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Doc Library Troubleshooting

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Open with Explorer Errors in SP

Prerequisites

  • Windows XP SP3 or greater with User Account Control (UAC) disabled or set to low
  • Internet Explorer 7.0 or greater (Open with Explorer will not work with any browser but Internet Explorer)
  • WebClient Service must be started (Desktop Experience feature enabled for Windows 7 or 2008)

Troubleshooting

 

There are two very common issues when attempting to use the Open with Explorer feature. The first is the easiest to solve.

 

Grayed Out Open with Explorer Button

 

To solve this, make sure you are using Internet Explorer. It’s as simple as that. 

 

The more common and difficult issue encountered when attempting to ‘Open with Explorer’ is the following:

 

“Your client does not support opening this list with Windows Explorer”

 

This error can be received for many reasons, and sometimes no reason at all. Below are several troubleshooting steps which can be taken in an attempt to resolve this issue. After completing the steps in teach fix, retry the  button.

Step 1: Try Again

 

In some instances, when you click Open with Explorer action will give an error on the first attempt, but will work the second time. Simply try clicking Open with Explorer again and confirm whether it opens or not.

Step 2: Restart WebClient Service

 

  1. Click Start > Run
  2. Enter ‘services.msc’
  3. Find the WebCient service and select Restart

Step 3: Check IE Version

Windows XP – 2008R2: Make sure you are using Internet Explorer version 7.0 through 9.0, in 32-bit mode. The 64-bit mode will not work with the Open with Explorer feature

  • In 32-bit Windows 7, Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) is still only a 32-bit browser.
  • In 64-bit Windows 7, Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) has 32-bit and 64-bit together in one browser now. The IE10 browser frame process runs 64-bit, but for compatibility with plug-ins, IE10 runs 32-bit tabs by default. If the user turns on “Enhanced Protected Mode”, they will have 64-bit tabs by default for IE10.
  • For more information about 32-bit and 64-bit IE10, see:
    How to Enable 32-bit or 64-bit Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) in Windows 7

 

Windows 7: Internet Explorer 10 is not compatible with the Open with Explorer feature. You will need to revert to Internet Explorer 9

Windows 8: Internet Explorer 10 is compatible, so you should not have an issue with this OS and browser version combination.

 

Step 4: Add to Trusted Sites

  1. Open Internet Explorer and click ‘Tools’ or  to get to ‘Internet options’
  2. Select the ‘Security’ tab
  3. Click on ‘Trusted Sites’
  4. Ensure  is unchecked
  5. Click ‘Sites’
  6. Add the below sites:  https://wss.apan.org

Step 5: Lower UAC Setting

The User Account Control must be set to the lowest setting in order for  to function. Instructions for modifying the UAC are available here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc709691(v=ws.10).aspx#BKMK_S3

Step 6: Set IE to Automatic Logon

  1. Open Internet Explorer and click ‘Tools’ or  to get to ‘Internet options’
  2.  Select the ‘Security’ tab
  3.  Click on 
  4. Scroll to the bottom, and change the ‘User Authentication – Logon’ setting to Automatic Logon with current user name and password.

Other Possible Solutions

  • Clear browser cache (Tools>Internet Options>Browsing History, Settings>View Files, select all and delete). Open a new browser
  • Uncheck the “Enable Protected Mode” of your browser.
  • Do not ignore WSS authentication prompt (as in clicking OK or Cancel), manually type in the username and password and be sure to get it right