error message trying to save a particular Word document "The save failed due to out of memory or disc space"

Erica Fitzgibbons 0 Reputation points
2026-03-22T16:27:23.72+00:00

I get an error message when trying to save a word document provided as a template from my school. It states " The save failed due to out of memory or disc space"

I have not have this issue with any other templates from school before. I even bought a new computer thinking it was an issue with my old one and I am still getting the error message

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For education | MacOS

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  1. Hendrix-C 20,020 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-22T19:44:59.1666667+00:00

    Hi @Erica Fitzgibbons,

    For further assistance, could you provide more detailed information about this situation? I appreciate your understanding and cooperation. 

    • Which macOS version you are currently using? 
    • Which Word version (for example, Microsoft 365, and the build number)? 
    • Are you able to edit and save documents successfully using Word on the web? 
    • Where you’re currently saving the file?  Are you saving it locally on your Mac, or to a cloud location such as OneDrive, iCloud, or another cloud-synced folder? 

    In the meantime, you can try these steps to narrow down the situation:

    1/ Try saving to a different location 

    • Go to File > Save As, then save the file to your Desktop or another local folder on your Mac (avoid cloud locations) 
    • If the file saves successfully there, the issue may be related to the original save location or that specific folder. 

    2/ Create a new file

    This helps determine whether the original file itself may be corrupted. 

    • Open the document > Cmd + A to select all the contents > Copy 
    • Create a new Word document and paste the content into the new file 
    • Try saving and reopening to see if the issue persists.

    Please understand that my initial response may not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. 

    Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I look forward to hearing from you. 

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.  

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  2. AI answer

    2026-03-22T16:27:39.8266667+00:00

    The error message indicates Word believes there is not enough memory or disk space available to complete the save, even though the actual cause can be environmental or a bug.

    For this kind of error when saving a specific document/template, use these steps:

    1. Free disk space and memory on the Mac
      • Close all other applications, especially large ones (browsers with many tabs, other Office apps), then try saving again.
      • Ensure there is sufficient free space on the drive where the document is being saved. If space is low, delete or move unneeded files and empty the Trash.
    2. Try saving to a different location
      • Save the document to a different folder or drive (for example, a local folder in the user profile instead of a network or synced location) to rule out path or permission issues.
    3. Check for antivirus or security tools
      • If any third‑party antivirus or security software is installed on the Mac, temporarily disable it and try saving again. Certain antivirus products are known to interfere with Word’s save process and trigger “out of memory or disk space” errors. If disabling fixes the issue, contact the antivirus vendor for an update or workaround.
    4. Update Office for Mac
      • Open Word (or any Office app) and use Help → Check for Updates.
      • Set checking to Automatic and install all available updates.
      • Restart Word and test saving the school template again.
    5. If the error persists only with that school template
      • Create a new blank document in Word and copy/paste the content from the problem template into the new file, then save under a new name and location.
      • If the new file saves correctly, continue working from that new document instead of the original template.

    If none of the above resolves the issue, install the latest Office for Mac updates and then contact support with the exact template and steps used so they can check for a template‑specific or environmental bug.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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