How to ensure an Excel spreadsheet edited on my PC Desktop version is correctly syncing with the "master" spreadsheet maintained by MS 365 (Business) using SharePoint

David 0 Reputation points
2026-10-15T01:23:18.18+00:00

I use MS365 (Business)/SharePoint facility via my personal PC at home.

Under no circumstances do I want this (Business) facility controlling or attempting to control anything on my personal PC.

However: When I access an Excel spreadsheet resident with the facility, and then edit said spreadsheet using my PC's Desktop version of Excel - I am not sure that when it closes, that it synces promptly or at all with what I will call the "master" spreadsheet resident with the (Business) facility.

I fear this may have something to do with the fact that I have removed the (Business) OneDrive from my PC.

This 85 year old nerd will appreciate detailed guidance

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Windows
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  1. Jade Ng 16,120 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-15T02:03:33+00:00

    Dear David,

    You can work with the Excel workbook stored in SharePoint using the desktop version of Excel without relying on a locally synchronized SharePoint library.

    I recommend using the following workflow:

    1. Sign in to your Microsoft 365 Business account through your web browser and open the appropriate SharePoint site.
    2. Navigate to the document library containing your Excel spreadsheet.
    3. Open the spreadsheet from SharePoint.
    4. From Excel for the web, select Open in Desktop App.
    5. Make your changes in the desktop version of Excel.
    6. Before closing the workbook, make sure that Excel has finished saving your changes.
    7. As a simple verification, return to SharePoint in your browser and reopen the workbook. Confirm that your latest change appears there.

    To avoid accidentally working on a separate copy, I recommend opening the workbook directly from SharePoint rather than downloading it to a local folder on your PC.

    As a quick test, make a small temporary change in an unused cell, save and close Excel, then reopen the workbook directly from SharePoint in your browser. If the change appears there, you can confirm that your desktop edits are being saved back to the SharePoint workbook.

    For more reference:

    Additionally, you can also sync files from a SharePoint library to your computer. This allows you to work with the SharePoint files directly from File Explorer.

    For detailed instructions, please refer to: Sync SharePoint and Teams files with your computer

    I hope this helps clarify the situation. Your understanding and co-operation are highly appreciated. Please feel free to reply below if you have any update or further concern.  

    I am looking forward to your response!

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-15T01:24:12.6266667+00:00

    Open the workbook from SharePoint itself—not from an old Desktop or Downloads copy—and verify the saved result in SharePoint’s Version History before considering the edit complete.

    1. Open SharePoint in your web browser and sign in with the Microsoft 365 Business account.
    2. Browse to the document library containing the workbook.
    3. Select the workbook’s name to open it in Excel for the web.
    4. Select Editing in the upper-right, then Open in Desktop. If prompted, allow the browser to open Microsoft Excel. This ensures that Excel is working with the SharePoint-hosted workbook rather than a detached local copy.^1^
    5. If Microsoft asks whether to add the business account to Windows:
      • Select No, this app only.
      • Do not select an option that adds the account to the device or enrolls the device in management.
      “No, this app only” signs you into the individual application without adding the account under Windows Settings > Accounts, registering the PC in the organization’s directory, or activating device management.^2^
    6. In Excel, check the AutoSave switch at the upper-left:
      • On means Excel saves the SharePoint workbook every few seconds.
      • The title bar should show the SharePoint/business location, not a path such as C:\Users\...\Desktop.
      • After making a small test change, wait until Excel no longer reports Saving.

    AutoSave is enabled by default for Microsoft 365 files stored in SharePoint Online. It is not available for an ordinary local copy.^3^

    OneDrive’s role

    Removing the OneDrive sync application does not remove the workbook from SharePoint, but it can affect Open in app. Microsoft states that this handoff requires the OneDrive sync client to be installed and Files On-Demand enabled; if the client is installed but not running, Open in app starts it.^4^

    If Open in Desktop/Open in app fails because OneDrive was removed, there are two choices:

    • Safest no-client option: edit in Excel for the web. It saves directly to SharePoint automatically, with no SharePoint library synchronized into File Explorer.^5^
    • Desktop Excel option: reinstall/run the OneDrive client solely to support the SharePoint-to-Excel handoff. Do not configure Desktop backup or synchronize unrelated folders. This is file synchronization, not by itself Windows device management; still choose No, this app only if the account-registration prompt appears.

    Avoid downloading the workbook and opening it from Downloads or your Windows Desktop. That creates a separate local file; edits to an offline/downloaded copy must be uploaded back to SharePoint manually.^5^

    Definitive verification in SharePoint

    After closing Excel:

    1. Return to the SharePoint document library and refresh the page.
    2. Select the workbook’s three-dot menu.
    3. Select Version History.
    4. Confirm that the newest version has:
      • the expected time,
      • your business account as the editor,
      • and a later version than the one that existed before editing.
    5. Open the workbook in the browser and confirm the test change.

    SharePoint Version History records saved versions and lets you inspect or restore an earlier version.^6^

    For an additional check, select the file, open the Details pane, and expand More details > Activity. SharePoint reports file edits and their times there.^7^

    If AutoSave is unavailable

    Confirm these points without moving the file locally:

    • The workbook was opened from SharePoint rather than Downloads or Desktop.
    • The file format is not the older .xls format; AutoSave can be disabled for older formats.
    • Excel is signed in with the account that has permission to edit the SharePoint file.
    • If AutoSave remains off, press Ctrl+S, wait for saving to finish, and then perform the SharePoint Version History check above.^3^

    If the organization prohibits desktop access from unmanaged personal devices, SharePoint may permit browser-only access. In that case, use Excel for the web or ask the organization’s administrator whether personal-device desktop editing is permitted; do not enroll the PC merely to bypass that policy.^8^

    References

    1. macOS
    2. Add Your Work or School Account to a Windows Device | Microsoft Support
    3. What is AutoSave? | Microsoft Support
    4. Open a OneDrive or SharePoint file in the desktop app instead of the browser | Microsoft Support
    5. Edit a document in a document library | Microsoft Support
    6. Work with files in a document library | Microsoft Support
    7. File activity in a document library | Microsoft Support
    8. IT Admins - SharePoint and OneDrive unmanaged device access controls
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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