets. However, these DDE interactions can sometimes make Excel unstable and run out of memory. Hence, it’s best to disable this functionality.

Step 1:OpenExceland clickOptionsat the bottom left corner.

Step 2:Switch to theAdvancedtab in the Excel Options window.

Step 3:Scroll to the General section and uncheckIgnore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). Then, clickOK.

Fix 2: Empty Excel’s AppData Folder

Problems with Excel’s configuration and temporary files can also result in the “Not enough memory” error. Some users on aMicrosoft Communitythread reported resolving the error by emptying Excel’s AppData folder. You can also give it a go.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type%appdata%\Microsoft\Excel\in the box and pressEnter.

Step 2:In the File Explorer window, select all thefiles and foldersand click thetrash iconat the top to delete them.

Fix 3: Run Excel in Safe Mode

A malfunctioning add-in could interfere with Excel and cause it to show the “There isn’t enough memory to complete this action” error. Running Excel in safe mode can help you verify if that is the case.

Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog box, typeexcel -safein the box, and pressEnterto open Excel in safe mode.

Try using Excel in safe mode and see if it throws any errors. If it runs smoothly, disable all your add-ins and re-enable them one at a time to identify the one causing the issue. Here’s how:

Step 1:In Microsoft Excel, go toFile > Options.

Step 2:In the Excel Options window, switch to theAdd-instab > selectCOM Add-insin the Manage drop-down menu > click theGobutton.

Step 3:Clear all the checkboxes and clickOK.

Restart Excel after this, and then enable your add-ins one by one until the error pops up again. Once you find the faulty add-in, consider removing it.

Fix 4: Run the Office Repair Tool

Running the Office repair tool on Windows effectively resolves performance issues with Office apps such as Excel. This tool can address any problems with Office installation files causingExcel to run out of memorywhile performing tasks such as printing, deleting rows, or loading workbooks.

Step 1:Press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Typeappwiz.cplin the box and pressEnter.

Step 2:Select theMicrosoft Officesuite and click theChangebutton.

Step 3:SelectOnline Repairand clickRepair.

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Last updated on 08 August, 2024

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