Guide: Fix ‘Cannot Expand Folder Error in Outlook’ Issue
Microsoft Outlook users have faced a particular bug in the past decade. It started with Outlook, and users of future versions will continue to report, including Office 365. Users will see a pop-up saying the error ‘Cannot expand folder’ in Outlook. This happens when expanding a shared folder or folder in a second mailbox. It’s unclear how this error persists, but Office users seem better off. You may want to consider upgrading to that. Let’s start.
1. Folder limit
Microsoft Outlook has a limit of 1000 folders. The folder will not be expanded if you have more than the specified number of subfolders. That limit applies to Microsoft Exchange accounts. The folder limit is 500 for Outlook, and versions. In addition, the number of items per folder cannot exceed 100,000. Microsoft notes that you can experience performance issues if the limits are exceeded.
2. Disable add-ons
Have you installed any add-ins in your Microsoft Outlook account? One or more of the add-ins may be causing a conflict, resulting in the error Cannot expand folder in Outlook. Open Outlook in Safe Mode to eliminate all add-in issues. You can also disable all add-ons without entering safe mode. If the error is gone, you will need to re-enable each add-in one by one to check which one was responsible for the error.
3. Turn off cache mode
Is it happening on an Exchange account or in a shared mailbox? If so, disabling cache mode can help resolve Unable to expand the folder in the Outlook app. Click the File menu option.
Click Account Settings and select Account Settings from the drop-down menu.
You will now see a list of all email accounts. Double-click the email ID that is causing the Cannot Expand Folder error.
Clear the Use Cached Exchange Mode check box here and save the settings.
Turn it off, save the settings, close Outlook and restart it to try again. The cache files can cause the folder to behave strangely. Turning off cache mode will force Outlook to sync and download folders and emails.
4. Repair the Outlook app
Find and open Control Panel from the Start menu.
Search for Uninstall in Control Panel and open a program uninstall.
Search for the standalone Outlook app if you have it or the Microsoft Office suite version installed. Select it and click the Change button on the top.
You will see a pop-up with two options. A quick repair works offline and fixes the most common errors. Try that first. If it doesn’t work, try Online Repair.
That takes more time and requires an active internet connection. I suggest it laptop to a Wi-Fi network and power source.
Create a new Outlook profile
It is recommended that you follow point 4 above before proceeding with creating a new profile. Rename the folder that you cannot expand in Outlook. Right-click on the folder and select the Rename option to do so. If necessary, make a backup. If you have a backup created on the server or in the cloud, delete the profile below: C: UsersUSERNAMEEAppDataLocalMicrosoftOutloook The above username and drive letter should of course, be your corresponding username and Windows installation drive. Restart your computer.
Open Outlook and click Account Settings> Manage Profiles on the Files menu.
Click View Profiles.
Click Add to create a new profile.
You can now add email accounts to this newly created profile and check if you still get the error message Cannot expand the folder.
6. Repair PST and OST file
The Outlook email account information is saved in a . PST file if you use an IMAP or POP account. The same is saved in an.OST file if you’re using an Office 365 or Exchange account. Choose a method depending on the email account throwing folder Cannot expand folder error in Outlook app. Recover OST file Open Control Panel and go to User Account> Email> View Profiles. Select the profile you are having problems with and click Properties below. Now select Data Files from the popup that follows.
Select the email account data file and click Open File Location.
A new window will open with a file name with the extension.OST. Delete the file and restart your computer. Launch Outlook and it will recreate the file automatically. Repair PST file The same steps don’t work for .PST files. Press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Enter the file path below in the case of Office, Office and Office 365. C: Program files (x86) Microsoft OfficerootOffice16 For Outlook: C: Program files (x86) Microsoft OfficeOffice15
Double-click the SCANPST.EXE file to start the Microsoft Outlook Inbox repair. I wish there was a direct way to launch it.
Click Browse in the pop-upup that follows.
A new Explorer window will open. You need to find the .PST file here and when you find it click on Start button
Select the option ‘Make a backup of the scanned file before repairing it ‘to create a backup in case something goes wrong.
Now click on Restore to start the process.
Beware
Microsoft has released far too many versions of Outlook over the years. That makes troubleshooting a bit more complicated. However, we do our best to offer the best workable solutions. If you have found any other way to fix the Unable to open folder error message in the Outlook app, let us know in the comments below. The next up: Are you using Microsoft Outlook on your smartphone? Here are nine excellent Outlook tips and tricks for Android and iOS.
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