# Excel 2003 Error "Not enough system resources to display completely"



## tammayrend (Feb 2, 2009)

Hi, I haven't found exactly the answer I am looking for so hope someone can help. 

When I use Excel 2003, on this computer I receive the error message "Not enough system resources to display completely." It happens when I open excel, and it happens every time I try to access a cell. I click "OK" then go to the next cell where the error message pops up again. This makes using excel VERY difficult and frustrating. 

We thought at first this was a memory issue, so I added RAM to the computer. Still no luck. Then my husband asked an IT guy at work and he made some comment about making sure there was enough "virtual memory" and tried making some changes with that - don't remember what they were but they didn't work either! I've even removed the software from the computer and tried reloading it - that didn't work either.

Please, please, please does anyone have any ideas on what to do to get this error message to go away and make it so that I can actually USE excel?!

Thanks!!!


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## DerekC (Jan 10, 2005)

I'm going to request that your post be moved to the business application forum. You will probably get better responses there.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

can you tell us 
1) How big the c: drive is 
2) How much free space is on the C: drive
3) Do you have a D: E: etc Harddrive Drive at all
5) How much ram you have
6) The windows system XP Vista etc? 

7) What zoom setting do you have on the spreadsheet set to 
8) Arethere other applications open


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

There are some limitations built into Excel as well. Read this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;313275&Product=xlw2K


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## tammayrend (Feb 2, 2009)

This happens upon opening Excel, even before I add any formulas. It happens in ANY and all spreadsheets and does not happen when the same Excel sheets are opened in the computer upstairs - which is a laptop with less RAM and a smaller harddrive.

I'll attempt to answer all the questions asked so far:

How big the c: drive is - 171 GB total = 59 GB used / 112 GB free

Do you have a D: E: etc Harddrive Drive at all - I have a back-up drive that is my D drive that is mostly full. 58 GB total = 57.5 GB used. No other harddrive.

How much ram you have - 3.0 GB RAM (I added RAM when this first started happening on this computer but it did not resolve the issue)

The windows system XP Vista etc? I am running XP home and Excel is from the Microsoft 2003 student package.

What zoom setting do you have on the spreadsheet set to - I have NO idea what this one means. When I open excel I haven't changed any settings (if that helps). And this would happen when I begin a "new" spreadsheet. I am not physically changing the "view"... (Not sure if that is what you were looking for...

Are there other applications open - This happens when there is nothing else open.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Do you get the message when you open just the Excel program without opening any spreadsheets?
And do you have any spreadsheets that automatically open when you open only Excel?


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

Just troubleshoot Excel. It sounds to me like you've got a nasty file in your XLSTART directory, or you've somehow got yourself a bad template. See the steps here:

http://www.officearticles.com/excel
(Sorry. My site seems to be down at the moment I write this, and I don't know the exact link. Just scroll down to something like "Steps to troubleshoot Microsoft Excel" and click on it to see the steps.)


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

Here's the link:
http://www.officearticles.com/excel/troubleshooting_microsoft_excel.htm


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Anne Troy said:


> Just troubleshoot Excel. It sounds to me like you've got a nasty file in your XLSTART directory, or you've somehow got yourself a bad template.


That is where I was going when I asked "...do you have any spreadsheets that automatically open when you open only Excel?"

It sounds like something big and nasty is going on behind the scenes.
To see if you have something starting when Excel is started, go here
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\XLSTART
Any Excel spreadsheets in that folder open automatically when Excel starts. If there are any in there, _with Excel closed entirely_, cut them and paste them somewhere else (your desktop possibly, just so you know where they are) and then see if the problem has gone away by opening up Excel.


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## tammayrend (Feb 2, 2009)

There's nothing in the folder so i will go through the steps directed in the link to see if I can troubleshoot this and eliminate the issue. Back in a while...


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Okay, try going in Excel (on the annoying machine) to Tools, Add-Ins and see what add-ins you have checked.


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## tammayrend (Feb 2, 2009)

OK here we go. I went through the troubleshooting article:

- I went to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\XLSTART and there are no files starting when XLS opens.

- There are no XLB files

- I dumped the XLS registry key

After each attempt I restarted XLS and nothing changed. 

And finally there is nothing in the "At startup..." box within XLS - As described on the link w/in the article you sent.

I am about to turn off the computer and re-start it completely, although I have little faith THAT will work, but one never knows! And I have not cleaned up my harddrive, although I doubt that's the issue either since there is available space. 

Would fir some STRANGE reason the program not be running since the second drive is full? 

THANKS for all your suggestions, they're much appreciated!


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

tammayrend said:


> And I have not cleaned up my harddrive, although I doubt that's the issue either since there is available space.


Wrong. 

OFTEN, junk files will force Windows to report wrongly, which causes these errors that really don't exist. Clean up your hard drive.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

I would suggest you get CCleaner at http://www.ccleaner.com/ and go to the issues tab and analyze the errors. Do a registry backup (it will be asked for), and then fix all issues.


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