Excel is not opening in desktop app

Naseem Ahmed 0 Reputation points
2026-10-17T19:03:22.11+00:00

I am experiencing a persistent issue with Microsoft Excel on my HP EliteBook 840 G5 laptop running Windows 11. My boss shares Excel workbooks with me through OneDrive. These workbooks open and work correctly in my web browser, but when I select Open in Desktop App, Excel displays an error saying it cannot open or access the shared OneDrive URL (https://d.docs.live.net/...). The problem affects multiple shared workbooks, including “Masonry Proposals-Dec.xlsx”. I have already tried the following troubleshooting steps without success: Confirmed that the workbooks open correctly in the browser. Downloaded a copy of the workbook, which opens successfully in desktop Excel. Tested Excel in Safe Mode. Cleared the Office document cache. Completed Microsoft 365 Quick Repair and Online Repair. Confirmed that Excel and OneDrive are signed in with the same Microsoft account. Confirmed that OneDrive reports that files are up to date. Changed Excel's file-opening preference and retested the shared link. Despite these steps, the original shared workbook still fails to open in desktop Excel. My Microsoft 365 Excel version is 2609 (Build 20430.20182), Click-to-Run. Please investigate why desktop Excel cannot open shared OneDrive workbook links and provide a permanent solution. I would appreciate assistance from a technical support specialist, as this issue is affecting my daily work.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | Windows
0 comments

3 answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Hendrix-V 20,225 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-18T02:22:44.34+00:00

    Hi Naseem Ahmed,

    Since the Office cache, repairs, Safe Mode, and account matching have already been tested, I would recommend refreshing the stored OneDrive credentials next:

    1. Close Excel and OneDrive.
    2. Open Control Panel > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials.
    3. Look for saved credentials associated with OneDrive/Microsoft account or d.docs.live.net and remove them.
    4. Restart Windows.
    5. Sign back into OneDrive and Excel, then test the shared workbook again.

    If the problem remains, ask your boss to remove your existing sharing permission for one affected workbook and share it with you again. Then test the newly generated share rather than the existing link.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Naseem Ahmed 0 Reputation points
    2026-10-17T20:21:31.28+00:00

    Not working, same issue is showing

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  3. AI answer

    2026-10-17T19:03:41.51+00:00

    Since the files open in the browser and a downloaded copy opens in desktop Excel, the Excel installation itself is likely functional. The failure is in the handoff from OneDrive to the desktop app for shared files.

    Use this path first:

    1. In OneDrive, go to My Files or the shared location that contains the workbook.
    2. Select the file, then select More > Open > Open in app.
    3. Make sure the OneDrive sync client is installed and running. If it is not running, selecting Open in app starts the client.
    4. Make sure Files On-Demand is enabled, because Open in app requires it.

    If the workbook depends on other files, sync the containing folder and add a shortcut to the shared folder in OneDrive, then try again. Unexpected behavior can occur when opening a file that depends on other files.

    If the issue is only with shared OneDrive files and not downloaded local copies, another supported workaround is to sync the shared content locally and open the workbook from the synced folder instead of opening directly from the shared cloud link.

    If SharePoint or OneDrive is opening files in the browser by default, check the library setting:

    1. Open the affected library.
    2. Select the Gear icon.
    3. Go to Library Settings > Advanced settings > Opening Documents in the Browser.

    If the problem is specifically the older OneDrive sync client, the documented recommendation is to use the newer OneDrive sync client instead.

    If the issue still persists after Quick Repair, Online Repair, cache clearing, Safe Mode testing, and confirming the same signed-in account, the remaining documented path is to use the browser or synced local copy as the workaround and escalate through Microsoft support for deeper investigation.

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

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.