Help Needed

Mariah King 0 Reputation points
2026-10-09T15:04:30.8666667+00:00

Hello, unfortunately we are having issues with this excel worksheet: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]

Due to the creator of this excel worksheet being let go, we need to access this file and be able to use it. It says it's as "Read-Only", is there any way we can get this excel worksheet open again?

Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint | For business | Other
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  1. Ryan-N 16,110 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-09T15:29:01.6433333+00:00

    Hi Mariah,

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

    Based on your description, you would like to restore access to this file.

    To transfer ownership of this spreadsheet to your account or another user, you can contact your tenant administrator (this may be your IT department or the person who provided you with your business account) and provide them with the following steps:

    Step 1: Go to admin.microsoft.com.

    Step 2: Select Users > Active users, then locate the account of the person who currently owns the spreadsheet.

    Step 3: Select OneDrive > Create link to files.

    User's image

    Step 4: After creating a link to the former user's OneDrive, open the link to access that user's OneDrive.

    Step 5: Locate the spreadsheet that you want to recover.

    Step 6: Download the spreadsheet, then upload the file to another user's OneDrive so that the new user can store and manage the file.

    Step 7: After the file has been uploaded to the new user's OneDrive, ask that user to share the file with you and grant you View and edit permission.

    You can also refer to the following documentation for more information:

     Step 5 - Give another employee access to OneDrive and Outlook data - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsof…

    I hope this information is helpful.

    If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

    I look forward to continuing the conversation.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-09T15:04:43.02+00:00

    If the workbook is opening as read-only, use this path:

    1. If the file is locked by the same account on another device, close it everywhere first.
      • Close Excel and the browser tab on all devices.
      • Wait a few minutes for the server to release the lock.
    2. If another user still owns the active lock, the file can be opened read-only until that user closes it.
      • The current editor can close the file, check it in, or grant edit permissions.
    3. In Excel, use Viewing in the upper-right corner, then select Request more access.
      • Choose Ask to edit or Ask to review.
      • The file owner receives a request and can grant access.
    4. If the file is stored in SharePoint or OneDrive, common causes of read-only behavior include:
      • antivirus opening the file as read-only
      • library settings such as Checkout Required, Validation columns or metadata, or Draft Item Security settings
      • the document opening in Protected View
    5. If everyone editing is not using a version that supports co-authoring, the file may also become locked. Co-authoring requires Excel in the Microsoft 365 subscription version or Excel for the web.
    6. If the original creator is no longer available, access must be granted by whoever now owns the file or manages the SharePoint/OneDrive location. Reassigning edit permission is the required fix when the issue is permission-related.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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