Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007 and 2010. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Out of Memory Errors when Accessing the VBA Editor.
Chris wrote about a problem he is having with VBA. It seems that he's getting the error message "out of memory" when attempting to access the VBA editor. He's tried closing all other applications, checked for background programs, and he has ample disk space. The error message even occurs in workbooks with relatively small procedures.
It could, realistically, be any number of conditions causing the problem. Because of this, it can be hard to track down the cause. There are a couple of clues that suggest that the problem may be due to either an add-in or to a problem with your macro modules.
You can figure out if it is an add-in by simply starting Excel with all the add-ins disabled. Add them back in, one at a time, until you notice the error again cropping up. You will then have a pretty good idea that the problem is caused by the last add-in you enabled.
If the problem is not due to your add-ins, then you should suspect your macro modules. If you spend a lot of time editing your modules, they can become corrupted over time. (This has been a known problem for some time in VBA.) You can usually get around this problem by recreating the workbook in which the problem occurs. Copy the worksheets from the old to the new workbook, and then use the VBA export and import capabilities to move the macro modules from the old workbook to the new one.
A good discussion on memory problems with Excel can be found at these pages:
http://www.decisionmodels.com/memlimitsc.htm
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11196) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007 and 2010. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Out of Memory Errors when Accessing the VBA Editor.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
One of the most common ways of creating macros is to use Excel's macro recorder. This tip shows how easy it is to use the ...
Discover MoreWant to create a summary worksheet that pulls a single row of data from each worksheet in the workbook? Here are a couple ...
Discover MoreWhen you change from one worksheet to another, you may want to have Excel automatically run a macro for the worksheet you ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2018-07-19 15:57:53
Linda
I don't know if Dee had problems just with the VBA Editor and the out of memory issue, or with only opening the file. Even without macros in the workbook I have to constantly remind co-workers not to format the entire worksheet, as it makes the file huge. If there are multiple worksheets in the workbook the file size can get out of control quickly when entire worksheets are formatted.
2018-07-19 13:42:41
Dave
Dee, try starting Excel in safe mode (eg, hold down the Ctrl key), and see if that eliminates the message.
2015-10-31 14:59:28
Dee
I don't have any active add-ins and I have never added a macro. Why would I be getting this message? My computer shows that I have plenty of memory. I closed all my running applications and restarted my computer, starting only the tiny excel file I'm using and I still get the message.
2014-10-15 09:17:27
Shandor
Good ideas except when moving your macros it's easier to paste them into a new module (easily created in the new workbook) if you keep them in a Word doc or text file. If you email this to yourself your macro collection will always be safe for reuse.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007 and 2010. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: 
Comments