‘Not enough storage is available to process this command’ Skype

Skype users have been struggling with the “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error for a couple of years. There are a lot of potential fixes for this issue, but some of the fixes available on the internet became outdated with the latest Skype versions.

After doing a thorough investigation on the issue, here’s a shortlist of culprits that are known to be causing the “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error :

• Known Skype bug that was already addressed by Microsoft in the newest releases.
• Outdated video driver unable to cope with the latest Skype performance changes.
• Internet Explorer is missing from the computer and is required by Skype.
• The IRPStackSize parameter is insufficient for Skype required data transports.
• Incompatibility between Skype and another 3rd party app (Raptr is known to cause this issue)

If you’re currently struggling with this issue, troubleshoot the error away with the methods listed below. The potential fixes present in this article are meant to address every variation of this issue. Please follow each method in order until you encounter a fix that resolves your situation. Let’s begin!

Method 1: Update Skype to latest version

Microsoft has already addressed this issue with several patches until now. Unfortunately, the issue is not yet fixed entirely for all users. However, most bugs related to the Skype client have been patched at the time of writing this article. With this in mind, you should start your troubleshooting quest by updating your Skype client to the latest version. If the issue was caused by an internal application bug, the issue should be automatically resolved by a client update.

Note: Keep in mind that Skype is configured by default to update automatically. However, there are known occurrences when the client fails to update unless it’s manually addressed.

To update Skype, open the client and go to Help > Check for Updates. If a new version is available, the update will be downloaded and Skype will restart to install it.

If you can’t update via the help menu, use this Skype update page (here). Just click on the Update Now button and follow the on-screen prompts.

Method 2: Install Internet Explorer 11 (Windows 7)

The “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error can happen if your computer is missing Internet Explorer 11. Although we’re not too sure on the technicalities behind this, some users have reported that all the newer Skype versions now require you to have IE 11 installed (if you’re on Windows 7). Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 already have IE 11 installed by default, but Windows 7 does not.

If you’re on Windows 7, you can quickly update to Internet Explorer 11 by visiting this link (here). After you select your Windows Product Version you’ll be directed towards a download link.

Method 3: Update your graphics card driver

This particular issue is sometimes related to a bad or outdated video driver. Lately, Skype has received a lot of performance changes when it comes to dealing with audio and video calls. While these changes have certainly improved video calls (especially group video calls), they might cause problems on systems with old graphics drivers. If you get this error while in a video call or group call, consider updating your video card driver to the latest version.

Note: If you have the latest graphics driver, skip straight to the next method.

Below you have the steps of updating your graphics driver via Device Manager. This method relies on Windows Update (WU) to look for the appropriate driver online. This usually works well with integrated graphics cards, but might fail when having to update a dedicated GPU driver. If the below method doesn’t find a new driver version, refer to the instructions below to update a dedicated GPU driver.

1. Press Windows key + R, type “devmgmt.msc” and hit Enter to open Device Manager.
   
2. Scroll down to Display Adapters and expand the drop-down menu. Right-click on the graphics driver and select Update Driver (Update Driver Software).
   Note: You might see two different entries under Display Adapters. This usually occurs with laptops and notebooks that have both an integrated and a dedicated graphics card. If you’re on a laptop, Skype probably uses the integrated graphics card, unless you force it to use the dedicated component. To be safe, update both drivers (if applicable).
3. Click on Search automatically for updated driver software and wait while Windows scans online for drivers. If it founds a newer driver, wait until it is installed and your system rebooted.
   

In the event that Windows Update wasn’t able to identify the latest version of your dedicated GPU driver, you’ll need to update it manually.

• If you have a Nvidia card, visit this driver download page (here) and download the appropriate driver based on the model and Windows version. You can also use GeForce Experience to download the appropriate driver software automatically.
• If you own an ATI GPU, download the drivers manually from the AMD download page (here). Similar to GeForce Experience, ATI has a similar software called Gaming Evolved that you can use to download the latest driver version automatically.

Once you install the latest graphics card driver, reboot your system and see if you removed the “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error. If it’s still appearing, move to the method below.

Method 4: Uninstall Raptr (if applicable)

There might be more programs that are causing compatibility issues with Skype, but Raptr is certainly the most popular culprit. Some users that use Skype when gaming with their friends have reported receiving the  “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error when using both Skype and Raptr at the same time.

Note: Raptr has been recently discontinued, so it’s likely to create problems with other applications in the future.

If you find yourself in a situation like this, a confirmed solution would be to uninstall Raptr from your system.  If you used Raptr to capture your best gaming moments and track your gaming hours, consider replacing it with a similar software like Evolve.

Method 5: Edit IRPStackSize value in Registry

This method is a popular fix used to fix “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error. Keep in mind that this is also applicable to any other application that is showing this error, not just Skype.

The IRPStackSize parameter specifies the number of stack locations used by your Windows version. Depending on your PC configuration, increasing the IRPStackSize parameter might just give Skype enough space to work with and remove the error entirely.

Here’s a quick guide to changing the IRPStackSize parameter:

1. Press Windows key + R to open a Run window. Type “regedit” and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.
   
2. In Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ LanmanServer \ Parameters.
   
3. Next, look for the IRPStackSize key in the right-hand panel. If the key is present, skip straight to step 6. If you can’t find a value named IRPStackSize, continue with the steps below to create one.
4. With the Parameters subkey selected, go to Edit > New and click on Dword (32-bit) Value.
   
5. Once the value is created, name it IRPStackSize and hit Enter to register it.
   Note: Keep in mind that the value name is case sensitive, so make sure you type IRPStackSize exactly as displayed.
6. When you have the IRPStackSize value in the right-hand panel, right click on it and choose Modify. Set the Base to Hexadecimal, then set the Value data somewhere in the region of 25. The exact number is up to you, but I wouldn’t recommend going over 30. Finally, hit Ok to save the value.
   Note: The default value of the IRPStackSize parameter is 15. Windows is configured to use 15 as value even if you don’t create a value for it in Registry Editor. However, you can set IRPStackSize to a value starting with 11, to a maximum of 50. But keep in mind 33 to 38 are known to cause other issues with certain data transfers.
7. Once the IRPStackSize value has been created and adjusted, close Registry Editor and restart your computer. If the problem persists after the reboot, continue with the final two methods.

Method 6: Downgrade to an older Skype version

Some users have managed to resolve the issue by downgrading to an older Skype version. If the issue only appeared recently on your PC, there’s a slight chance that the error is caused by an internal bug. If that’s the case, uninstalling your current Skype version and resorting to an older but more stable build will resolve the issue. Typically, users consider version 7.33 to be one of the stablest builds available.

Here’s a quick guide on downgrading Skype to an older version:

1. Open a Run window (Windows key + R), type “appwiz.cpl” and hit Enter to open Programs and features.
   
2. Scroll down through the program list, right-click on Skype and choose Uninstall. Then, follow the on-screen prompts to uninstall from your system.
   
3. Visit this link (here) and download an older Skype version. We recommend version 7.33.0.105 since it’s known to be the most stable builds from the latest releases.
   
4. Open the installation executable and follow the on-screen prompts to install it on your system.
5. Reboot your computer and see if the “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error is resolved. If you’re still struggling with it, move down to the final method.

Method 7: Replacing account folders in AppData

Interestingly enough, sometimes the “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error only occurs with certain Skype accounts. Some users have discovered that the error only occurs while logged in with a certain account, while other accounts are functioning normally.

Do some testing and see if the issue repeats when using a different Skype account. If the issue doesn’t appear while logged in with a certain account, you can replace some folders from the faulty account to resolve the problem.

But keep in mind that this method is only applicable if you have used multiple Skype accounts on this computer. Furthermore, while this final fix might resolve this issue, it will prevent you from getting automatic updates when a new Skype version is released.

Note: This method is only confirmed to work on Skype versions from 7.0 to 7.6. If you find that the steps below aren’t helpful in resolving the issue, use Method 6 to downgrade to a version from 7.0 to 7.6, then repeat the procedure below.

Here’s a quick guide on replacing Skype’s account folders in AppData:

1. Close Skype completely (make sure it’s not appearing in the taskbar menu).
2. Open a Run window (Windows key + R), type “%appdata%\Skype“ and hit Enter to open Skype’s application folder.
   
3. Identify the account that is causing problems – It’s named after your Skype username. Open it and Delete all folders, but make sure to leave the root files intact.
   
4. Backtrack to the Skype folder and access the other account (the one that is not displaying the error). Then, Copy the same folders that you deleted from the first account. The same as before, leave the other root files alone.
   
5. Paste the folders you’ve just copied into the folder related to the account that is causing issues. Then, select all folders that have been pasted, right-click on them and choose Properties.
   
6. In the Properties menu, check the box next to Read-only and hit Apply.
   
7. When asked to confirm attribute changes, choose Apply changes to the selected items, subfolders, and files, then hit OK.
   
8. Open Skype, go to Tools > Options and access the Advanced settings. Then, select on Automatic updates and click on Turn off automatic updates.

Note: If you skip this step, Skype will automatically overwrite the folders when a new version is released, causing the issue to resurface.