How to Fix ‘We Ran into a Problem Reconnecting’ in Microsoft Teams

Joining an important video conference or collaborating with colleagues in Microsoft Teams only to be interrupted by a persistent banner declaring “We ran into a problem reconnecting. Please wait while we try again” or “We’re sorry—we’ve run into an issue” halts business communications. In the Microsoft Teams architecture (both classic Electron and the modern WebView2/React-based New Teams client), the application maintains persistent WebSockets and Transport Layer Security (TLS) sessions with Microsoft 365 cloud servers. When local identity tokens expire, authentication caches become corrupt, or network firewall policies interrupt stateful WebSockets, the client enters an aggressive reconnect cycle that fails to re-establish session keys. This guide details how to clear local Teams client caches, reset Microsoft 365 identity credentials, and restore connection stability.

Why Does Microsoft Teams Get Stuck Reconnecting?

Because Microsoft Teams relies on continuous two-way communication channels, connection hangs are typically caused by session desynchronisation rather than total internet failure:

• Corrupted WebView2 and Local Storage Cache: Outdated cookies, stale session tokens, or damaged database schemas stored in the Teams AppData package.
• Stale Modern Authentication Tokens in Windows Credential Manager: Windows caching an expired Active Directory / Entra ID token that fails silent re-authentication.
• WebSocket and Network Proxy Interruption: Network security software, VPN gateways, or SSL inspection appliances dropping stateful WebSocket streams.
• Multiple Identity Profile Collisions: Switching between corporate guest accounts and organizational tenants without clean token flushing.

Method 1: Perform a Clean Reset of the New Microsoft Teams Client

In Windows 11, the modern Microsoft Teams app (New Teams) integrates directly with Windows App Settings, allowing automated state resets.

1. Right-click the Teams icon in the Windows taskbar system tray and select Quit.
2. Press Win + I to open Windows Settings.
3. Navigate to Apps > Installed apps.
4. Scroll down or search for Microsoft Teams.
5. Click the three dots icon next to Teams and select Advanced options.
6. Scroll down to the Reset section.
7. Click the Repair button first. Windows will attempt to fix damaged application binaries without removing account data.
8. If the reconnection loop persists, click the Reset button. This completely wipes temporary cache databases and restores the client to factory defaults.
9. Relaunch Teams and sign back into your Microsoft 365 account.

Method 2: Manually Purge Teams AppData Cache Directories

If you are utilizing the classic Teams client or if remnants persist across user profiles, manually clear the AppData directories.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialogue.
2. For the modern New Teams client, paste the following path and press Enter:

   %localappdata%\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams

3. Select all files and folders inside and press Shift + Delete.
4. For classic Teams installations, press Win + R, enter %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams, and delete all contents within the Cache, blob_storage, databases, GPUCache, IndexedDB, and Local Storage folders.

Method 3: Remove Stale Teams Tokens from Windows Credential Manager

Expired OAuth tokens stored in the Windows Credential vault prevent the client from completing successful token handshakes.

1. Press Win + S, type Credential Manager, and press Enter.
2. Select Windows Credentials.
3. Scroll down to the Generic Credentials section.
4. Locate any entries starting with:
   • msteams_adms_aad
   • MicrosoftAccount:user=
   • MSOpenTech
5. Click the dropdown arrow next to each relevant entry and click Remove.
6. Reboot your computer and launch Teams to force a fresh interactive logon session.

Method 4: Flush DNS and Reset Network Sockets

Stale DNS caches can route Teams traffic to decommissioned or degraded regional cloud endpoints.

1. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin).
2. Flush local DNS resolution tables:

   ipconfig /flushdns

3. Reset the Windows Winsock catalog:

   netsh winsock reset

4. Restart your computer to re-initialise network adapters with fresh routing tables.

Overview of Reconnection Fixes for Microsoft Teams

Troubleshooting Action	Target Component	Expected Result
App Settings Reset	Installed Apps > Advanced Options	Flushes corrupted local SQLite / WebView2 storage
Manual AppData Purge	%localappdata%\Packages\MSTeams_*	Removes persistent cached blob and state files
Credential Vault Cleanup	Windows Credential Manager	Eliminates expired and conflicting OAuth authentication tokens
Winsock & DNS Reset	netsh winsock reset / ipconfig	Rebuilds pristine TCP/IP network sockets for WebSockets

Executing these targeted cache resets and authentication refreshes resolves the reconnection loop, restoring stable voice, video, and chat connectivity in Microsoft Teams.