How do I solve this problem - "The save failed due to out of memory or disk space."

Question

How do I solve this problem - "The save failed due to out of memory or disk space."

Stephens, Robert 10

When I attempt to save a document, I get the following message: "The save failed due to out of memory or disk space." How do I resolve this? I am using Word version 16.110

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2 answers

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Answer 1

PAT NGAMDACHAKIJ 0

I tried this "Create a new user profile and sign into that new profile. After that, try saving a new Word document there to see if it works." and it works but then when I switch back to my current profile the issue still persists.

Hendrix-C 19,970 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-31T22:51:29.6266667+00:00
Hi Pat,

If the new user profile works, the issue is likely a corrupted Word settings in your current MacOS profile.

Then, please do these steps in order to see if it helps:

1/ Give Word Full Disk access (please follow the steps in my initial response)

2/ Reset Word's user preferences

Press Cmd+Q to fully quit Word and open Finder > select Go > hold Option then select the Library that just shows up

In Library, select Containers > look for a folder com.microsoft.Word > rename it to something like com.microsoft.Word.old

Reopen Word and test again to see if the issue persists.

3/ Clear Office Cache folder and remove the Normal.dotm template

Repeat the same step as above to access Library then select Group Containers > UBF8T346G9.Office > User Content > Templates

Find the Normal.dotm file and rename it to Normal.dotm.old

Go back to Library > Group Containers > look for these folders and delete them:

UBF8T346G9.Office

UBF8T346G9.OfficeOsfWebHost

UBF8T346G9.ms

Restart the Mac and test again

Answer 2

Hi Robert,

For your concern, this error message usually relates to Word for Mac's save process rather than actual memory/storage limitations and it's quite a generic error which may be triggered by several causes. Therefore, please follow this guidance to narrow down the issue step by step:

1/ Fully restart your Mac and reopen Word again to test

2/ Copy to a new document

This will exclude the situation that your current document may be corrupted:

Press Cmd + A to select all the contents > Cmd + C to copy
Open a new blank Word document and paste the contents there. You can use Edit > Paste and Match Formatting if available
Try saving the new file locally to see if it works

3/ Grant Word Full Disk Access

Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access
Enable Microsoft Word app > restart Word and test again

4/ Test in a new MacOS profile

Still in System Settings, go to Users & Groups > Add User...
Create a new user profile and sign into that new profile. After that, try saving a new Word document there to see if it works.

You can give it a try and let me know whether it works. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post and I'm happy to further support you.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.

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Hendrix-C 19,970 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-31T23:01:51.9+00:00

Good day Robert,

Hope things are running smoothly on your end.

Following up on the support thread we've been working on. If you need assistance with anything else, kindly respond to this post, and I will be happy to help.

I want to make sure everything is working as expected and that your experience remains uninterrupted.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout the troubleshooting process.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.