Outlook Message Can't Be Displayed Right Now: How to Fix It

Outlook sometimes blocks an email from opening and shows “Your message can’t be displayed right now. Please check your network connection and try again later.” This error usually points to a corrupted local cache or a damaged PST file rather than an actual network problem, and you can fix it without losing any emails, contacts, or calendar events.

What Causes This Outlook Error

Outlook stores temporary files locally to load messages faster, and this cache breaks down over time.

A corrupted or overloaded Outlook cache (RoamCache on Windows)
A damaged PST data file (the same repair steps below also apply to OST files)
Browser cookies and site data conflicts when using Outlook on the web
A specific bug with .doc file Sharepoint links in the New Outlook desktop app

Fix 1: Clear the Outlook Cache on Windows

Clearing the RoamCache folder forces Outlook to rebuild fresh copies of your messages.

Close Outlook completely.
Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
Paste this path and hit Enter: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook\RoamCache
Select all files in the RoamCache folder and delete them.
Reopen Outlook and check the message again.

Fix 2: Reset Your Outlook Account on Mac

macOS uses a different cache reset process built into the Outlook interface itself.

Open Outlook and click Tools in the top toolbar.
Select Accounts, then choose your account from the left panel.
Click the three dots icon and select Reset Account.
Confirm the reset and let Outlook resync your mailbox.

Fix 3: Clear Cache and Cookies in Outlook on the Web

The exact steps vary slightly by browser, but the goal is the same: wipe stored Outlook site data without logging out of every other site you use.

Chrome: Press F12 to open DevTools, then right-click the refresh button next to the address bar and choose Empty Cache and Hard Reload.
Edge: Click the lock icon in the address bar, go to Cookies and site data > Cookies, select the Outlook entries, and remove them.
Firefox: Click the shield icon left of the address bar, then select Clear cookies and site data.
Safari: Go to Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, search for Outlook, and remove its entries.

Refresh the page and sign back in after clearing data in any of these browsers. If clearing site data doesn’t help, check for browser extensions like ad blockers or privacy tools, since they can also block Outlook’s web scripts from loading properly.

Fix 4: Repair a Corrupted PST File

A damaged PST file often triggers display errors even after the cache is cleared. Outlook includes a built-in repair utility called SCANPST.EXE for this.

Close Outlook first.
Locate your PST or OST file path through Control Panel > Mail > Data Files. You’ll need this path in step 4.
SCANPST.EXE lives in a separate folder. Right-click your Outlook shortcut, select Open File Location twice, and look for SCANPST.EXE there. Run it as administrator.
Click Browse inside SCANPST, paste the file path you noted in step 2, and click Start to scan.
Click Repair once the scan finishes, then relaunch Outlook.

Fix 5: Work Around the .doc Sharepoint Link Bug in New Outlook

Some users only see this error on emails containing a .doc file shared as a Sharepoint link, while .docx attachments load normally. Microsoft has acknowledged this as a known issue in the New Outlook client on Windows.

Clear the RoamCache folder using the Fix 1 steps above.
If the error continues, open the affected email in classic Outlook or Outlook on the web instead.
Run a repair on the New Outlook app through Settings > Installed apps > Outlook (New) > Advanced Options > Repair.

If you’ve worked through every fix above and the error still shows up, the last thing worth ruling out is your Outlook desktop install itself. Uninstall and reinstall the app fresh, since this clears out any leftover corrupted files that a cache reset or repair tool can’t reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing the Outlook cache delete my emails?

No. Clearing the RoamCache folder or browser cache only removes temporary local files. Your emails, contacts, and calendar events stay intact on the mail server and resync automatically.

Why does this error only happen with one specific email?

If a single email triggers the error while others load fine, the message likely contains a .doc file attached as a Sharepoint link, which is a known bug in the New Outlook client on Windows.

Does this error mean my internet connection is the problem?

Not usually. Despite the network wording in the error message, the actual cause is almost always a corrupted cache or damaged PST file rather than a connectivity issue.

Can I fix this error without using SCANPST.EXE?

Yes. Clearing the cache on desktop or web first resolves most cases. SCANPST.EXE is only needed when the underlying PST file itself is corrupted.

What should I do if the error persists after every fix?

Uninstall and reinstall the Outlook desktop app. This clears out leftover corrupted files that a cache reset or repair tool can’t reach. If you’re using Outlook on the web, disable browser extensions like ad blockers first, since they can also trigger this error.

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How to Fix “Your Message Can’t Be Displayed Right Now” Error in Outlook