8/21/14 Update: Microsoft released KB2889859 which fixed this issue for Outlook 2013. Click-to-run has also been updated to 15.0.4641.1003.

8/14/14 Update: KB2881011 has been pulled, but the Click-to-run (Office 365 version of Outlook) update has NOT been pulled and is still affected as of 8/14.

Notice

An issue has been discovered in the August 12, 2014, update for Microsoft Outlook 2013 that prevents some users from opening archive folders. We have removed this update from availability until we have a fix. In the interim, you can restore access to archived folders by uninstalling this update. We will add a download link to this article for the new update as soon as it is available.

Original post: (With updates being made as needed)
This update causes Outlook 2013 to fail to open archive mailboxes on Exchange, maybe only on Exchange 2013 CU5 but probably on SP1/CU4 too I would suspect.

When a user, with this update, tries to access their archive mailbox they will get the following error:

The set of folders cannot be opened. Microsoft Exchange is not available. Either there are network problems or the Exchange server is down for maintenance.

This update KB2881011 was just released via Windows Update on 8/12/2014, it updates Outlook to 15.0.4641.1001. The issue also occurs in the latest Office 365 Click-to-run version 15.0.4641.1002. After removing this update access will work again.

This is another example of why you should test patches and deploy them to a pilot set of users, using something like WSUS, before deploying them to all users. Want another example, MS14-045 aka KB2984615 can cause BSOD per this article: http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2014/08/18/microsoft-pulls-patch-tuesday-kernel-update-ms14-045-can-cause-blue-screen-of-death.

Confirmed Affected

• Outlook x64 w/ KB28810011 (15.0.4641.1001) w/ mailboxes on Exchange 2013 SP1 CU5
• Outlook x64 w/ KB28810011 (15.0.4641.1001) w/ mailboxes on Exchange Online (Office 365)
• Outlook x64 Click-to-run version 15.0.4641.1002 w/ mailboxes on Exchange 2013 SP1 CU5
• In both case Outlook was connected via Outlook Anywhere (RPC/MAPI over HTTPS), not via MAPI over HTTP.

Confirmed NOT affected

• Outlook x64 Click-to-run version 15.0.4641.1002 w/ mailboxes on Exchange 2010 SP3 UR6
• Outlook x86 (32-bit) w/ mailboxes on Exchange Online (Office 365)
  • This indicates it might just be an issue with the x64 version of the update

More details on Tony Redmond’s post here: http://windowsitpro.com/blog/update-causes-outlook-2013-fail-open-archive-mailboxes

This issue 1st was posted on the Exchange 2013 Facebook group I manage here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MSEX2013/permalink/874603922568726/ and in the TechNet forums by Jim Collins.

• Note: The Facebook group should NOT be used for support, it is an information sharing group. Normally all support questions are referred to TechNet then deleted from the group.