Word error message:insufficient memory

[BC_Programmer]

I cannot do a Scandisk or Defrag.

Are we talking about Memory or Disk space? Because a save operation, surprisingly, requires free space on the disk.

[denisaf]

There is no problem with disk space. memory is supposedly the problem, according to the error messages.
quote author=denisaf link=topic=59876.msg378484#msg378484 date=1214199692]
SYSTEM PROPERTIES Performance tab says 192.0 MB of RAM
Windows manages Virtual Memory
disk C:\ 74.5 GB with 14.5 GB used

[/quote]
Virtual memory is set to 'Let windows manage my virtual memory settings'

I have also had this memory problem when trying to run some DOS Basic application programs

RegCure
XoftSpySE
Ad-AwareSE are installed

[Broni]

Try setting virtual memory to fixed number: 384MB. Set min, and max to the same number.

BTW, BC_Programmer...good question, and another example of M$ not even understanding a difference between hard drive space, and RAM. I've seen some M$ errors, complaining about low memory, and the solution ended up with low disk space.

[denisaf]

Disk space is clearly not a problem on this PC. I did have that problem on my previous PC some years ago. I have set virtual memory min max to 384 MB. I notice the tab had hard disk c:\-4199 MB free. Is that indicative of the problem? After rebooting with the new virtual memory settings, I tried a ScanDisk and got the usual error message about not enough available memory.

[Broni]

You say:

disk C:\ 74.5 GB with 14.5 GB used

then:

I notice the tab had hard disk c:\-4199 MB free

Which one is it?
Open My Computer, right click on C, and click "Properties". What does it say?

[denisaf]

Properties gives the figures in the first quote, which conflicts with the figures in the second quote. I have no idea where the second figure comes from. The people who provided me with this PC copied all the files from the old PC onto this one. Is it possible that Windows is looking at the file relating to the small disk on the old PC rather than the much larger disk on the current PC.  There was a normal.dot file for both the current PC and from the old PC.

[Broni]

I have no idea where the second figure comes from

Where can you see it?

[denisaf]

System Properties box Performance tab click Virtual memory Hard disk window reads
C:\ -4088MB Free

[denisaf]

I have another PC with windows 98SE. I went through the same routine with that one and got the Hard Disk window message 'C:\ 6117 MB Free'. This seems to confirm that PC1 is accessing the wrong file to find out what the free memory is.

[Broni]

What Word version is it? All updates applied?

[denisaf]

It is Word 2000. I recently reinstalled Office 2000 after a file corruption made Word inoperable. I have looked at what folders are in old-c (the set of files copied from the disk of the old PC). It has Office and Windows folders. Is it possible that files in these old folders are being use instead of in the current ones? Should I send the old Windows to the recycle bin?

[Broni]

Possible. Get rid of those folders.
After that, you may reinstall Office again. This time, remember to manually remove Office folder, before reinstalling it again.

[BC_Programmer]

the reason the two free space calculations are different is because the "correct" one is using the GetDiskFreeSpaceEx function, which returns a 64-bit value. for some reason the other one is calling GetDiskFreeSpace, which is a single  32-bit value, when used on a drive that contains too much free space, the first bit (the sign bit) is set, and the entire upper 32-bits of the value is lost. Thus the negative and the seemingly unrelated number afterwards.


I just figured it might be disk space because that would prevent defrag from running, and would lead to problems saving files.

It is Word 2000. I recently reinstalled Office 2000 after a file corruption made Word inoperable. I have looked at what folders are in old-c (the set of files copied from the disk of the old PC). It has Office and Windows folders. Is it possible that files in these old folders are being use instead of in the current ones? Should I send the old Windows to the recycle bin?

If at some point you accidentally started one of the office applications from the executable on that disk, it might have rewritten some registry settings to point to it's new location on the old C drive (now D: or some other letter I'm guessing? or a separate folder on your current C:?

This seems to be a problem "deeper" then office... especially when scandisk and defrag won't run, but give Broni's suggestion a shot. who knows?

[denisaf]

I removed Windows and Office from the old-c folder and then rebooted. The Hard disk box in Virtual Memory tab gave c:\-3666MB Free. I noted that the figure was slightly different. My Computer says c: has 60.3GB free. I tried a DiskScan and got the usual error message of not enough free memory. I have had this problem for years when I was not using Office so it seems that the operational Windows has been corrupted by having the old Windows. 

[denisaf]

There is one other point I should mention in relation to the long term problem. I have been unable to manually organize a ScanDisk for years (as I have mentioned) but it did not worry me too much because on occasions the PC froze and I have to do an unusual Windows shutdown. This was recognized in the reboot by automatically doing a Scandisk.