Sharepoint Inquiry

Question

Howdy, y'all!

My prior inquiry was removed however I am not quite clear on why, so if I am not doing this properly I would appreciate if someone would let me know why instead of just deleting my inquiry, I'm not here to be a pain, I was just seeking to consult some of the collective wisdom here and do not wish to transgress.

Last one was kind of lengthy so this time I will keep it brief -

We were migrating several on-prem file servers to azure files, however the way our users are accustomed to using it the performance is not great. We're looking at a few solutions to try to bridge the gap, however I feel there are likely just plain better tools and systems we could be utilizing, in this case I am aware of Sharepoint (but open to suggestions).

Their main concerns are the following:

1. How is Sharepoint at handling linked files (primarily Excel)? I was under the impression it can handle it, however are there considerations with regards to this, and if it is able to handle it effectively, would it require changes in procedure [vs standard smb fileshare]? (This is something I've found somewhat mixed answers on, but I suspect are due to how it has changed over time) I.E. would they have to change how they reference other excel files or anything?
2. They really want the the end user functionality to remain as similar to what they are used to - I know we can sync sharepoint sites to file explorer, but is there a way to make it more closely replicate a mapped drive? (This has been a non-negotiable component, however I've been working on exposing people to sharepoint's function and to the notion that azure files just might not be able to do quite what they are asking)

So to recap (if additional info is needed please let me know, I did a fairly comprehensive write up the first time, but don't have time to just keep entering all the details for it to be deleted without any indication why u.u):

How does Sharepoint handle linked excel files? Can it be made to function more similarly to a traditional SMB file share?

In any case I thank you for taking the time to read this, for your time, consideration, and any input you might have, and hope you have a wonderful day/evening!

Sincerely,

Adrian

Answer 1

Hi @Adrian Charbonneau,

You can edit files in a SharePoint in Microsoft 365 or SharePoint Server 2019 document library directly in the browser or from an app. Microsoft 365 file types (like Word or Excel) are available for editing both in the browser and in the app. Files of many other types are supported for previewing in the browser. For other file types, where an app is available on your device, download, edit in the app, and then upload.

Here is the document for more details

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/use-excel-web-app-in-a-sharepoint-library-53f7d410-65bc-49a9-ac47-6d99d45a1d57#:~:text=Edit%20a%20spreadsheet%20in%20the,Click%20Edit%20in%20Browser.

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