6 Ways to Fix “The Set of Folders Cannot Be Opened” Error in Outlook for Windows
Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.
Fix 1: Reset the Navigation Pane
Sometimes, Outlook may fail to load the navigation pane entirely and throw an error message that reads, “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened.”
You can reset Outlook’s navigation pane to see if that fixes the problem. To do so, press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type in the following command and pressEnter.
Fix 2: Open Outlook in Safe Mode
Opening Outlook in safe mode can help you determine whether the “The set of folders cannot be opened” error in Outlook is occurring due to a faulty add-in. Press and hold theCtrlkey on your keyboard and double-click the Outlook shortcut. SelectYeswhen the confirmation prompt appears.
If you don’t encounter any errors while using Outlook in safe mode, it means that one of your add-ins is causing the problem. To identify the problematic add-in, you will need to disable all the add-ins and re-enable them one at a time.
Step 1:Open the Outlook app and click theFilemenu at the top.
Step 2:SelectOptionsin the left pane.
Step 3:In the Outlook Options window, switch to theAdd-instab. Use the drop-down menu next to Manage and selectCOM Add-ins. Then, click theGobutton.
Step 4:Uncheck the boxes to disable your add-ins and clickOK.
Restart the Outlook app after this and re-enable your add-ins one at a time until the error appears again. Once you find the problematic add-in, consider removing it.
Fix 3: Remove XML Files From Outlook Directory
Outlook uses XML files to store information about user profiles, preferences, and other essential data. If these files somehow become corrupted, Outlook may throw various errors. To fix them, you will need to remove the problematic XML files from the Outlook directory.
Step 1:Press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type the following path in the box and pressEnter.
Step 2:Locate and selectXMLfiles and then click thetrash iconat the top.
Fix 4: Run the Inbox Repair Tool
Another reason why you might encounter this error is if yourOutlook data files(PST or OST) have become corrupted. The Outlook offers a tool that can automatically find and fix problematic files.
Step 1:Press theWindows + Ekeyboard shortcut to open File Explorer and navigate to the following folder.
Step 2:Double-click theSCANPST.EXEfile.
Step 3:ClickStartto initiate the scan.
Step 4:If the tool finds any issues, clickRepair.
Fix 5: Create a New Outlook Profile
Severalusers on the Microsoft forum reportedfixing the “The set of folders cannot be opened” error in Outlook by removing old profiles and recreating them. You can also give it a try.
Step 1:Click the search icon on the taskbar, type inregistry editor, and selectRun as administrator.
Step 2:In the Registry Editor window, paste the following path in the address bar at the top and pressEnter.
Step 3:Right-click on any subkey within theProfileskey and selectDelete.
Step 4:SelectYesto confirm. Similarly, delete all the keys within the Profiles subkey and close the Registry Editor window.
Step 5:Click the search icon on the taskbar, type incontrol panel, and pressEnter.
Step 6:Change the view type toLarge iconsand click onMail (Microsoft Outlook).
Step 7:Click theShow Profilesbutton.
Step 8:Click theAddbutton, enter the name for the new profile, and clickOK.
Step 9:In the Add Account window, enter your account details and hitNext.
Step 10:Select your new profile underWhen starting Microsoft Outlookand hitApply.
Fix 6: Run the Office Repair Tool
Running the Office repair tool can help you troubleshootissues with all the Office apps, including Outlook. So, if none of the above tips work, try running the Office repair tool using the steps below.
Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog box. Typeappwiz.cplin the box and pressEnter.
Step 2:In the Programs and Features window, select the Microsoft Office product on the list and click theChangebutton at the top.
Step 3:Select theOnline Repairoption and clickRepair.
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Last updated on 16 July, 2024
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