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

I am having the same issues. The reason these answers don't seem to help, at least me, are the following: I have been using Office 10 since it came out, and this problem just started recently, won't go away, doesn't seem to be affected by the size of the Excel file, or whether I just just rebooted (Windows 7 pro/4 GB RAM), or whether I have much of anything else open, or have anything in either XLSTART folder. 

Further, if I open the file from Excel file open, it opens, even if explorer didn't open it. Further, if I open it from explorer and say, use Open Office (libreoffice), it opens.

Further still, the problem seems to affect Microsoft Access as well, because if I (now, just recently, last couple months) try to import and excel file that I have tried to open in this way, Access won't import it, with some equally dumb, inpenetrable message. Have had to link to it, instead of importing it.

Frankly, it seems like a bug introduced with some random recent Windows Explorer update. It would be nice to see MS monitors here escalate this to engineering at this point.

I have been fighting the same frustration for some time.  My business relies on opening Excel files from Outlook (email attachments).  i can count on getting 2 or 3 to open immediately following a reboot, but then this error message occurs.

After reading the string here, i opened Window Update history and here is the update that first failed in February (about the time i started with this problem).   Is there a "laymen's" way of fixing this without having to do a full Windows 7 uninstall/reinstall?

Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB2454826)

Installation date: ‎2/‎10/‎2011 3:01 AM

Installation status: Failed

Error details: Code 80070490

Update type: Recommended

This is a reliability update. Install this update to enable a set of performance and functionality updates for graphics, Media Foundation, and XPS components on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 systems.  After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

More information:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2454826

Help and Support:

http://support.microsoft.com

Boy this is embarrassing not being able to figure out what is going on here. 

We tried this same file on 2 different computers and I will be putting them up on the web  so that some of you might have a better insight on how to fix the problem.

First these files are being used by PCC (Portland Community college)  so there are at least 600 other people using the same files.   And the files have been used for over 7 years as well.

Excel 2007 is what they are all using now.

Now I tried this on my own computer and I got the same results.  I am thinking that some update has pushed these issues into the limelight.

The computers at the PCC (Portland Community college)  do not have this problem.  Those computers are also not up to date either and have selected updates pushed to them once a semester or every so often whatever comes last.

I think that software updates are the culprit in this matter..

I have tested the files on a xp pro machine and a windows 7 machine both with excel 2007.

My machine has NEVER even seen any of these files and the problem is reproduced exactly,

First the CPU hits 100%  then the programs gives the error message.

I will host these files on the new windows live beta so people can see them and try to find out what the issue is for sure then try to find a work around, or find another program .

they are hosted on office online beta here is thelink

(  the link above goes here ):

http://cid-d92c1f51f0165851.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?resid=D92C1F51F0165851!114

And remember this error was when "inserting a pivot table" into  both of these files that are at the link.

Please remember I am an IT guy and networking and hardware is drug of choice.   Not User Productivity programs.    Si Yea, I am not an fan of user software like this or know much about this kind of user aplication. But I did try most of the work arounds including deleting files and other ways around the problem to no avail inside of excel.

I might just have to take this data set into google docs or open office.

I will post the soultion on you tube if someone finds out how to overcome this and make a write up on MSDN as well.

YOUTUBE

MYSPACE- Someone out there still uses it.

BING- Why not do what everyone else is doing but with a pretty face?