This input:

Permutations[Range[12]]

Results in this (error) output:

Permutations::outsize: 
  The result of evaluating Permutations[{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12}] 
  would be a packed array with 5748019200 elements, but the number of elements 
  in a packed array must be a machine integer. >>

That number (5748019200) is interesting, because it's exactly 12 times 12! (that's factorial, not exclamation point)

Presumably, Mathematica is trying to store all 12! length 12 lists in a single monolithic array. I can imagine this failing.

Usually, Mathematica shields me from these types of problems. For example, I had no trouble calculating 12*12!.

My intention is to Select some elements from this list, so I don't need to have every permutation in memory at once.

Question: Is there a different way to generate the permutations that avoids this problem?