How to Fix Microsoft Outlook Error “Sorry we’re having trouble opening this item”?

Microsoft Outlook, sometimes, displays the following error when a user tries to launch the application or open a mail item or read their emails:

‘Sorry, we’re having trouble opening this item. This could be temporary, but if you see it again, you might want to restart Outlook’

The error indicates a potential problem or issue with the Outlook client, the Outlook data file, or the system. Below, we will be providing some effective solutions to troubleshoot and resolve the issue. But before proceeding, let’s take a look at the reasons responsible for such an error.

Reasons for ‘Sorry, we’re having trouble opening this item’ Error in Outlook

The “Sorry, we’re having trouble opening this item” error in Microsoft Outlook can occur due to a variety of reasons. These include:

• Corrupt Outlook profile
• Incompatible or faulty add-ins
• Outdated Outlook client
• Large or corrupt attachments
• Conflict with antivirus program or firewall
• Issues with Cached Exchange Mode or cached data (OST)
• Damaged MS Office installation
• Problem with the internet connection
• Folder synchronization issues
• Incorrect view settings

Solutions to Fix ‘Sorry, we’re having trouble opening this item’ Error in Outlook

Sometimes, the error goes away by itself once you restart Outlook and the computer. However, if you see this error again after restarting Outlook and computer, follow the solutions discussed below to resolve the issue.

Solution 1: Clear RoamCache Folder

RoamCache folder is an extracted cache of properties stored within the mailbox to improve Outlook performance. Clearing this folder will force Outlook to rebuild it again with a fresh cache. The steps to clear RoamCache folder are as follows:

• Press Windows+R, type%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook, and click OK or press Enter.
• Open the RoamCache folder and delete everything.

• Restart Outlook and wait for a few seconds. Then, try opening the mail items that you want to view.

Solution 2: Check Internet Connection and Synchronize Mail Folders

Although Outlook allows Exchange and Office 365 users to access, view, and draft emails even when the system is offline, it still needs to download new emails before you can preview them. If the internet connection is slow or unreliable, you may encounter issues while opening or viewing the mail items in Outlook.

It is recommended to ensure a stable internet connection and wait for the synchronization to finish before accessing the mail items. You can see the synchronization status at the bottom of the Outlook window. If it says all folders are up to date, it means synchronization is finished.

Synchronization occurs automatically once your system connects to the internet or mail server. However, you may also manually synchronize and update all mail folders by clicking the Update Folder option under the Send/Receive tab in Outlook.

After updating the mail folders, click on the email you want to view. If you still encounter the error, follow the next solution.

Solution 3: Reset Outlook View Settings

Outlook’s view settings may also lead to the “Sorry we’re having trouble opening this item Outlook” error. You can reset Outlook’s view settings to resolve this error. The steps are as follows:

• Press Windows + R, type Outlook.exe /cleanviews in the Run window, and click ‘OK’ or press the ‘Enter’ key.

• This will clean the view settings.
• Again, press Windows + R, type Outlook.exe /resetnavpane, and click OK or press the ‘Enter’ key.
• This will reset the navigation pane.
• Finally, restart the system and then open Outlook.

Solution 4: Find and Remove Incompatible or Faulty Add-Ins

Faulty, damaged, or incompatible add-ins can lead to various issues in Outlook and prevent it from synchronizing or accessing the mail items from the Outlook data file. To find and remove such add-ins, you can restart Outlook in Safe Mode and disable or remove all the Add-Ins.

After disabling the add-ins, restart Outlook normally and check if you can now view your mail items without encountering the error message. However, if you still encounter the same error message, follow the next solution.

Solution 5: Disable Cached Exchange Mode

Disabling the Cached Exchange Mode also disables Offline access mode and directly connects Outlook with the mailbox server instead of saving changes in the OST file. This can help you overcome the error. However, you can enable the Cached Exchange Mode later. To disable Cached Exchange Mode, follow these steps:

• Navigate to File > Account Settings > Account Settings and then select your Outlook profile.
• Click Change and then uncheck the Use Cached Exchange Mode checkbox and click Next.

• Click OK when a pop-up appears and then click Finish.
• Restart Outlook and check if the error is gone.

Solution 6: Update Outlook

Outdated Outlook may have some bugs or incompatibility issues that may be preventing it from functioning properly and leading to the “Sorry we’re having trouble opening this item” error message. To check and update Outlook, follow these steps:

• Open Outlook and go to File > Office Account > Update Options.
• From the available options, choose Update Now.

• If a new update is available, Outlook will start a wizard and download the latest updates. You need to complete the update wizard.
• Then, restart the system and launch Outlook.

Solution 7: Repair Outlook

Sometimes, problems with the Outlook or MS Office program files can lead to such issues. In such a case, you can repair the Outlook or MS Office program to resolve the issue. The steps to repair MS Office are as follows:

• Back up your OST file. The file is usually located at:
  C:\Users\YourProfileName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook.
• Then, open Control Panel, go to Programs, and click Uninstall a program.
• Select Microsoft Office and click Change.

• Select the repair option and follow the wizard to repair the MS Office.

• After the repair is complete, restart the system and then open Outlook.

If Outlook is still showing “Sorry we’re having trouble opening this item” error message, try uninstalling MS Office completely from the system using the Office Uninstall Support tool and install it again.

Solution 8: Check and Disable Conflicting Apps

Some security software or apps, such as antivirus or antimalware and firewall, may conflict with Outlook, preventing it from functioning normally. In such a case, you can temporarily disable the antivirus or the security app. If this fixes the error, you must add Outlook as an exception in the software.

Solution 9: Use Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (MSARA)

Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant is a tool that helps you find issues with the application or the system and provides the best solutions to fix the issue. The steps to use MSARA are as follows:

• Download Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant setup and launch it.
• Click ‘Install’ to install the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.

• Once installed, it will start. Click ‘I agree.’

• Then, select Outlook from the options and click Next.

• Select the issue and click Next.
• Click ‘Yes’ and then click Next.

Complete the troubleshooting wizard to fix the problem with the Outlook.

Solution 10: Create New Outlook Profile

Sometimes, a corrupt or damaged Outlook profile can prevent you from performing certain tasks and lead to such errors. In such a case, you can try repairing the profile or create a new Outlook profile.

To repair a corrupt profile,

• Open Control Panel, click User Accounts, and click on the Mail option.
• Click on the Email Accounts option and then click the Email tab.
• Select your email account from the list and click on Repair.

• Follow the wizard to complete the process and click on the Finish button.
• Finally, restart Outlook and check if the error is resolved. If not, try creating a new Outlook profile.

To create a new profile,

• Open Control Panel, click User Accounts and then click on Mail.
• Click Show Profiles.

• Click Add and then enter the new profile name. Click OK.
• In the Add Account wizard, enter the email ID and password. Click Next.
• Choose the new profile from the options and enable ‘Always use this profile’ or choose the ‘Prompt for a profile to be used’ option and then click OK.

• Restart Outlook.

Solution 11: Rebuild Outlook Data File (OST)

If the above solutions do not work for you, try recreating the OST file. It’s possible that the problem lies in your OST file, which is preventing you from accessing, reading, and viewing your mail items. To recreate or rebuild the OST file, follow these steps:

• Open Outlook and right-click on your user name (email ID) in the left pane and choose Open File Location. This will open the File Explorer window showing the default OST file.
• Close Outlook and copy the OST file to another location for backup.
• After backup, delete the default OST file and open Outlook.

• This will create a new OST file and synchronize all mail items. This may take a while to finish.
• After all the folders are up-to-date, try opening the emails you could not view earlier.

This should resolve the issue. However, if you find missing items in the new OST file, then use an OST to PST converter tool, such as Stellar Converter for OST to extract the missing items from your backup OST file and save them to a PST file. You can then import this PST file into your Outlook profile to restore the items.

Conclusion

Above, we have outlined the reasons that may lead to the “Sorry, we’re having trouble opening this item” error in Outlook. We have discussed some solutions to help you troubleshoot and fix the error. If there is a problem with the OST file, then you can create a new OST file after taking backup of the old file. When the new OST file is created and all the items are synchronized, check the file for any missing emails and other items. If there are any missing items, use Stellar Converter for OST to extract and save the mail items from the backup OST file to PST format. Once the mail items are saved in PST, you can open or import the PST into Outlook to restore them.

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About The Author

Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is a Senior Writer at Stellar®. He is an expert Tech Explainer, IoT enthusiast, and a passionate nerd with over 7 years of experience in technical writing. He writes about Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, Email Migration, Linux, Windows, Mac, DIY Tech, and Smart Home. Ravi spends most of his weekends working with IoT (DIY Smart Home) devices and playing Overwatch. He is also a solo traveler who loves hiking and exploring new trails.