error message Excel ran out of resources while attempting to calculate one or more formulas?

Question

I received an error message, "Excel ran out of resources while attempting to calculate one or more formulas". Why?

Answer 1

The error message "Excel ran out of resources while attempting to calculate one or more formulas" can occur due to several reasons. Here are some common causes:

1. Exceeding Excel Limits: If your workbook is exceeding certain limits, such as having too many calculations, it can trigger this error. For example, the maximum worksheet size is 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns, and the maximum nested level of functions in a calculation is 64.
2. Complex Formulas: If you have a large number of complex formulas, especially if they are interdependent, this can lead to resource exhaustion during calculations.
3. Multiple Instances of Excel: Running multiple instances of Excel can also lead to resource limitations. It's advisable to ensure only one instance of Excel is active.
4. Excessive Data: Large amounts of data, especially in complex PivotTables or charts, can consume significant resources, leading to this error.
5. Memory Issues: If your system is low on memory or if other applications are consuming resources, Excel may not have enough available resources to perform calculations.

To resolve the issue, you can try the following methods:

• Check if you are exceeding Excel limits.
• Ensure only one instance of Excel is running.
• Close other applications to free up resources.
• Test Excel in safe mode to see if the issue persists.
• Optimize your formulas and reduce complexity where possible.

Answer 2

Hi @Michael Milligan, 

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with us. 

The error that you are encountering usually indicates that apps running on your device are taking resources, your workbook contains complex formulas, large datasets, or other resource-intensive features such as macros, pivot tables, or charts.  

To resolve the issue, please follow these steps: 

1. Exit other running applications 

It is important to close any unnecessary applications or programs running on your computer to increase the amount of memory available for Excel to work optimally and efficiently. 

• Right click the Windows button > select Task Manager. 
• Select any app from the Apps section, right click it then select End task. 

2. Simplify complex formulas 

• Although Excel is perfectly capable of processing complex formulas, it can be resource-intensive, which can cause the program to run out of memory. 
• By dividing a complex formula into several smaller ones, you can simplify the calculation and make it easier to follow. When your workbook contains fewer complex formulas, it reduces the chances that you will get the error message. 

3. Save and close other workbooks 

• The more workbooks you open, the more memory you consume. And if the open workbooks have large datasets, they will consume a significant number of resources.  
• To optimize your use of Excel and reduce the number of resources it consumes, it is recommended that you save your workbook regularly and close all other open workbooks. 

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.    

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you. 

I look forward to continuing the conversation.

 

---

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

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.