Files in onedrive will not open. Error says 404 file not found

Question

Files in onedrive will not open. Error says 404 file not found

Chris Hodges 0

Excel files in one file folder on onedrive will not open. When I click on the file folder it shows the folder is empty. I have searched for the spreadsheets and found them, but they will not open. An error message says 404 file not found. I was using the excel files during the day, left for lunch, and when I came back, this happened.

John Jefferson Doyon 89,040 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-03T20:41:53.2866667+00:00

Hi, @Chris Hodges

Is this a personal OneDrive account, or a work/school Microsoft 365 account?

Also, is the affected folder directly under "My files" in OneDrive, or was it originally shared with you or added from SharePoint/Teams?

That will help determine whether the files are actually stored in your OneDrive or in a SharePoint location that OneDrive is linking to.

Any additional info about the issue you can provide will be helpful in diagnosing and resolving the issue.

Thanks!

1 answer

Your answer

John Jefferson Doyon 89,040 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-03T20:41:53.2866667+00:00

Hi, @Chris Hodges

Is this a personal OneDrive account, or a work/school Microsoft 365 account?

Also, is the affected folder directly under "My files" in OneDrive, or was it originally shared with you or added from SharePoint/Teams?

That will help determine whether the files are actually stored in your OneDrive or in a SharePoint location that OneDrive is linking to.

Any additional info about the issue you can provide will be helpful in diagnosing and resolving the issue.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi, Chris Hodges

A 404 error can occur when a file has been moved, renamed, or deleted. It does not necessarily mean your spreadsheets are permanently lost.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

Open the OneDrive website and confirm you’re signed in with the account you used earlier. Search for the spreadsheets there, even if you already searched in Excel or on your computer.

Check Recycle bin on the left side of the OneDrive website. If the spreadsheets or their folder appear, select them and choose Restore. Don’t empty the bin while troubleshooting.

If someone shared the folder with you, ask them to check whether the original files still exist. Deleted shared files are no longer available to you.

Check your computer using File Explorer or Finder for another copy. If this is a work account and the files remain inaccessible, contact your IT administrator with the filenames and when you last opened them.