How to troubleshoot “cannot expand the folder in Outlook” error

Offline Storage Table, or OST, is a file format to store Exchange mailbox information offline that helps to access its content when MS Outlook fails to establish a connection with Exchange Server. However, the presence of several factors in MS Exchange environment halts the OST synchronization process or accessibility of an OST file leads to several errors like, “unable to expand the folder”. Under this error, Microsoft Outlook cannot expand the folder, which becomes more frustrating for the users. Leaving this issue for a long time without taking action will damage an OST file.

In this regard, we will discuss the comprehensive guide, including reasons behind the issue, the symptoms, and the manual methods to fix the “cannot expand the folder in Outlook” error.

Symptoms of “unable to expand folder of an OST file” error

Knowing the symptoms of any issue will prevent you from major losses & also help in the future to reduce the chances of facing this error again. Here, we have come up with some significant symptoms before having Microsoft Outlook cannot expand the folder error:

• Exchange Server crash
• Internet disruption for a long time.
• Abnormal errors have been detected in the OST file.
• Computer hardware malfunctioning.
• Corrupt or missing Windows system file.
• Several Outlook profiles on client Server.

Reasons behind an error with OST file

Before understanding the straightforward solution to the error occurring in OST file “Unable to expand the folder,” it is important to know the main reasons for Microsoft Outlook cannot expand the folder error to fix the issue. There are multiple reasons for this error displayed in your Microsoft Outlook account. Some common reasons are shown below:

• The error appears to be due to the corruption of an OST file.
• Any interruption in the network is a common reason.
• If the size of an OST file is exceeded, then it becomes unstable.
• The name of the Email profile is incorrect.
• Incorrect Outlook Email account settings.

Manual methods to fix “unable to expand folder” error

After finding the root cause of the issue, it’s time to apply the corresponding solutions to get relief from the Cannot expand the folder in Outlook issue. Here are some quick solutions available to accomplish the task. Follow them carefully:

Method 1. Create a new Outlook profile

Having multiple profiles in a single account can disturb some functionalities, which leads to multiple issues, including cannot expand the folder in Outlook. Creating a new Outlook profile & deleting the previous ones might resolve the issue if it is related to the profile cluttering. Here are the steps you need to follow to create the new Outlook profile with ease:

1. Press Windows + R, type Control Panel & go to the Mail (Microsoft Outlook) option.
2. Hit on “Show profiles” in the next Windows.
3. Press “Remove” button to delete old Outlook profiles. Then, Add the new Outlook profile followed by clicking the OK option. Click on the Next> Finish options further. Now, select the profile as the default one and then click on the Apply option.
4. Restart Microsoft Outlook to synchronize with Exchange Server. In this way, you will
   recreate OST file successfully.

Method 2. Repair Outlook application

If the issue is not resolved after creating the new Outlook profile, there might be technical glitches with the Outlook application. In that case, you need to repair your Outlook application to resolve the Microsoft Outlook cannot expand the folder issue.

Let’s delve into the steps to accomplish the task successfully:

1. Open the Control Panel and select the Program and Features tab.
2. Navigate to the Microsoft Office program and right-click on it. Then select the change option from the drop-down list.
   
3. Now, select the Quick Repair option and agree on Repair to initiate the repair process.

An automated solution to fix error “unable to expand folder”

The above methods are helpful, but there is a high chance of data loss. To fix OST ”Unable to expand folder” or “Cannot expand the folder in Outlook” error safely, opting for a professional advanced OST file to PST converter will not only resolve the accessibility issue but also tackle the rest all OST-associated issues.

Recoveryfix OST to PST converter is one such compatible, flexible tool that works with all versions of Windows and becomes the best option among users. With its robust algorithms, you can convert large OST files into PST or any other formats of any size without losing their integrity.

This software is an ideal solution for all OST synchronization or corruption issues. Users find this OST repair tool very useful to repair corrupt OST files. Its top-notch or robust algorithms allow you to restore OST file with ease. It successfully recovers mailbox data from password-protected, compressed, and highly encrypted OST files.

Conclusion

Through this article, we share with you the multiple methods to fix the error “unable to expand folder from an OST file. Users can opt for any of the methods listed above to fix the issue. But in any situation where these solutions do not work, you must try the professional tool Recoveryfix OST to PST Converter to resolve the error with ease.

The innovative software helps you configure your data quickly and keep backups of all inaccessible data that also helps in eliminating the size issues like OST file has reached the maximum size . We highly suggest you use the automated professional tool.