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

Anonymous

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.

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.

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Anonymous

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.

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Anonymous

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.

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139 additional answers

Anonymous

2011-12-05T21:04:23+00:00

HERE IS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

I HAD BEEN GETTING THIS ERROR WHILE TRYING TO SAVE THE FILE WITH AUTOMATED MACROS.

SO THIS ERROR WAS KILLING MY AUTOMATION.

IF YOU ARE USING FORMULAS THAT REFERENCE HUGH FLAT DATA SETS (for eg. vlookups ) THEN THIS ERROR IS INEVITABLE.

SOLUTION:

ADD THIS MACRO TO YOUR MODULE IN VB. AND RUN IT BEFORE YOU TRY TO SAVE THE FILE. THIS MACRO BREAKS ALL THE LINKS/FORMULAS THAT THAT MAY EXIST IN THE WORKBOOK WHICH REDUCES THE SIZE OF THE FILE DRAMATICALLY, THEREBY LETTING YOU SAVE THE FILE BYPASSING THE ERROR.

I GOT THIS MACRO SCRIPT OFF ONE OF THE FORUMS THAT I CANT REMEMBER. SO I AM NOT CLAIMING TO HAVE WRITTEN THIS. HOPE IT'LL HELP ANYONE WHO HAS FACED THE SAME PROBLEM.

Sub BreakLink() 'Breaks links to external workbooks; reduce the size of the file

Dim astrLinks As Variant

Dim iCtr As Long

astrLinks = ActiveWorkbook.LinkSources(Type:=xlLinkTypeExcelLinks)

If IsArray(astrLinks) Then

For iCtr = LBound(astrLinks) To UBound(astrLinks)

ActiveWorkbook.BreakLink Name:=astrLinks(iCtr), _

Type:=xlLinkTypeExcelLinks

Next iCtr

End If

End Sub
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Anonymous

2011-11-17T09:44:59+00:00

I have this with one of our users - but use a workaround at the moment.

Close all excel instances

Go into Task Manager - processes - you will probably find that even though all excel are closed there is still an excel.exe running.

Kill excel.exe - for some strange reason you can then open excel again and open spreadsheets fine etc..
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Anonymous

2011-11-09T16:18:59+00:00

Best response i've read so far.
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