Fix "The Set of Folders Cannot be Opened" Error in Outlook 2016
Updated on November 20, 2022 by Nasir Khan
Due to its ease of use and interaction with Microsoft Office and other Microsoft services, MS Outlook is extensively used as an email client by businesses and individuals. It also supports Exchange, which is useful for business email correspondence.
Despite the fact that it is a highly regarded email client, users frequently encounter several difficulties when using it. However, among several problems, the most common one they encounter is "The set of folders cannot be accessed." This problem frequently prevents users from viewing their Outlook emails and texts.
In this article, we will go through the error and discuss some effective methods to resolve it so that you can avoid future issues related to it.
Causes of Outlook 2016 issue "The Set of Folders Cannot Be Opened."
The actual cause of the issue is unclear. However, we can state that it is most likely caused by Outlook data file corruption or a damaged.xml file containing your Outlook username.
Aside from the instances stated above, it can also happen whenever you run Outlook in compatibility mode or when you use an Outlook profile built in an earlier version of Outlook. Aside from that, a faulty Outlook installation is one of the causes of this problem.
Severe corruption can be caused by a variety of factors, including virus attacks, system breakdowns, the machine being turned off without closing Outlook, or even a power outage. You will learn, how to troubleshoot this problem in the next section. This will undoubtedly assist you in recovering from Outlook, regardless of what caused the mistake.
Several Beneficial Solutions to Fix "The Set of Folders Cannot be Opened" Error in Outlook 2016.
Before beginning the approach, make a backup of your Outlook data files and make sure your device is operating as an administrator. Additionally, you must shut down Outlook because the solutions may not function if Outlook is open in the background. Read the solutions step by step as follows:
Update the MS Outlook Program
It is necessary to keep your Outlook application up-to-date. You need to check for updates. If you need to perform an update, then do it at once by following the steps given below.
- 1. Choose Office Account from the File menu.
- 2. Next, navigate to Office Update.
- 3. Select "Update Settings."
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- 4. To update the Outlook email program, select the "Update Now" button.
Try to recreate your Outlook user profile
If updating the Outlook program did not resolve the issue "the set of folders cannot be opened," you must rebuild the Microsoft Outlook profile. This strategy has assisted many people in resolving the problem.
- 1. Input regedit in the Windows search field. As a consequence, the Registry Editor will be started.
- 2. If you are using Outlook 2016, then go to this location: "ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftOffice16.0OutlookProfiles"
- 3. Now, remove all of the profile directories.
- 4. Restart Outlook and establish a new email profile.
- 5. Navigate to the File tab and then Account Settings > Manage Profiles to begin.
- 6. Choose the Add option after clicking on Show Profiles.
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- 7. Fill in all of the required information and save your modifications.
Run your MS Outlook in safe mode
- 1. Running Outlook in safe mode is among the simplest ways to resolve this problem. MS Outlook launches in safe mode without activating any add-ins. To run Outlook in safe mode, perform the following steps:
- 2. By entering "Window+R" you may launch the Run command.
- 3. Enter "Outlook/safe" and click OK.
- 4. When the "Choose Profile" dialog box appears, click "OK." In this section, you can get the option of entering your password.
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- 5. As Outlook launches in safe mode, there is an issue with the add-ins. Inspect the status bar at its highest point to see if Outlook is in Safe Mode.
If you are ensure that Outlook is working in safe mode, then the error is caused by faulty add-ins. You need to disable the suspicious add-ins and restart Outlook.
Try to repair the Office installation.
If you don’t know how to repair the Office installation, then read the steps as follows:
- From the windows control panel, select the programs and features option.
- Next, under Programs and Features, pick Office from the drop-down menu.
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- Choose Change to start the Quick Repair procedure.
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- If the issue still appears whenever you begin Outlook, use the Online Repair tool.
Try to repair Outlook PST files
Actually, it can happen that your Outlook PST files have been corrupted or damaged. As Outlook uses pst-formatted files to save data, corruption of the PST files can create the following error. However, Microsoft has provided an in-built feature in Outlook (the ScanPST Tool) to repair damaged PST files. Read the steps as follows to use the facility.
- 1. If you are using Outlook 2016, then first close Outlook if it is running in the background. Next, navigate to this location: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16”.
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- 2. Find and run SCANPST.EXE.
- 3. Choose the relevant Outlook PST file by clicking the Browse button.
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- 4. Pick Repair after clicking the Start button.
Final Conclusion:
As it is completely a manual process, many users find it too difficult. You can use a third-party tool like the Regain Outlook PST Repair or Converter software to easily repair your files. Actually, with the help of this tool, you can fix corrupt PST files in a few single clicks. Besides, it has feature to convert PST file to multiple formats.
