Cant open excel/word desktop files from teams app/web

Question

Cant open excel/word desktop files from teams app/web

Julius Juliaus 0

Hello, when someone sends file via teams i cant open it.

When i try to open it directly in teams always getting that i need request permission.

When i try open in app getting error - “microsoft excel cannot access the file…”. However if i try open it in web version - everything works fine.

But if i try open it in desktop app from the web version - again getting error - “microsoft excel cannot access the file”. Tried this - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/microsoftteams/files/do-not-have-access-to-this-file-teams

still not working. Tried login to another computer - results the same.

any ideas what could be and how to fix it ?

Julius Juliaus 0 Reputation points

2025-11-03T14:13:56.8866667+00:00

Any thoughts how to fix this problem ?

3 answers

Your answer

Julius Juliaus 0 Reputation points

2025-11-03T14:13:56.8866667+00:00

Any thoughts how to fix this problem ?

Answer 1

Hi @Julius Juliau,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand you can open the files in the browser, but opening in the desktop apps shows “Microsoft Excel cannot access the file” and Teams sometimes asks you to request permission. You also tried the guidance from Microsoft Learn and another computer, but the issue persists.

To help determine the best solution for your situation, could you confirm the following details:

Are you currently signed in to Teams and Office (desktop apps and web apps) with a personal account (for example, ******@hotmail.com) or with your work account (for example, ******@yourcompany.com)?
Are you signed in with the same account across all apps (both in the web versions and the desktop versions)?
Could you confirm which Microsoft 365 subscription or license is assigned to your account? (For example, Microsoft 365 Business Standard). You can check this by opening any office apps > File > Account > Product information.
Has this issue happened before, or is this the first time you’ve experienced it?
What operating system is your computer running? macOS or Windows? If Windows, which version (e.g., Windows 11 Pro, Windows Home)?

Once I have a clearer understanding of your current situation, I’ll be happy to assist you with greater accuracy. Please feel free to share any additional details you believe are relevant.

While we wait for your response, here are some steps you can try:

1/ Repair Office:

Please refer to this article for the steps to repair Office: Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support

2/ Open Excel safe mode:

You may try opening Excel in safe mode to check if one of your add-ins might be interfering. For your reference: Start Excel in Safe Mode - Microsoft Support

3/ Clear cached credentials (Windows):

Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials
Under the section Generic Credentials > remove any Office entries
Restart your computer

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4/ Uninstall and reinstall Office:

You can find guidance for uninstalling and reinstalling Office here:

Uninstall Microsoft 365 from a PC - Microsoft Support

Download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 on a PC or Mac - Microsoft Support

Note: Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

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 understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I'm looking forward to 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".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

Julius Juliaus 0

Hello,

Yes i am signed in web and in all apps with the same email. (Work email).
Yes my licence is Microsoft 365 Business Standard.
this isue has been happining for about a year. My system is windows. Like i said i tried logging in on another computer - result the same.

p.s. Tried all steps, but still result the same

Lia V 3,385 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-10-31T16:24:32.2766667+00:00

Hi @Julius Juliau,

Thank you for confirming the details and for trying all the recommended steps.

Based on the information you’ve provided including that you’re signed in with the correct work email, using Microsoft 365 Business Standard, and the issue persists across different device, this appears to be a back-end related issue rather than a local configuration problem.

The best next step would be to have your IT administrator open a support ticket with Microsoft via the admin center. A technical support engineer can then initiate a remote session, review backend settings, and run diagnostics. If needed, they can escalate the case to specialized engineering teams who are well-equipped to perform advanced troubleshooting and provide targeted solutions.

As moderators, our primary goal is to provide helpful guidance and support through general troubleshooting steps. While we don’t have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend issues, we truly appreciate your understanding of these limitations. We genuinely hope the information we share helps point you in the right direction, and we're always here to assist as much as we can within our scope.

For guidance on how to request support in the admin center, please refer to: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. 

I hope this helps you resolve the issue quickly. I'm glad to assist and truly hope the information provided has been useful. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.

Answer 3

Julius Juliaus 0

Any thoughts how to fix this problem ?

Lia V 3,385 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-03T18:43:53.3633333+00:00

Hi @Julius Juliau,

Thank you for your response.

Since the issue persists after you’ve tried the basic troubleshooting steps and confirmed that you have a valid Microsoft 365 Business Standard license (which should allow access to Microsoft apps), this suggests the issue might be backend-related rather than a local configuration problem.

The fastest resolution now is for your IT administrator to open a support ticket through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. A support engineer can start a secure remote session to examine backend configurations and run diagnostic checks. If necessary, the case may be escalated to specialized engineering teams who have the expertise to carry out advanced troubleshooting and deliver targeted solutions.

For guidance on how to request support in the admin center, please share this link with your IT administrator: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. 

We appreciate your understanding regarding the scope of support available through this forum. As moderators, our role is to provide general guidance and assist with common troubleshooting steps. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.

I hope this information helps guide you toward a quick resolution.

Thank you for your continued engagement so far. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Cant open excel/word desktop files from teams app/web

3 answers

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