Sharepoint "Open in Desktop App" Option not visible while accessing online link for sharepoint

Question

Hi, 

I'm sorry if i sound like a noob but please assist, screenshots would be great.

One of my colleague is working on a project, he uses his work email which for example is ******@companyname.ae, however his Microsoft 365 Personal is registered with his outlook email for example ******@outlook.com. The Sharepoint link is shared to his work email so when he opens the link and enters the auth code for accessing the file on Sharepoint, the "Open in Desktop App" option doesn't show up even though the licensed application is installed on his laptop. The user can only view it online and this limits his work because there are graphs to work on as well and double clicking on it doesn't show up any data, it does only when you use it on the desktop app. 

Has it got anything to do with Microsoft 365 Personal account (i.e. ******@outlook.com) being different to the one used for sharing the share-point link (i.e. ******@companyname.ae)? Is it anything to do with the permission set? Has it got anything to do with using google chrome/Microsoft edge?

At first I thought its because Microsoft 365 business license is not installed and that could be the issue but then when I used my email and shared a ppt to his outlook email, I was able to see "Open in desktop app" option so I was wondering if the issue persist with the work email to which the access is given. 

Any help would be appreciated, thanks

Answer 1

Hi,

On the microsoft apps, yes he has signed into his outlook account registered with MS 365 license.

But the file on sharepoint is shared to his work email ******@xx.ae which is not associated with microsoft or MS 365 account. So that's what is causing the issue?

Answer 2

Hi Sahar,

Thanks for your reply.

According to your description, you have shared the file with his work email, the option “Open in Desktop app” is not related to the account which is signed into your Office, it is related to the account which you open the file in browser.

I suggest you sign into the work email when you access to the file on browser to check if you can see the option “Open in Desktop app”.

If this can’t help you, I want to collect the following information for further analysis:

1. Check if all sites meet the issue, it can help us narrow down if the issue only affected the special site.
2. Check if only the special user met the situation, have you tried sharing with other users’ work emails?
3. The screenshot when the affected user access to the file, I want to check the detailed situation when the affected user open it.

Regards,

Qing

Answer 3

Hi Sahar,

Did you need further help? Do you have any updates?

Regards,

Qing

Answer 4

I just need to know if the work email is not associated with Microsoft 365 account, will it have issue in opening in desktop app or not?

The MS 365 downloaded on the system is licensed with an outlook.com account which is not the same as the work email, the work email is .ae which doesn't have microsoft 365 license.

Answer 5

Hi Sahar,

Thanks for the updates.

Did you mean that the work account didn't have the license?

If so, it will not affected the "Open in desktop" option.

I am sorry about that I couldn't understand your situation clearly now, could you please provide the following information?

1. Check if all sites meet the issue, it can help us narrow down if the issue only affected the special site.
2. Check if only the special user met the situation, have you tried sharing with other users’ work emails?
3. The screenshot when the affected user access to the file, I want to check the detailed situation when the affected user open it.

Regards,

Qing