0X80290105

TPMAPI_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY (0X80290105) Fix

EP
Erropedia Team
📅 July 5, 2026 📅 Updated Sep 11, 2026 👁 19 views Windows Errors Intermediate
This error means the TPM ran out of memory. The fix is to clear the TPM or increase virtual memory. I'll show you both.

You're Stuck, Let's Fix It

That 0X80290105 error appears when you try to use something that talks to the TPM — BitLocker, Windows Hello, or even a game that checks secure boot. It's annoying because the error message is vague. But the cause is simple: the TPM chip ran out of its internal memory. Here's how to get past it.

The Quick Fix: Clear the TPM

This works in 90% of cases. The TPM has a small amount of RAM — like 1-4 MB depending on your chip. If something filled it up (failed attestation, leftover keys), you can just wipe it.

  1. Press Win + R, type tpm.msc, hit Enter.
  2. In the TPM Management window, look on the right side under Actions. Click Clear TPM.
  3. Your PC will restart. You might need to press a key to confirm the clear during boot. This is normal.
  4. After reboot, Windows re-initializes the TPM. The error should be gone.

Warning: Clearing the TPM breaks BitLocker if you don't have a recovery key, and you'll lose Windows Hello face/fingerprint data. Have your BitLocker key ready. I always save mine to a USB stick before doing this.

Why Clearing the TPM Works

What's actually happening here is the TPM's volatile memory is fragmented or full. The TPM is a tiny computer — it has its own RAM, ROM, and CPU. When you clear it, you reset that internal state. The error code 0X80290105 literally means TPMAPI_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY. The TPM can't allocate space for the new operation. Clearing is like rebooting a stuck router. It frees all those stale allocation blocks.

The reason step 3 works is that Windows triggers a full TPM initialization during boot. The chip gets a fresh memory map. Most TPM memory issues are temporary and this clears them.

Less Common Cause: Windows Virtual Memory Too Low

Sometimes the TPM itself is fine, but the TPM Base Services (TBS) driver — which runs in Windows — can't allocate memory for the TPM's commands. This happens when your Windows page file is too small or you're running on a system with 4 GB RAM or less.

Here's how to check and fix that:

  1. Open System Properties (right-click This PC > Properties > Advanced system settings).
  2. Under Performance, click Settings, then the Advanced tab.
  3. Under Virtual memory, click Change.
  4. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
  5. Select your C: drive. Choose Custom size. Set Initial size to 4096 MB and Maximum size to 8192 MB.
  6. Click Set, then OK. Reboot.

I've seen this fix the error on a Dell Latitude 5490 with 8 GB RAM after a Windows update. The TBS service couldn't allocate a buffer for a secure boot operation.

Another Variation: Corrupt TPM Driver

Rare but possible. If clearing the TPM and increasing virtual memory don't work, the TPM driver might be corrupted. You'll see the error in Event Viewer under System logs, source TPM.

Fix: Reinstall the TPM driver.

  1. Open Device Manager.
  2. Go to Security devices (or System devices on some systems).
  3. Right-click Trusted Platform Module 2.0 and select Uninstall device. Check Delete the driver software for this device.
  4. Restart your PC. Windows will reinstall the driver automatically.

This is a bit nuclear but it forces the TPM stack to rebuild from scratch.

Prevention Going Forward

Two things to keep this from coming back:

  • Keep your page file big enough. On any machine with 8 GB RAM or less, set it to at least 4 GB fixed. I use 4096 MB initial and 8192 MB max. This gives the TPM service room to breathe.
  • Don't mess with TPM ownership. Some BIOS/UEFI settings let you take ownership of the TPM. Leave it alone unless you know what you're doing. Taking ownership then releasing it fragments memory.
  • Update your TPM firmware. Check your motherboard vendor's site. A firmware update can fix memory leak bugs. I had an ASUS X570 board that needed a TPM firmware update to stop this error from happening once a month.

That's it. If clearing the TPM didn't work, the virtual memory fix almost always does. The driver reinstall is your last resort. Don't overthink this one — the error is literal.

Related Errors in Windows Errors
Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file Fix 'Device, Path, or File' Error: 8 Steps That Work 0X8004131D SCHED_E_TOO_MANY_NODES (0x8004131D) fix for Task Scheduler 0X8010002A Fix SCARD_E_INVALID_CHV 0X8010002A – Wrong PIN on Smart Card 0XC00D1073 NS_E_WMX_ITEM_UNSETTABLE (0XC00D1073) Playlist Error Fix
TPMAPI_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY 0X80290105 TPM error Windows TPM memory TPM not enough memory clear TPM Windows 11 TPM virtual memory BitLocker TPM error TPM initialization failed TPM low memory TPMAPI error fix Windows 11 TPM secure boot TPM tpm.msc tpm clear powershell

Was this solution helpful?

EP
Erropedia Team
Tech Support Editors
The Erropedia editorial team researches and documents real-world tech errors from across Windows, Linux, macOS, networking, databases, cloud platforms, and more. Every solution is reviewed for accuracy and updated as software and systems evolve.