Outlook Cannot Display the Folder: Causes, Fixes, and Prevention

Do you seek to know how to resolve Outlook not showing specific folder issues? Would you like to fix the “Cannot display the folder. Microsoft Outlook cannot access the specified folder location” error? This issue can be solved by just restarting Microsoft Outlook, but it is not a permanent solution. After some time, this error comes again and makes Outlook unable to display the folder. To solve this error permanently, we will introduce some workarounds that users can use to prevent Outlook from this issue and work smoothly.

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Why does the “Outlook cannot display the folder” issue occurs?

This error can occur because of various things, which are going to be discussed in this section.

Incorrect Outlook configuration.
Damaged Outlook profile.
Corruption in the Outlook data file.
Network connectivity problems.
Accidental deletion of files and folders.
Abrupt termination of the Microsoft Outlook.
Files or folders are moved to another location.
Working with outdated Outlook.
Outlook installation issues.
Problems with the Microsoft Exchange Server.

These are a few things behind the “Microsoft Outlook cannot access the specified folder location” error. The upcoming paragraph will discuss some proven ways to fix this issue in Outlook.

Solutions to resolve the “Outlook cannot display the folder” error

Now, we are here, and we are going to learn some simple and effective tricks to fix the “Outlook unable to display the folder” issue. We will come to all solutions one by one and share the complete steps to fix the error in a simplified manner.

Before explaining the workarounds to fix this issue, we suggest users check their internet connectivity. If it is not in a good state, fix it. Then, start learning the methods below and get rid of this Outlook error.

1. Update Microsoft Outlook if available

This is a simple way that users can look over to fix the “Outlook cannot display the folder” error. Let us share how to upgrade the Outlook edition.

Open your Microsoft Outlook program.
Navigate to the File menu.
Then, click the Office Account option.
Go to the Update Options and tap the Update Now button.

2. Turn Off Cached Exchange Mode

The other solution will be useful for resolving the “Microsoft Outlook cannot access the specified folder location” error. See how it works:

Launch the Microsoft Outlook and click the File tab.
Choose the Account Settings drop-down and hit the Account Settings option.
After that, the list of all accounts configured on Outlook will be displayed. Double-tap on the account for which you want to disable Cached Exchange Mode.
Then, the Change Account wizard will open on your screen.
Uncheck the Cached Exchange Mode option to turn it off and click the Next button.
Follow the ongoing instructions and save the account setting.
Reopen your Microsoft Outlook and see if the process is resolved.

3. Remove Outlook OST File

If the “Cannot display the folder in Outlook” issue occurs because of corruption in the OST file, this solution is recommended to use. The steps are as follows:

Hit the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialogue box.
Then, type “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook” on the Run dialogue box and tap the Ok button.
Thereafter, the location of the OST files will open.
Select the damaged OST file and right-click on it.
Next, click the delete button.

Launch Microsoft Outlook; it will start creating a new OST file again and fix the “Outlook cannot display the folder” issue.

4. Repair Outlook Profile

This is the other way that users can fix this Outlook issue, where Outlook is unable to show the folder. Let us know the instructions.

Launch Outlook and go with the File tab.
Proceed to the Account Settings drop-down and choose the Account Settings option.
After that, select the Outlook profile you need to repair.
Then, hit the Repair button.
Follow the instructions to complete the repair task and close and reopen the Outlook application.

Now, check if the “Microsoft Outlook cannot display the folder” issue is resolved.

5. Disable Faulty Add-Ins from Outlook

Faulty or damaged Add-Ins can be a reason why users are facing the “Cannot display the folder in Outlook” error. Here, we are going to share a few steps that you can use to disable the faulty Add-Ins and resolve this issue.

In Outlook, move to File and choose Options.
Then, click the Add-Ins option from the Options wizard.
After that, kindly tap the Go button from the bottom.
Uncheck the faulty Add-Ins and click the OK button.
Restart the Microsoft Outlook application and check now if the folder is displaying.

By removing damaged Add-Ins, this issue can be solved.

6. Repair Outlook data file (OST/PST)

If this problem is still shown in Microsoft Outlook, there could be a problem with the Outlook data file. Here, users will find a professional way to repair the corrupted OST/PST file and fix the “Microsoft Outlook cannot access the specified folder location” error. Shoviv Outlook Suite is a picture-perfect solution that simply recovers all the data from corrupted OST/PST files. After recovery, this tool offers the option to save the recovered data to various file formats, like PST, EML, MSG, etc.

This tool is capable of processing large-sized OST/PSTs regardless of any restrictions on the file count.
It is easy for all users to repair multiple OST/PST files in one go with the help of this software.
The hierarchy of the folder and data integrity will be maintained even after the process is completed.
This tool also facilitates a filter option, which users can use to include or exclude specific items from the OST/PST file.
It has a user-oriented GUI, allowing technical and non-technical persons to accomplish the OST/PST repair tasks.

Taking All to a Close!

The issues are just reflections of something wrong with the settings, files, or profiles and can appear at any time in Microsoft Outlook. Sometimes, users face problems where Outlook is unable to display the specified folder. If users want to resolve this issue, this blog has given a lot of tricks. The manual tricks may only work for a few users if there is no problem with their Outlook OST/PST file. However, if they have a corrupted OST/PST file, the Shoviv Outlook Suite is a powerful way to fix the “Outlook cannot display the folder” error.