# Excel limits?



## Expiry (Oct 6, 2011)

In a discussion about file storage, I jokingly said to a colleague that we should just save every file as book1, book2 etc.

That got me wondering what Excel's limit is. If I open a new file, it's book1, the next is book2.

Is there a limit?

What's the furthest you've ever got to (ooh, err).


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## number kruncher (Oct 6, 2011)

Would the limit be subject to the amount of RAM available?


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## Jon von der Heyden (Oct 6, 2011)

Well I don't think there's a limit in terms of file / workbook names. But the # of workbooks you can open is limited by memory.  As is the number of sheets you can have in a workbook.


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## WaterGypsy (Oct 6, 2011)

If you open a new book you get Book1, the next new book you open is Book2, if you then close Book1 (to avoid memory limits) and open another new one you get Book3 .... probably ad infinitum - well at least until you get very bored


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## Norie (Oct 6, 2011)

Why not find out?

All you should need to do is loop some simple code.

You could even try passing it off as 'research' or something.


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## number kruncher (Oct 6, 2011)

And watch your computer slowly grind to a halt !!!


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## Norie (Oct 6, 2011)

Or explode, spontaneously combust, or both.

I know my laptop would do the latter if given the chance.


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## Jon von der Heyden (Oct 6, 2011)

I believe it should throw "Out of memory" error, or similar.

I don't fancy testing it, but if anyone wants to:

```
Public Sub SuperBored()
    Dim wkb As Workbook
    
    On Error GoTo err_exit
    Do
        Workbooks.Add
    Loop
    
err_exit:
    For Each wkb In Workbooks
        If Not wkb Is ThisWorkbook Then
            If Workbooks.Count = 2 Then
                MsgBox "Last workbook created: " & wkb.Name
            Else
                wkb.Close SaveChanges:=False
            End If
        End If
    Next wkb
End Sub
```


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## taurean (Oct 6, 2011)

Norie said:


> Or explode, spontaneously combust, or both.
> 
> I know my laptop would do the latter if given the chance.


 

```
Public Sub NoriesFieryLoop()
Dim SafetyLimit as Distance
Do
StepAway = StepAway + 1
'Place your Fiery Code here
While SafetyLimit < msoSafeDistance
End Sub
```


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## number kruncher (Oct 6, 2011)

I'm not scared...

I ran the code and got to Book697, before, I got the following message.

"Excel cannot complete this task with available resources. Choose less data or close other applications."

The only Apps open was an RDP link to an external server.

Oh, and I have 12GB of RAM onboard.


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## Expiry (Oct 6, 2011)

number kruncher said:


> I'm not scared...
> 
> I ran the code and got to Book697, before, I got the following message.
> 
> ...



Well done. You've set the bar pretty high.


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## arkusM (Oct 6, 2011)

number kruncher said:


> I'm not scared...
> 
> I ran the code and got to Book697, before, I got the following message.
> 
> ...


 

My clunker made it to 727, only 1 GB of Ram... it took a long, long time.
Excel 2003.
Excel was the only user initiated program, and whatever default stuff that out IT runs on our boxes.


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## Norie (Oct 6, 2011)

That's nothing, I got to 42.

Probably could have got further but I got bored and tried to CTRL+BREAK it.

Excel greyed out, stopped responding, wanted to fix the problem, send a report etc so I shut it down humanely with Task manager.


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## number kruncher (Oct 6, 2011)

Maybe the RAM amount has no bearing on this?

My setup is..

Windows 7 64Bit
Excel 2007


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## Expiry (Oct 6, 2011)

My work laptop is only one upgrade away from an etch-a-sketch and it took about 20 minutes to get to 616. 

I didn't get an error message, it just kind of submitted.


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## JamesW (Oct 7, 2011)

Is this going to be a new MrExcel competition?


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## Sandeep Warrier (Oct 10, 2011)

I tried Jon's code twice..... it first went upto 79 and then to 38....


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## Jon von der Heyden (Oct 10, 2011)

Sandeep Warrier said:


> I tried Jon's code twice..... it first went upto 79 and then to 38....



And tell the board Sandeep, where is your nice new i7 at the moment?


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## Sandeep Warrier (Oct 10, 2011)

Jon von der Heyden said:


> And tell the board Sandeep, where is your nice new i7 at the moment?



It's an i5 .... though where it is at present is still a question!


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## SydneyGeek (Oct 10, 2011)

My new toy's an i7 with 8GB RAM 

Denis


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## Jon von der Heyden (Oct 10, 2011)

I was celebrating a new i3 just 3 months ago.  You guys make me feel like a cheap-skate!


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## Sandeep Warrier (Oct 10, 2011)

SydneyGeek said:


> My new toy's an i7 with 8GB RAM
> 
> Denis



Nice! Mine is an i5 with 4GB RAM 




Jon von der Heyden said:


> I was celebrating a new i3 just 3  months ago.  You guys make me feel like a cheap-skate!



hahahahahahaha... I had bot the i5 last November 

I think it was my brilliant coding skills that did it in


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## SydneyGeek (Oct 10, 2011)

Nah, I'm the cheapskate. It was an ultra special so I jumped. $750. But it flies...

Denis


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## T. Valko (Oct 10, 2011)

taurean said:


> ```
> Public Sub NoriesFieryLoop()
> Dim SafetyLimit as Distance
> Do
> ...


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## T. Valko (Oct 10, 2011)

SydneyGeek said:


> Nah, I'm the cheapskate. It was an ultra special so I jumped. $750. But it flies...
> 
> Denis


Man, would you guys stop spouting off about your fancy prancy brand new state-of-the-art machines with oodles of ram and processor speed! 

I'm feeling so inadequate with my nearly 10yr old Compaq!


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## SydneyGeek (Oct 10, 2011)

T. Valko said:


> Man, would you guys stop spouting off about your fancy prancy brand new state-of-the-art machines with oodles of ram and processor speed!
> 
> I'm feeling so inadequate with my nearly 10yr old Compaq!


 
Those things are just about unbreakable! Longest I've got out of a laptop before was 6 years, then no screen and burning smell...

Denis


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## Domski (Oct 11, 2011)

I was playing Crysis on my 2nd Gen i7 on the train yesterday with the detail turned up to the max. It's hugely impressive but the battery only lasts for about 90 mins before I need to plug in rather that about 7 hours playing with Excel. I know which one makes the journey go quicker though.

Dom


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## bensonsearch (Oct 27, 2011)

hahahah what an awesome thread, my PC is AMD dual core 2.9 with 4 GB ram and about oh roughly 7 TB HDD space hahahaha


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## taurean (Oct 27, 2011)

T. Valko said:


> Man, would you guys stop spouting off about your fancy prancy brand new state-of-the-art machines with oodles of ram and processor speed!
> 
> I'm feeling so inadequate with my nearly 10yr old Compaq!


 
No worries, these guys are actually mistaking Excel Limits to Computer Limits .

But then the statement is also due to the fact that I own 3 and half year old Core 2 Duo processor


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## SydneyGeek (Oct 27, 2011)

taurean said:


> No worries, these guys are actually mistaking Excel Limits to Computer Limits .
> 
> But then the statement is also due to the fact that I own 3 and half year old Core 2 Duo processor


 
True, but when a huge workbook brings your PC to its knees, you appreciate something with more grunt 

Denis


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## taurean (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes.

Know what I have IBM P4 (dates around 2002) in the office, it meek-grunts at almost everything. Especially, 3D CAD apps that we use in Oil & Gas field.


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## T. Valko (Oct 27, 2011)

SydneyGeek said:


> True, but when a huge workbook brings your PC to its knees, you appreciate something with more grunt
> 
> Denis


Yeah, that's what I need, more grunt.

I so badly want to get a new machine but I'm paralyzed about exactly how I want to "spec it".

32 bit or 64 bit? I want to be able to use ALL of my current 32 bit software WITH NO PROBLEMS.

I see in forums that there's a lot of problems with 64 bit Office software. So for that reason I'd like to stay with 32 bit but then I'll still be in the stone age even though I have brand new machine! 

Computer technology, wait a day or two and it's already obsolete!


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## Smitty (Oct 27, 2011)

Heya Biff, 

If it helps any, I have Windows 7 64-Bit with Office 2010 32-Bit and don't have any problems.  I uninstalled Office 2010 64-Bit after a day because of incompatibilities.

If you're willing to build it yourself you can find some great barebones PC deals at TigerDirect.  Shoot, I think a 1TB hard-drive is $54!


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## MrKowz (Oct 27, 2011)

TigerDirect and NewEgg both have great prices on parts.  Built my parents a computer for christmas last year.  Triple core AMD processor & motherboard, 320gb HD, 600W PSU, 4GB RAM -- all that was only $350ish.  Add in a DVD Drive and a case, you're only looking at around $400.  Then if ya need a new Win7 disc, that's another $200.  Still, for $600 you can build a computer that is worth about $750-$800 retail (and it will have quality parts in it).


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