Fix “We’re having a problem opening this location in file explorer. Add this web site to your Trusted Sites list and try again” Error in SharePoint
Problem:
SharePoint 2010 explorer view gives this error message: “We’re having a problem opening this location in file explorer. Add this web site to your Trusted Sites list and try again.”
Solution:
Most of the time, simply adding your SharePoint site URL to the Trusted Sites zone doesn’t solve the problem! Try these solutions instead:
- Check whether web client service is in started state under services console (services.msc).
- If its Windows Server, You’ll have to install “Desktop Experience” from Add Roles and Features. (Open Server Manager >> Manage >> Add Roles and Features >> Select Features >> User Interfaces and Infrastructure >> Desktop Experience >> Install)
- If you are in IE10, Try this hot fix: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2846960
In case you are using Windows Server 2016 and you want to connect to your SharePoint sites using the Explorer mode, there are big chances to encounter “We’re having a problem opening this location in File Explorer.” warning message.
That’s because the WebClient windows service (responsible for the “translation” into Explorer mode) is by default not installed with the Windows Server 2016 OS. The same story was also on Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 (and the fix was to activate the “Desktop Experience” feature from the Server Manager console).
This time (in case of Windows Server 2016), in order to get the WebClient windows service you need to activate the “WebDAV Redirector” feature.