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Teams – We've Run Into an Issue (And How to Fix It Like a Pro)

  • Writer: Mahipal Reddy Jalapu
    Mahipal Reddy Jalapu
  • Nov 19, 2025
  • 4 min read

If you’re an IT support engineer, you’ve probably seen this dreaded message: “Microsoft Teams – We’ve run into an issue.”


This is a common nightmare for almost every support team. Why? Because Teams is the hero tool for enterprise communication and collaboration. When it breaks, productivity takes a hit.


Why Does This Happen?


There can be multiple reasons:

  • Corrupted cache files

  • Compatibility issues

  • Outdated client versions

  • Network or proxy conflicts


How can we fix this


  1. Starting Teams Application as admin

  2. Running Application in Compatibility mode

  3. Removing Application data from Windows Credential Manager

  4. Clearing Cache


Starting Teams Application as admin Microsoft Teams relies on multiple components—local cache, registry entries, and system-level integrations (like network adapters and device drivers). If the User doesn’t have sufficient permissions, it can fail to:


  • Update configuration files in protected directories

  • Access system resources needed for audio/video devices

  • Apply updates or patches that require elevated rights

  • Write logs or cache data in restricted locations


When you run Teams as Administrator, it bypasses these permission restrictions, allowing the app to:


  • Reinitialize its components properly

  • Repair or recreate corrupted cache files

  • Apply pending updates without errors

  • Start without compatibility conflicts


Steps to Start Teams as Admin


Step 1: Close all current running Teams sessions from Task Manager. (ctrl + Shift + Escape ---> Task Manager)

Task Manager interface showing active processes
Task Manager interface showing active processes

Step 2: Right Click on Teams Applications and Select Run as Admin

Right-clicking on the Microsoft Teams icon reveals options, including "Run as administrator,"
Right-clicking on the Microsoft Teams icon reveals options, including "Run as administrator,"

Step 3: Select Yes on UAC (User Account Control) prompt for starting the application as Admin


This should resolve the issues with insufficient privileges, in case if the issue is not resolved please proceed with next troubleshooting steps


Running Application in compatibility mode


Sometimes, Microsoft Teams may fail to start or behave unexpectedly due to conflicts with the operating system or legacy components. Running Teams in Compatibility Mode can help by simulating an older Windows environment where the app runs more smoothly.


Why It Works


  • Forces Teams to use settings optimized for previous Windows versions.

  • Resolves issues caused by OS-level changes or updates.

  • Helps when Teams crashes immediately after launch or shows UI glitches.


Step 1: Open Teams Application Properties by right clicking on application and selecting the properties

Right click options for Teams Application
Right click options for Teams Application

Step 2: Navigate to Compatibility mode and enable the Check box that says, "Run this program in compatibility mode for." select windows 8 from Drop Down and apply the changes by clicking on apply and ok


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This Compatible mode may or may not available few devices, if the issue still persists please proceed with next steps.



Application Cache Clearing

Traditionally, IT teams treat cache clearing as the last resort after trying admin mode, compatibility mode, and credential resets. However, in reality, corrupted cache is the root cause of most Teams issues—from sign-in loops to UI glitches and sync failures.


Why Cache Clearing works?


  • Cache corruption is common after updates or tenant switches.

  • Clearing cache is safe (doesn’t delete chats or settings).

  • It’s fast and effective, often fixing issues without deeper troubleshooting.


✅ Pro Tip: Automate cache clearing with a PowerShell script for enterprise environments. This saves time and ensures consistency. Clearing Cache Manually is a time taking process; hence I am providing the script below for automating the cache clear process.


<#
.Synopsis
This script clears Microsoft Teams cache for both Classic and New Teams.
Author: Mahipal Reddy J
Version: 1.1
Modification Date: 21/08/2025
#>

$loggedinuser = ((Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_ComputerSystem).UserName -split '\\')[-1]

$classicpath = "C:\Users\$loggedinuser\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Teams"
$newpath = "C:\Users\$loggedinuser\AppData\Local\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams"

# Stop Teams process
Get-Process -Name "*teams*" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force

# Clear Classic Teams cache
if (Test-Path $classicpath) {
    try {
        Remove-Item "$classicpath" -Recurse -Force
        Write-Host "Cleared Classic Teams cache"
    } catch {
        Write-Host "Error clearing Classic Teams cache: $_"
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "Classic Teams cache path not found: $classicpath"
}

# Clear New Teams cache
if (Test-Path $newpath) {
    try {
        Remove-Item "$newpath" -Recurse -Force
        Write-Host "Cleared New Teams cache"
    } catch {
        Write-Host "Error clearing New Teams cache: $_"
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "New Teams cache path not found: $newpath"
}

# Restart Teams
Start-Process "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\Teams\current\Teams.exe"

Save the Script as PS1 file and you can deploy via DEX / deployment tools like Intune and SCCM for bulk usage.



Removing Application Data from Credential Manager


Microsoft Teams stores authentication tokens in Windows Credential Manager for Single Sign-On (SSO). If these credentials become corrupted or outdated, users may face:


  • Sign-in loops

  • Repeated authentication prompts

  • Failure to connect to Microsoft 365 services


Removing these credentials forces Teams to re-authenticate and generate fresh tokens, often fixing persistent login issues.


Manual Steps


  1. Open Credential Manager:

    • Press Win + S, type Credential Manager, and open it.

  2. Go to Windows Credentials.

  3. Look for entries like:

    • MicrosoftOffice16_Data:ADAL

    • MicrosoftOffice16_Data:SSO

    • Any entry containing Teams or Office 365.

  4. Click Remove for each relevant entry.

  5. Restart Teams and sign in again.


Snap of Credential Manager showing Teams Application credentials
Snap of Credential Manager showing Teams Application credentials

✅ Pro Tip: Automate Credential clearing with a PowerShell script for enterprise environments.


<#
.Synopsis
This script removes Microsoft Teams and Office 365 credentials from Windows Credential Manager.
Author: Mahipal Reddy J
Version: 1.0
Modification Date: 21/08/2025
#>

# Define patterns for credentials to remove
$patterns = @("MicrosoftOffice16_Data:ADAL", "MicrosoftOffice16_Data:SSO", "Teams")

# Get all credentials
$credentials = cmdkey /list

foreach ($pattern in $patterns) {
    foreach ($line in $credentials) {
        if ($line -match $pattern) {
            $target = ($line -split ': ')[1]
            Write-Host "Removing credential: $target"
            cmdkey /delete:$target
        }
    }
}

Write-Host "Credential cleanup completed. Please restart Teams."

You can combine the Credential removal and Cache clear for ease of automation. please find the script below.

I hope these steps help you tackle Microsoft Teams issues with confidence and keep your organization’s communication running smoothly. Remember, the key is to stay proactive, automate where possible, and keep learning new tricks—because IT challenges never stop evolving.

If you’d like to explore more, check out resources on Teams optimization, PowerShell automation, and enterprise deployment strategies for deeper insights. Keep rocking your IT journey and make troubleshooting a breeze! 💻✨


 
 
 
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