Fix SSRS Word Export Error: Not Enough Memory or Disk to Display Picture
Question details
Users are unable to view embedded JPEG or PNG images in SSRS reports exported to the older Word DOC format due to a memory or disk space error message.
- Product
- Microsoft Word 365 / SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Opening an SSRS report exported as a Word DOC file containing embedded images, specifically after a recent Windows update.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Word 365 fails to load the embedded images and instead displays the error message: 'Not enough memory or disk to display the picture'.
Ensure you have access to modify your SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) export configurations, or contact your system administrator to make the required format changes.
Change SSRS Export Format to WORDOPENXML (DOCX)
The most effective solution is to update the SSRS configuration to export reports in the modern DOCX format, which handles images more efficiently than legacy DOC files.
Legacy Word formats (.doc) often struggle with modern image rendering after system updates. By forcing SSRS to use the newer Open XML format, Word 365 can natively process the embedded JPEGs and PNGs without triggering false memory limits.
Open your SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) configuration file (rsreportserver.config) or the specific report definition.
Search for the rendering extension parameter that is currently configured as format="WORD".
Modify the parameter from format="WORD" to format="WORDOPENXML".
Save your configuration changes, restart the reporting service if necessary, and generate a new export. Open the resulting DOCX file in Word 365 to verify the images load correctly.
Troubleshoot Microsoft Word 365 Settings
If you cannot immediately change the SSRS export format, you can try isolating the issue within Microsoft Word 365.
Open Legacy Word Exports Smoothly with WPS Office
If Microsoft Word 365 struggles to process your SSRS report exports or throws false memory errors, try WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, lightweight alternative that handles both legacy DOC and modern DOCX files seamlessly without resource-heavy overhead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Word say 'not enough memory or disk space' when my computer has plenty of RAM?
This error in Word 365 is usually a generic rendering failure rather than a physical lack of RAM or disk space. It frequently occurs when Word's graphics engine struggles to process embedded images inside legacy .doc formats following a recent Windows update.
What is the difference between WORD and WORDOPENXML in SSRS?
In SSRS configurations, 'WORD' exports reports as legacy Microsoft Word 97-2003 documents (.doc). 'WORDOPENXML' exports them as modern Open XML documents (.docx), which offer better image handling, improved security, and smaller file sizes.
Will converting the exported DOC file to DOCX manually fix the error?
If you can manage to open the DOC file without the program crashing, navigating to File > Save As and saving it as a DOCX file can sometimes resolve the image display issue. However, fixing the export format directly at the SSRS server level is the most reliable solution.
