Excel cannot complete the task with available resources. Choose less data or close applications.

Anonymous
2010-05-05T14:25:22+00:00

Excel cannot complete the task with available resources. Choose less data or close applications. the size of the file is 640MB with over 250k records. I have 3.25GB of memory. It takes 5 mintues for the file to open.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2011-09-07T15:07:34+00:00

I have been experiencing this problem for months (i.e., Excel cannot complete the task with available resources. Choose less data or close applications).  I am running Windows 7 and Office 2010.  The problem can occur with very small spreadsheets so it has nothing to do with the complexity of the spreadsheets.  After reading the other posts, especially the one from Chuthor, I began to suspect incompatibilities between Excel and other MS software that I've downloaded.

Anyway, I just uninstalled Windows Live Essentials and Microsoft Outlook Social Connector for Live Messenger, which came with an update from Microsoft on 4/7/2011.  This appears to have solved the problem.

Was this answer helpful?

80+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2012-04-09T18:19:33+00:00

We eventually opened a ticket with Microsoft. Apparently this is on their radar, with no real fix just this work around. The users were experiencing this error daily, and by disabling preview pane in the 3 necessar locations completly fixed the issue. Here is the workaround MS sent me.

Windows 7 is new with Preview/Details panes. These Preview/Details panes contribute to the "Available resources" issues, as well as our "Locked for Editing by another user" issues. We consider turning them off in these 3 locations as a valid test:

Windows:

1. Right click on Start Ribbon.

2. Click Open Windows Explorer.

3. Click Organize | Layout  |

4. Uncheck Details Pane and Preview Pane.

Excel:

1. Click File | Open.

2. Click Organize | Layout  |

3. Uncheck Details Pane and Preview Pane.

Outlook:

1. Open a new e-mail.

2. In the "Include" group, click Attach File.

3. Click Organize | Layout  |

4. Uncheck Details Pane and Preview Pane.

Was this answer helpful?

60+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

139 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2014-04-30T18:11:33+00:00

    It is now 2013, and it looks like this is still an issue.  I work with many fairly big spreadsheets, and never had an issue.  My company recently went to Windows 7, with MS Office 2010, and now I can't even change the format of one cell in my main spreadsheet without getting this error.  Extremely frustrating since this is the basis of many of our work!  If there is a way other than what others have suggested, I'd like to hear it as well, since I've tried what I could with my limited "Admin" rights, and nothing seems to work

    We just went with new workstations, Windows 7 Professions 64bit, and Office Professional 2013. We did not have this error with Windows XP, running Office 2007 Professional! We are still keeping our file format as Excel 2003, yet will get this when just changing a cell.  The difference I see is that I also get "Continue Without Undo? (okay or cancel) and click okay and it saves okay. If I exit Excel entirely, when I go back in the error disappears!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-13T22:57:25+00:00

    Maybe if you asked nicely...

    Whoa!  That must be it!  SMH

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-13T15:47:02+00:00

    Just for the record, these monkeys at Microsoft still haven't gotten off their lazy asses to do anything about this. The issue still exists when using the latest version of Office in Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. This is also a much more widespread issue than people realize. It certainly has something to do with a bad update IMHO but since when has Microsoft done anything about their shitty failed updates? NEVER. Flashback to the svchost.exe BS we had to endure with XP. When Microsoft could have just recalled the update, fixed it and done the right thing. Why would they when they have a monopoly on the market? God I wish IBM had done a better job on OS/2. If they had just stuck with it....

    Maybe if you asked nicely...

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments