how to fix The save failed due to lack of memory or disk space. on mac

Simon F 10 Reputation points
2026-07-17T00:00:56.87+00:00

I keep getting "The save failed due to lack of memory or disk space." in word on a MacBook Pro. I have word updated, it fixes temporarily if I reboot the computer. I have deleted auto recover folder from word, I have deleted and reinstalled word, still happening.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | MacOS

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  1. Warwick Terry 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-01T09:00:55.3533333+00:00

    For me downgrading to v16.106.3 worked. Nothing else did.

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  2. Darren-Ng 12,770 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-07-17T01:32:49.6266667+00:00

    Dear @Simon F,

    Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

    Based on your description, Word for Mac repeatedly shows the error "The save failed due to lack of memory or disk space" even though Word is updated, reinstalled, and the AutoRecovery folder has been cleared. The issue is temporarily resolved after restarting the Mac but returns after a few days.

    Here are similar cases reported by another user that may be helpful for reference:

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5827244/the-save-failed-due-to-lack-of-memory-or-disk-spac

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5102035/cannot-save-a-word-document-using-a-mac-get-an-out

    The issue appears to be related to Word for Mac's save process rather than actual memory or storage limitations. Some troubleshooting steps in that thread include testing with a new document, saving locally, and clearing Word temporary files. Since you have already tried some of those steps, please let me know:

    • Does the issue occur with all Word documents or only specific files?
    • Are the affected documents stored locally, or in OneDrive?

    In the meantime, here are some suggestions you can try:

    Test Word in a new macOS user profile

    • Create a new local macOS user account.
    • Sign in to the new profile and test whether Word can save documents normally.

    If the issue does not occur there, the problem may be related to the current user profile or permissions.

    Grant Full Disk Access to Microsoft Word

    • Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access.
    • Ensure Microsoft Word is allowed and then restart Word

    Check whether the issue occurs with all documents

    • Create a brand-new blank Word document and try saving it locally.
    • If only one document is affected, the document itself may be corrupted. In that case, copy the content into a new document and save it under a different name.

    Test a different save location

    • Save the file to the local Desktop or Documents folder instead of OneDrive, iCloud Drive, a network share, or an external drive.

    I hope information above can help you resolve the issue. Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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