Assistance Needed: Teams File Access Issue

Hi @Antima Pandey,

Thank you for posting your question on Microsoft Q&A Community. We're happy to help you with your concern.

This kind of issue can be tricky, especially after a long absence. To help scope it down and identify the root cause, could you please clarify the following:

1/ Are the problematic files stored in OneDrive, SharePoint, or within a Teams channel?

Are the files shared directly with the user or via a group/team membership?

2/ Could you share the exact error message the user receives?

Does it happen consistently across the same files or intermittently?

3/ Was the user’s account recreated or reactivated after the 2-year absence?

Is the user part of the same Azure AD group or Teams membership as before?

4/ Were the files shared via direct link, Teams post, or email?

Do the affected files show the user listed under Manage Access with the correct role (e.g., Viewer, Editor)?

5/ You mentioned the issue occurs with files shared by a few specific users, are those users still active, and do they have any conditional access policies or external sharing restrictions applied?

6/ Has the user tried accessing the files via Teams desktop app, web browser, or mobile app? Any difference in behavior?

Once we have more clarity on these points, we can better determine whether it’s a permissions sync issue, a legacy sharing link problem, or something related to identity or group membership

Looking forward to your response.

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Hi @Antima Pandey,

Thank you for your prompt response. Based on the information you've provided, here are a few targeted suggestions and checks that may help resolve the issue:

1/ Since the files are saved to the original sender’s OneDrive when shared via Teams chat, access depends on the sharing link and OneDrive permissions.

Even if “Manage Access” shows Edit rights, legacy or expired sharing links may still block access. Try re-sharing the file using a fresh link from OneDrive.

2/ Reactivated accounts can sometimes experience permission sync delays or token mismatches.

Ask the user to sign out of Teams completely (desktop and browser), clear cache, and sign back in. This can help refresh access tokens.

3/ Check if the specific users who shared the inaccessible files have any conditional access policies or external sharing restrictions applied in OneDrive or SharePoint.

Even active users may have policies that block access to reactivated accounts or accounts outside certain groups.

4/ Confirm that the user is still part of the relevant Teams or Azure AD groups. If the files were shared via group membership, missing group association could block access.

5/ If the original file owner has changed roles or left the organization, ownership transfer or link expiration could be affecting access. Re-sharing the file from a current owner may help.

6/ Instead of accessing via Teams, ask the user to open the file directly from the OneDrive link (if available). This can help isolate whether the issue is Teams-related or OneDrive-specific.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this. 

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. 

I'm looking forward for your reply.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

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