"Unable to open this item" error message when you open an appointment or a meeting request in Outlook Calendar (189841)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5
  • Microsoft Outlook 2002
  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
  • Microsoft Outlook 98
  • Microsoft Outlook 97 8.0
  • Microsoft Outlook 97 8.01
  • Microsoft Outlook 97 8.02
  • Microsoft Outlook 97 8.03
This article was previously published under Q189841

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to open an appointment or meeting request in your Outlook Calendar, the following error may occur:
Unable to open this item.
Closing and reopening the Outlook client and/or recreating the meeting request has no effect on this error message.

CAUSE

This error can occur if any of the following become corrupt:

  • The Calendar information in your Outlook client
  • Items in the Calendar
  • The Calendar folder

WORKAROUND

If deleting and recreating the items that cannot be opened does not correct the problem, perform the following steps:

  1. Back up all mailbox information by downloading messages to a PST. Personal Folders can be added to your profile by selecting Services from the Tools menu and choosing Add.
  2. In the Outlook client, select Import and Export from the File menu.
  3. Follow the Import and Export Wizard and select Export to a File.
  4. Select a file name and select Calendar as the file to Export from.
  5. Delete the Calendar folder; to do this, start an Exchange Client from the command line by typing exchng32. The calendar folder can be deleted from the Exchange Client because it is viewed as a standard folder and not a required Calendar folder.
  6. Recreate the Calendar folder by starting Outlook from the command line using Outlook /resetfolders.
  7. Move all messages back from the PST to the mailbox. From the File menu, choose Import and Export and follow the Import and Export Wizard to import the Calendar data from the file created in steps 3 and 4 above.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/15/2005
Keywords:kbopenfile kbcalendar kbprb KB189841
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