"The system is dangerously low on resources" error message when you start Excel 2000

When you start Microsoft Excel 2000, the program abruptly quits and you receive the following error message:

This issue may occur if the Excel toolbar file (Excel.xlb) is damaged. The Excel toolbar file stores information about menu changes and about any custom menus that you may have created.

To determine whether the Excel.xlb file is at fault, first start Excel 2000 in Safe mode. Safe mode bypasses the Excel toolbar file, any startup or shutdown macros that you may have configured, and any files in the XLStart folder. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Click Browse, and then navigate to Excel.exe in the following location:
   C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office
3. In the Open box, add a /s switch to the end of the file path, as follows:
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Excel.exe" /s
4. Click OK.

If you still receive the error message, the problem does not reside in the Excel.xlb file. The error may reside in the Microsoft Windows operating system, in which case you will want to contact Microsoft Windows Product Support for help. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site: If you do not still receive the error message, the Excel toolbar file may be damaged.

1. Use Windows Explorer to locate the Excel toolbar file, located in the C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel folder and named:
   • Excel.xlb, if your computer is not connected to a network or is not set up with a logon prompt.
   -or-
   • Username.xlb, where Username is your user logon name.
2. Right-click the Excel toolbar file, and then click Rename.
3. Change the file-name extension to .old. For example, if the file was named "Excel.xlb," change it to "Excel.old."
4. Quit Windows Explorer.
5. Start Excel 2000.

The program now starts and you can re-create your customized toolbar settings.