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I have full control over my SharePoint site. When I click on my document library and then click the "Library" tab on the ribbon, I see an option for "Open with Explorer" but it is disabled.

The message is vague and unhelpful:

You might not have the right permissions level to use this, you might need to select an object or item, or the control might not work in this context.

I want to be able to move documents from one folder in the library to another. This seems like an extremely minimal use-case for a document library, no? Yet it's seemingly impossible to do in the web UI.

UPDATE: I installed IE9 and enabled the WebClient service in services.msc and the Open with Explorer option is still disabled.

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  • 2
    Are you using a version of Internet Explorer? That option would be grayed out with Firefox, Chrome, etc.
    – mcnarya
    Commented Jan 19, 2012 at 21:28
  • What browser are you using?
    – Lori
    Commented Jan 19, 2012 at 21:29
  • 1
    I've tried IE8, Chrome, and FF.
    – Rob Sobers
    Commented Jan 20, 2012 at 0:56
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    IE10 was installed automatically as an update. Our IT services company had assured me that IE10 was the best browser for Sharepoint 2010. However, I discovered in the Microsoft documentation, not with Windows 7 . In IE10/Win7 explorer mode just doesn't work. Great. So I uninstalled IE10 and Explorer mode was disabled. Thanks to this thread I was able to start IE9 in 32bit mode and I now have access to my files after nearly an hour of faffing around. Right, now I can get started. Thanks guys!
    – user17494
    Commented Jun 7, 2013 at 7:42
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    I found this question and solved it today, 04/15/15, by mapping a network drive. Open windows explorer at any path, click the tools menu item and select map network drive. For the path use the browser url used to open the sharepoint site, ending the url with the site folder. Do not include a subfolder or aspx file name. The drive letter can be opened any time just tike any other drive letter and functions exactly the same.
    – subjectivist
    Commented Apr 15, 2015 at 21:04

14 Answers 14

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Solved. I was using 64-bit Internet Explorer. Switching to 32-bit IE caused the featured to become enabled. There was absolutely no indication in the application that this could possible be the cause. It was a shot in the dark.

Mind: blown.

The Plan Browser Support article on TechNet lists the supported browsers and limitations in "non- or partially supported browsers".

It states the following among the limitations for 64bit IE 7, 8 and 9:

Explorer view

Removed in SharePoint Foundation 2010. Libraries that have been upgraded from earlier versions of SharePoint Foundation 2010 may still have Explorer views and these may not work.

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    Note that this expands to other browsers as well, not just x64 version of IE... ex. It's also disabled in Chrome.
    – PedroC88
    Commented Nov 28, 2012 at 16:22
  • 1
    hint: SharePoint has the same behaviour in case of datasheet view (datasheet view is only available with 32-bit version)
    – DarkTomate
    Commented Jun 13, 2013 at 6:03
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    see my comment placed on the original question about mapping a drive letter to the sharepoint url
    – subjectivist
    Commented Apr 15, 2015 at 21:05
  • I had the same issue, but switching to the 32-bit IE in Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe did not help me. And the part about Explorer view going away, I don't think that is accurate as I built a new document library on a new 2013 site, and they have "Open with Explorer" and it is not greyed out. Even on different lists/libraries within an upgraded site, sometimes it is not greyed out for me, other times it is available - same browser and IE settings. There is something else at play.
    – vapcguy
    Commented Aug 21, 2015 at 18:06
  • OMFG, SERIOUSLY?! This worked, but should never have been a cause in the first place. Many thanks.
    – QA Collective
    Commented Mar 7, 2019 at 1:55
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Before trying it in IE could you please make sure that following service is started, by going:

Click Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services

Open the Properties of the WebClient Service

choose as start type: automatic

start the service

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    OK, I just enabled this service. It was stopped and set to "Manual" out of the box. Crazy that this needs to be enabled. However, even after starting it and setting it to "Automatic", the option is still disabled in IE.
    – Rob Sobers
    Commented Jan 20, 2012 at 1:00
  • see my comment placed on the original question about mapping a drive letter to the sharepoint url
    – subjectivist
    Commented Apr 15, 2015 at 21:02
  • Oh thank you for this, the "Open with Explorer" trick from IE was the only prior magic I knew that would make my network locations work (no longer available in Office 365 Sharepoint). This is probably what clicking that actually did (started the WebClient service).
    – Anssssss
    Commented Aug 18, 2016 at 20:00
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Also for me restarting the WebClient service (even though it was running already) fixed it

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you need to use a 32-bit browser

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  • Flex, should get confirmation from the poster of the question of what browser they are actually using before posting as an answer. I would guess this answer would affect/help only a slim percentage of the people having this issue. I have IE and was using it, and have this issue on some SP sites, and not on others. Changing to a 32-bit version didn't help.
    – vapcguy
    Commented Aug 21, 2015 at 17:59
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restarting the WebClient service (even though it was running already) fixed this for me

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Are you using a version of Internet Explorer? That option would be grayed out with Firefox, Chrome, etc. – mcnarya Jan 19 '12 at 21:28

I had the same problem and this suggestion from mcnarya worked for me! I was trying to open it in Chrome - it works if I open it in IE! May be worth a try.

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1
  • Dora, should get confirmation from the poster of the question of what browser they are actually using before posting as an answer. I would guess this answer would affect/help only a slim percentage of the people actually having this issue. I have IE and was using it, and have this issue on some SP sites, and not on others.
    – vapcguy
    Commented Aug 21, 2015 at 17:56
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Changing to the 32bit version of IE resolved the problem for me. Somehow the IE shortcut in the taskbar had been set to launch IE 64bit and I guess this feature is not compatible with the 64bit version of IE. I changed it back to the normal 32bit version and it started working again.

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  • Trevor, should get confirmation from the poster of the question of what browser they are actually using before posting as an answer. I would guess this answer would affect/help only a slim percentage of the people having this issue. I have IE and was using it, and have this issue on some SP sites, and not on others. Changing to a 32-bit version didn't help. I am glad it worked for you, but when it might work only in a few of the cases, getting confirmation before posting as an answer helps improve answer quality.
    – vapcguy
    Commented Aug 21, 2015 at 18:00
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You have to be using Internet Explorer. That option is not available in other browsers. Are you running IE and it's not enabled? If so, what version.

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I've had this problem recently with IE 11 x64, I did the following:

  1. Click the settings cog
  2. Click "Compatibility View Settings"
  3. Tick the radio button for "Display intranet sites in Compatibility View"

This then made the "Open with Windows Explorer" option available again in the "Actions" menu.

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  • In SP 2013, there is no "Compatibility View Settings" in Site Settings or on the 'cog' menu, itself. Should explain more fully where these options are.
    – vapcguy
    Commented Aug 21, 2015 at 17:53
  • vapcguy - those are MSIE setting, not SP ones
    – chukko
    Commented Jul 25, 2018 at 15:11
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Open with Explorer became enabled when I switched from IE 8 64 bit to IE 8 32 bit.

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  • Parvati, should get confirmation from the poster of the question of what browser they are actually using before posting as an answer. I would guess this answer would affect/help only a slim percentage of the people having this issue. I have IE and was using it, and have this issue on some SP sites, and not on others. Changing to a 32-bit version didn't help.
    – vapcguy
    Commented Aug 21, 2015 at 17:57
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Make sure "Enable Client Integration" is enabled on the web application authentication provider else Explorer View won't be enabled. This is a requirement.

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Like many of the previous answerers, I have found that using IE 32 bit (any version) to solve this problem. Many of my users all run on different versions of IE or use chrome or firefox (gasp!). Solving this frustrating error always involves either changing the browser or hunting down the 32 bit version or in one instance, adding our sharepoint to trusted sites. Good luck!

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Please check this link on how to enable Open With Windows, Upload Multiple Documents options - http://www.indrasani.com/options-greyed-out-in-sharepoint-document-library/

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  • I think the .dll copying part is a little extreme. I've never had a user need to do this. On the other hand I've also seen some pretty draconian GP rules that prevent IE from doing a lot of things it really SHOULD be able to do with SharePoint.
    – Matt
    Commented Aug 27, 2013 at 18:13
  • Link broken. Domain registration expired I think.
    – pelms
    Commented Mar 4, 2016 at 14:05
  • Dead link, without any summary of what the fix was in the answer
    – James Randal
    Commented Jul 14, 2018 at 5:22
  • the link broken!! check this blog.devoworx.net/2015/03/23/…
    – Mohamed El-Qassas MVP ♦
    Commented Aug 11, 2018 at 9:18
4

Try this available Microsoft Hotfix.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2846960

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