Word for Mac cannot save documents, false memory/disk space error

Question

I'm using Microsoft Word for Mac version 16.110.1. Every time I try to save a document, including a brand new blank document, I immediately get the error:

"The save failed due to lack of memory or disk space."

My Mac has plenty of free storage and Excel saves files normally.

I've already tried:

• Restarting my Mac
• Saving to different locations (Desktop, Downloads, iCloud)
• Reinstalling Word
• Signing out and back into Microsoft 365
• Reactivating my Microsoft 365 subscription
• Removing Word preferences and account data

The problem only affects Word. Excel works normally.

Word also continues to show an old university account under "Belongs to" in About Word, even after signing in with my personal Microsoft 365 account.

Has anyone experienced this issue or found a fix?

Answer 1

Hi MD

Since the error appears even when saving a brand-new blank Word document, and Excel saves normally, this is likely not a real disk-space problem. It may be related to Word’s permissions, temporary files, preferences, add-ins, or the current Word build on macOS.

Please try these checks:

• Make sure Word has permission to save files: Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Files and Folders, then check whether Microsoft Word has access to the folder where you are saving documents. Also go to Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access, add Microsoft Word if it is not listed, then restart Word and test again.
• Try saving to a simple local location: Create a new blank document and save it directly to Desktop or Documents, not OneDrive, iCloud, an external drive, or a synced folder.
• Clear Word temporary files: Quit Word completely. In Finder, press Command + Shift + G, then go to: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences

Look for temporary Word/AutoRecovery-related files, move them to the Desktop or Trash, restart the Mac, then test Word again.

• Test whether the issue is profile-specific: Create a new macOS user account, open Word there, and try saving a blank document. If Word works in the new macOS profile, the issue is likely related to the original user profile, permissions, preferences, or local cache.
• If you use add-ins such as EndNote, Grammarly, citation tools, or document-management tools, temporarily disable or update them, then test Word again.

If the same issue still happens after these steps, especially on Word 16.110.1, it may need some further insight by Microsoft Support live chat agent because the forum cannot directly inspect the local Word installation, macOS permission state, or possible build-specific issue.

Thank you for your understanding and time.