I can't view a file shared to my non-Microsoft email address

Question

I can't view a file shared to my non-Microsoft email address

Redacted 20

A company has shared a file with some photos in it with me via OneDrive. I've been corresponding with them through my non-Microsoft email address, and don't want to provide any of my Microsoft email addresses if I can avoid it.

This Microsoft support page suggests that I should be able to view these images by just entering the email address that they shared the folder with. However, when I click the 'Open' link in the email and enter the email address, it then asks me to sign in to a Microsoft account, and when I do, it tells me I don't have permission to access the folder. I get the following error message:

Selected user account does not exist in tenant 'redacted' and cannot access the application 'redacted' in that tenant. The account needs to be added as an external user in the tenant first. Please use a different account.

Is there anyway to access this folder without biting the bullet and giving them a Microsoft email address?

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Answer 1

Hi @Redacted

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

You're encountering the error: Selected user account does not exist in tenant... The account needs to be added as an external user in the tenant first. This typically happens when a OneDrive or SharePoint folder is shared with a non-Microsoft email address, but the tenant that owns the folder hasn't properly provisioned your account as a guest in their Microsoft Entra ID directory.

It’s possible to access without giving them a Microsoft email address, but the sender does need to adjust the way they shared the folder. Here are some options you can ask them to use:

-Re-share using “Anyone with the link”
This generates an anonymous link. No sign-in or Microsoft account needed, you just click and open.

-Use the one-time passcode method
If they share the folder using the “Specific people” setting and include your email, OneDrive should send a verification code to your inbox. You can use that code to sign in without a Microsoft account.
Note: This only works if OTP is enabled in their tenant settings. Otherwise, you’ll still see the error.
Reference: External or guest sharing in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Lists - Microsoft Support

-Add your email as a guest in their Entra ID
The sender can manually add your non-Microsoft email as a guest in their Microsoft Entra ID. They may follow this article to add your external account Quickstart: Add a guest user and send an invitation - Microsoft Entra External ID | Microsoft Learn
I hope this information is helpful.

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