We're having trouble connecting to the server Excel error

Organizations use Microsoft SharePoint to manage their documents and create websites for the team to access and use. It is a secure place to store, organize, share or access information from any device. You just need to have a web browser to access it. You can access Word, Excel, or any files using the credentials you are given in that web browser using Microsoft SharePoint. It is currently being used by many across the world. Some users are seeing an error, We’re having trouble connecting the server while accessing an Excel file from SharePoint. In this guide, we have a few solutions that can help you fix the issue.

The issue mainly happens when the SharePoint folder is synced to the local drive as a copy and you are trying to access it. It can be fixed very easily in the following steps.

We’re having trouble connecting to the server Excel error

If you are seeing We’re having trouble connecting to the server Excel error, the following methods can help you fix it easily.

Clean your browser’s cache
Clear Cache in Office Upload Center
Reconnect SharePoint Service
Remove Office Credentials in the Control Panel
Select the latest version in SharePoint
Contact your team

Let’s get into the details of each method and fix the issue.

1] Clean your browser’s cache

The browser or app’s cache might be corrupted or there might be an issue with it. You might be facing the error while accessing the Excel file on SharePoint due to that. You need to clear your browser cache or app’s cache to fix the issue and log in.

To clear the browser’s cache on Chrome,

Open Chrome
Select More settings
Then select More tools
Click on Clear browsing data
Select the items that you want to be deleted
Click Clear data

See if that helps in fixing the issue.

2] Clear Cache in Office Upload Center

The cache of the Office Upload Center on your PC might also be the cause of the issue. You need to clear it to fix the issue.

To clear cache in Office Upload Center,

Click on the Start button and search for Office Upload Center
Then, open the Office Upload Center from the results. Click on Settings.
Select Cache Setting in the Settings. Then, click on Delete cached files and Choose Delete cached information.
Click OK to complete the process.

3] Reconnect SharePoint Service

Sometimes, the file you are trying to access might lose SharePoint access. You need to reconnect SharePoint Service to make the error go away.

To reconnect SharePoint Service,

Open the file you are facing issues with. Click on File and then go to Account.
Under the Connected Service, remove the existing service by clicking on Remove Service.
Then, click on Add a service, and select Other sites to add your SharePoint Online Service.

This should fix the issue and let you access the Excel file normally.

4] Remove Office Credentials in the Control Panel

The credentials you have entered for the offline Office account might be interfering with the SharePoint files and creating issues. You need to remove Office credentials in the Control Panel to fix the issue.

To clear the Office credentials in the Control Panel,

Click on the Start button and search Control Panel
Open Control Panel from the results and click on User Accounts
Then, click on Manage Windows Credentials under Credential Manager
You will see all the Windows and office-related credentials there. Click on the drop-down button beside Office credentials and click on Remove
You will see a dialog box asking for confirmation. Select Yes to remove them.

Now, try accessing the Excel file and see if the error still persists.

Read: Manage Credentials from Credential Manager using Command Prompt

5] Select the latest version in SharePoint

The other reason for the error is the version history of the particular file you are trying to access. You need to choose the latest version in SharePoint to fix the issue.

To see and select the latest version of the Excel file in SharePoint,

Go to your SharePoint and select the file you are facing problems with.
Click on the Ellipsis next to the file and select Version History
You will see the different versions of the same file. Select the latest version by clicking on the file and opening it.

See if it has fixed the problem.

Read: How to recover & restore a deleted file in SharePoint

6] Contact your team

If none of the above methods help you fix the issue, you need to contact the IT admin of your team and get it fixed as the issue cannot be fixed further at your end. The issue might have occurred due to an error at the team’s end.

These are the different ways using which you can fix the “We’re having trouble connecting to the server Excel error”.

Why is Excel not connecting to server?

There might be different issues with Excel not connecting to the server. There might be an issue with the Office Upload Center cache or Local data, there might be an issue with the internet connection, etc. You need to fix the issues based on the symptom and resolve them.

What is connect error in Excel?

A connect error in Excel occurs when a connection to an external data source, such as a database or a web service, cannot be established or has been lost. Excel allows users to connect to external data sources to import data and create dynamic reports or analyses. These connections can be created using various methods such as ODBC, OLE DB, or Web Services.

If it is related to a file, it can be because of reasons like file corruption, cache issues, non-synced data, etc. You can fix it quickly by clearing Upload Center Cache, etc.