Urgent Escalation – Excel Files on OneDrive Converting to Temporary Files and Causing Data Loss

Dear Microsoft Support Team,

I am writing to formally escalate a persistent and critical issue we are facing with Microsoft Excel files stored and accessed via OneDrive.

Issue Summary:

When working on previously saved Excel files from OneDrive, the following behavior is frequently observed:

• The original file disappears from its folder during editing.
• The file name automatically changes to a random temporary filename (e.g., numeric or .tmp format).
• If the file is closed in this state, the original version is lost permanently.
• To avoid data loss, we are forced to manually monitor the file name and use “Save As” to restore it — a highly unreliable and disruptive workaround.

This issue has been ongoing since early September and has resulted in the loss of critical work, especially during the Income Tax Return (ITR) filing period in India, causing significant operational setbacks.

Known Issue Confirmation:

Based on our investigation and community reports, this appears to be a known issue acknowledged by Microsoft. It is related to Excel’s two-step save process and OneDrive’s sync behavior, where temporary files are created and sometimes fail to replace the original due to:

• Sync conflicts or delays in OneDrive.
• File locking by antivirus or backup software.
• Network instability or permission issues.
• Simultaneous access or editing by multiple users.

Request for Immediate Action:

We request Microsoft to urgently investigate and provide targeted fixes or mitigation steps, including:

1. A stable and reliable save mechanism for Excel files on OneDrive.
2. A patch or update to prevent Excel from switching to temporary files mid-edit.
3. Clear guidance on OneDrive sync settings and antivirus configurations to avoid file locking.
4. Recovery options for lost files due to this issue.
5. Confirmation of whether this issue is being actively addressed in upcoming updates.Dear Microsoft Support Team, I am writing to formally escalate a persistent and critical issue we are facing with Microsoft Excel files stored and accessed via OneDrive.

   Issue Summary:

   When working on previously saved Excel files from OneDrive, the following behavior is frequently observed:

• The original file disappears from its folder during editing.
• The file name automatically changes to a random temporary filename (e.g., numeric or .tmp format).
• If the file is closed in this state, the original version is lost permanently.
• To avoid data loss, we are forced to manually monitor the file name and use “Save As” to restore it — a highly unreliable and disruptive workaround. This issue has been ongoing since early September and has resulted in the loss of critical work, especially during the Income Tax Return (ITR) filing period in India, causing significant operational setbacks.

  Known Issue Confirmation:

  Based on our investigation and community reports, this appears to be a known issue acknowledged by Microsoft. It is related to Excel’s two-step save process and OneDrive’s sync behavior, where temporary files are created and sometimes fail to replace the original due to:
• Sync conflicts or delays in OneDrive.
• File locking by antivirus or backup software.
• Network instability or permission issues.
• Simultaneous access or editing by multiple users.

  Request for Immediate Action:

  We request Microsoft to urgently investigate and provide targeted fixes or mitigation steps, including:

1. A stable and reliable save mechanism for Excel files on OneDrive.
   1. A patch or update to prevent Excel from switching to temporary files mid-edit.
   2. Clear guidance on OneDrive sync settings and antivirus configurations to avoid file locking.
   3. Recovery options for lost files due to this issue.
   4. Confirmation of whether this issue is being actively addressed in upcoming updates.
   We appreciate your urgent attention to this matter, as it poses a serious risk to data integrity and business continuity. Sincerely

   ---

   PII removed***@doubleentry.in