5 Fixes for Excel Ran Out of Resources Error on Windows

Quick Tips

• Running too many apps or having numerous spreadsheets open can trigger this error, so close any that you don’t need.
• Running Excel’s error checking tool and repairing the workbook can also help resolve the issue.
• Consider using Excel in safe mode to determine if an add-in is causing the error.

Fix 1: Use the Error Checking Tool

A common reason why you may encounter the “Excel ran out of resources while attempting to calculate” error is if your spreadsheet contains incorrect or invalid formulas. To fix this, you can use Excel’s error-checking tool to identify and correct any problematic formulas.

Step 1: Open your Excel spreadsheet, switch to the Formulas menu at the top, and click the Error Checking button under the Formula Auditing group.

Step 2: After Excel locates the problematic formula, click the Edit in Formula Bar button to correct it.

Fix 2: Change the Number of Calculation Threads

By default, Excel takes advantage of all the cores of your processor to perform calculations on your spreadsheet. However, this can sometimes cause Excel to run out of resources, especially when working with a large or complex spreadsheet.

To avoid this, you need to change the number of calculation threads Excel uses at a time by following these steps:

Step 1: Open Microsoft Excel and click the File menu in the top-left corner.

Step 2: Click on Options from the left sidebar.

Step 3: Choose Advanced from the left sidebar, and scroll down to the Formulas section on the right pane. Select the Manual option, enter 1 in the text box next to it, and click the OK button.

Fix 3: Repair Your Excel Workbook

If you are only getting the “Excel ran out of resources” error when working on a specific spreadsheet, the file itself may be the problem. You can try using Excel’s repair feature to fix problems with the workbook.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Excel and click the File menu at the top-left corner.

Step 2: Select Open from the left column and click the Browse option.

Step 3: Locate and select your Excel file. Click the downward arrow next to Open to select the Open and Repair option.

Fix 4: Run Excel in Safe Mode

Starting Excel in safe mode can help you fix a variety of problems, including this one. Doing so will load Excel without any of your third-party add-ins. Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog, type excel -safe in the box, and press Enter to open Excel in safe mode.

Try using Excel in safe mode for a while. If you don’t encounter any errors, one of the Excel add-ins is the culprit. Since there’s no straightforward way to determine which of your add-ins may be causing the error, you will need to disable all of them and then re-enable them one at a time.

Step 1: In Microsoft Excel, go to File > Options.

Step 2: Switch to the Add-ins tab and select COM Add-ins in the Manage drop-down menu. Then, click the Go button.

Step 3: Clear all the checkboxes and click OK.

Restart Excel after this, and then enable your add-ins one by one until the error occurs again. After you find the faulty add-in, consider removing it.

Fix 5: Run the Office Repair Tool

Microsoft offers an Office repair tool for both Windows 10 and 11 PCs. It can automatically identify and resolve performance-related issues with Office apps like Excel. You can run this tool to see if it solves the “Excel ran out of resources” error on your PC.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type appwiz.cpl in the box and press Enter.

Step 2: Locate and select the Microsoft Office suite. Then, click the Change button at the top.

Step 3: Select the Online Repair option and click Repair.