OFF95: Out of Memory Errors with Too Many Sections in Binder (137251)

SYMPTOMS

If you add a large number of sections (more than 30) to a Binder in Microsoft Office Binder, you may receive an "Out of Memory" error message or another similar memory error message.

CAUSE

There is no "set" limit for the number of sections that you can add before you receive the "Out of Memory" error message. The number depends on available system resources and actual memory constraints of the computer on which Microsoft Binder is running.

When you add a section to a Binder, if the program that you use to create the section is not already running, an invisible instance of the program is started. If the program is already running (visible or invisible), this instance is used instead of starting a new instance. Each additional section that you add uses system resources, fewer resources are used if the program is already running.

Note that adding a section to Binder requires more resources than adding information to an existing section. For example, adding twenty worksheets to one Microsoft Excel section in your Binder requires less memory that adding twenty Microsoft Excel sections to your Binder.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem and avoid receiving an "Out of Memory" error message when you are working in a Binder, limit the number of sections in a Binder to 25-30. You can combine Microsoft Excel sections into fewer sections with multiple sheets to reduce the total number of sections and therefore reduce the overhead associated with keeping the information in the Microsoft Binder.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.