Shared OneDrive folder shows "Can Edit" permissions, but I cannot move or delete files

“Can edit” normally permits copying, moving, renaming, and deleting items in a shared folder, so the behavior described is not an ownership limitation inherent to edit access.^1^

Since the owner has already confirmed the folder-level permission, isolate whether the restriction affects the individual items, the destination, or the client being used.

1. Test the operation directly on OneDrive.com

Open the folder from the original sharing invitation or from OneDrive → Shared, rather than through File Explorer, a synchronized shortcut, Teams, or an Office application.

Then:

1. Create a temporary folder inside the shared folder.
2. Create or upload a temporary file.
3. Try to rename, move, and delete that temporary file.
4. Try the same operations on one existing affected file.

Interpret the result:

• The temporary file works, but older files do not: investigate item-level permissions, checkout, or retention settings.
• Delete works but moving to a particular folder fails: examine the destination folder’s permissions. Files moved between shared folders inherit the destination folder’s permissions.
• Files can move but a shared folder cannot: OneDrive.com supports moving shared files but not moving shared folders. A synchronized shared folder is instead copied to the destination and removed from your OneDrive view.^2^
• Everything works on the web but not in File Explorer: this points to the sync client or shortcut rather than access rights.

Moving or deleting content changes the shared workspace for everyone. Deleted items from a shared folder go to the folder owner’s recycle bin, and only the owner can restore them.^2^

2. Check affected items for unique access

A file or subfolder can have direct or inherited access that differs from the top-level folder. The owner should inspect one affected item, not recheck the already-verified parent folder:

1. Select one affected file or subfolder.
2. Select Details in the upper-right corner.
3. Under Has access, select Manage access.
4. Review whether access comes from:
   • Direct Access
   • a sharing link
   • the parent folder or site
5. Compare it with the temporary file that worked.

If an affected item has unique access, the owner can remove or modify its sharing link/direct access or correct the permission at the parent location from which it is inherited.^3^

3. For work or school OneDrive, have the administrator check compliance restrictions

If this is an organization-managed account, item deletion can be blocked even when ordinary sharing permissions allow editing. Microsoft lists these relevant causes:

• The item is checked out to another user.
• A retention label or retention policy prevents deletion.
• The OneDrive site has exceeded its storage limit.^4^

In particular, records can block deletion, and regulatory records block editing and deletion. Moving across OneDrive or SharePoint containers can also be blocked depending on the record state.^5^

Ask the owner’s Microsoft 365 administrator to inspect the affected file’s retention/record status and checkout state. Do not remove retention labels merely to work around the problem; these settings can represent mandatory organizational compliance controls.

4. External-user restrictions

Being an external guest does not, by itself, explain the missing operations. Authenticated guests can add, update, and delete files when the assigned permission level allows those actions.^6^

External-sharing policy should be investigated only if there is a specific sharing or access error. If an error code appears, provide it to the owner’s Microsoft 365 administrator; changes to organization- or site-level external-sharing controls require an appropriate administrator.^7^

For escalation, capture:

• The exact error text and time of failure
• Whether the operation fails on OneDrive.com
• Whether a newly created temporary file is affected
• Whether all destinations or only one destination fail
• Whether the affected account is personal, internal work/school, or an external guest
• One affected item’s Manage access view, with personal information removed

References

1. Sharing files, folders, and list items | Microsoft Support
2. Personal
3. OneDrive, SharePoint
4. Unable to delete items in SharePoint and OneDrive
5. Learn about records management
6. Overview of external sharing in SharePoint and OneDrive in Microsoft 365
7. Sharing errors in SharePoint and OneDrive