Word error: Not enough memory to run this program

The 30-second fix: close everything and restart

Before you dig into anything complicated, let's rule out a simple resource crunch. Word needs about 200-400 MB of free RAM to start. If you've got 15 browser tabs open, Photoshop, and a Zoom call running, that can push Word into this error even though your PC has 16 GB total.

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Look under “Processes” for any apps using over 1 GB of memory. Chrome and Edge are common culprits. Right-click them and choose “End task.”
3. Close everything. Not just minimize — actually close all programs.
4. Try opening Word again. If it works, you're done. Just keep an eye on how many apps you run at once.

If the error comes back as soon as you reopen your document, move to the next fix.

The 5-minute moderate fix: delete the Normal.dotm template

This is the real fix for 80% of these “not enough memory” errors in Word. The Normal.dotm file is Word's default template — it stores your default font, margins, and macros. When it gets corrupted, Word sees it as a memory leak and throws this false memory warning. Deleting it forces Word to rebuild a fresh one.

1. Close Word completely.
2. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
3. Type %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates and press Enter. A File Explorer window opens.
4. Look for a file named Normal.dotm. If you see it, right-click and rename it to OldNormal.dotm. Don't delete it yet — you may want to restore it later if something goes wrong.
5. Open Word. It should start normally now, creating a new Normal.dotm file automatically.
6. If Word still shows the error, close it and delete OldNormal.dotm. Then try again.

After this, Word opens with default formatting — your custom styles and macros are gone. But you can reapply them later. The important thing is the error is gone.

The 15+ minute advanced fix: disable add-ins and repair Office

If the template fix didn't work, the problem is likely a broken COM add-in or a corrupt Office installation. Add-ins are extra programs (like Grammarly, Adobe Acrobat, or reference managers) that load into Word. A bad one can mimic a memory shortage.

Step 1: Start Word in safe mode

Safe mode loads Word without any add-ins. It's the quickest diagnostic test.

1. Hold the Ctrl key and double-click the Word icon. A dialog says “Do you want to start Word in safe mode?” Click Yes.
2. If Word opens in safe mode without the error, add-ins are the cause.

Step 2: Disable all add-ins

1. In Word (still in safe mode), go to File > Options > Add-ins.
2. At the bottom, next to “Manage,” select COM Add-ins from the dropdown and click Go.
3. Uncheck every box in the list. Click OK.
4. Close Word and restart it normally (not safe mode).
5. If the error is gone, one of the add-ins was the problem. Re-enable them one at a time, restarting Word each time, until the error returns. When it does, you've found the bad add-in. Keep it disabled or check for an update from its vendor.

Step 3: Repair Office installation

If add-ins aren't the issue, the Office installation itself may be damaged. A Quick Repair takes 5 minutes and doesn't remove your files. An Online Repair (next option) takes 30+ minutes and requires internet.

1. Press Windows key, type “Control Panel,” and open it.
2. Click Uninstall a program (under Programs).
3. Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office in the list. Right-click it and choose Change.
4. Select Quick Repair and click Repair. Wait for it to finish.
5. Test Word. If the error persists, go back and choose Online Repair instead. This reinstalls Office completely, so have your product key handy if prompted.

One more thing: clear the Word cache

Word stores temporary files in a cache. A corrupted cache can also trigger this error. Clearing it is simple:

1. Close Word.
2. Press Windows key + R, type %temp%, and press Enter.
3. Delete everything you can in the Temp folder (some files may be in use — skip those).
4. Also go to C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\ and delete the 16.0 or 15.0 folder (depending on your Office version).
5. Restart your PC and try Word again.

If none of these fixes work, you're dealing with a deeper issue like a failing hard drive or a corrupted Windows profile. In that case, test with another user account on the same PC. If the error doesn't happen there, your main profile is damaged and you'll need to create a new one.