Microsoft KB Archive/45693

Excel 2.20: Out of Memory Error Message with Memory Available

PSS ID Number: Q45693 Article last modified on 11-02-1994

2.20

MACINTOSH

This article has been replaced by Q99345 which contains updated, cross-platform information.

= SUMMARY =

You can get an “Out of Memory” message in Microsoft Excel version 2.20 for the Macintosh even when there is additional memory available to Excel.

This problem can occur because Excel’s memory is split into three groups: the Cell Table, the Heap Space, and the Application Heap. Each of these groups has a maximum size, and Excel will give the “Out of Memory” message when any of these three groups is full, or when the total memory available to Excel is used.

= MORE INFORMATION =

The memory available to Excel (free memory under Finder, or allocated memory under MultiFinder) is split into the following three dynamically allocated groups:


 * 1) The Cell Table. This group contains a 6-byte memory block for each cell used in the worksheet. If the information in a cell is too complex to be contained in 6 bytes, the cell table contains a pointer to a block in the second group of memory, the Heap Space.
 * 2) The Heap Space. In addition to containing more complex formulas, the Heap Space contains information for the worksheet such as formatting, borders, fonts, defined names, etc.
 * 3) The Application Heap. The final group of memory primarily contains the actual program code for Excel.

Each group of memory is dynamically allocated: it can grow or shrink in size, as needed, and need not be contiguous. However, there is a maximum size for each of the memory groups, as follows:

Memory Group Max Size Use of Each Group ———— ——– —————–

Cell Table 16 MB Contains 6 bytes for each used cell

Heap Space 2 MB More complex formulas/formatting

Application Heap 2 MB Program Code

For example, you may get an “Out of Memory” message if the Heap Space expands beyond 2 MB even though there is additional room in the Cell Table and the total memory available to Excel is not used. This is most commonly seen when you open multiple worksheets containing a great deal of formatting or a large number of complex formulas. In this case, the Cell Table would contain mostly pointers to memory locations in the Heap Space, which would be filled with the more complex formulas as well as the formatting and document-specific information for each worksheet.

To maximize memory usage in the Heap Space, reduce the number of fonts used in the worksheet, simplify formatting, and use COMMAND+ENTERed array formulas to fill similar formulas into adjacent cells.

For more information on maximizing memory usage, query on the following words:

memory and management and MultiFinder and array and maximize

KBCategory: kbother KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 2.20

=
================================================================

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.