# Microsoft Office Application Help - Excel Help forum > Excel General >  >  excel cannot complete this task with available resources

## Thornburg

I am trying to open 2 excel documents at the same time. When I open the second one I get this error:
'excel cannot complete this task with available resources'
If I try to open the second file first and then open the first file I get the same error. I get this error only with these 2 files, If I try to open up any other combo of files they open up just fine.

We are on a network, this happens on all users machines, including the main server which in a xeon 3.4 gh with 8 gigs of ram. I also tried copying the file from the server and pasting it onto a machine.....same error.

These files are password protected so I open them read only. But, we have tried entering in the password...still same error. Also, we have tried unpassword protecting the files and still get the same error.

the files are 5MB each, but I have tried opening files that are 15MB each and they open just fine. It has to be something in these two files, but I do not know what.



Version: Excel 2003
Workstation Platform: Windows XP Pro
Server Platform: 2003 Enterprise
kbase: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331863  <-- 2002 only...not 2003


Please Help!

Thanks,
Donald

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## Thornburg

Also, the last time this worked was five days ago, I ran a recovery of these two files for 6 and 7 days ago....still having the same issue. I called Microsoft and spoke to an Excel Engineer, he cannot figure this out. I spoke to another microsoft tech and she kept blaming the issue was either the file size is too big or I need to operate in safe mode or reboot my computer and she even said "its a networking issue, let me transfer you to our network department"  :Confused:  
This issue is happening on all our machines, it is a file issue and not a network or computer issue. I am done trying to get help from microsoft because they had me reboot my machine twice, go into selective startup twice, and read my current cpu information to them like 4 times already.......they are way off base of what the issue is. I am not saying I know what I am talking about, but I at least know it has nothing to do with our computer and has something to do with these 2 files itself. If anyone has any idea how to solve this I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Donald

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## glatfelters

Did anyone figure this one out?  I am having the same issue.  I have a machine with office xp and one with office 2003 and both are giving that error and it definitely not a physical memory issue.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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## rb1213

go to :
C:\Documents and Settings\*USERNAME*\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel

and delete all the files in that folder.
this will solve your problem !!




ciao,
Renzo Beggia

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## hofmann.mark

Each time, you close Excel, the programme creates a file called Excel11.xlb.
If some error of some sort occurs, strange information is collected in this file.

Just search for this file and delete it.

Thereafter, everything works fine and you will not get the error message again.

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