Multiple Issues: Not able to access shared files in OneDrive and not able to restore original document formatting after downloading a .docx email attachment. Word for Mac

Question

Submitting my questions here as every time I try to access Microsoft Support it says access denied due to server issue. For context I am working on a Mac.

First issue: Someone shared a file for me to edit through OneDrive. I received the email containing the link to the shared file and am able to open it and edit it in my browser. However, whenever I try to access the file by first logging into my OneDrive account, it does not show the file in the shared with me tab despite the fact that the file was shared with me. As such, I am only able to edit the file on my web browser rather than using the Word desktop app which is preferable. How do I resolve this and why isn't it showing as shared with me in my OneDrive?

Second issue: Someone shared a different .docx file with me as an email attachment. I downloaded the file as a .docx file but whenever I open it in word the formatting is completely messed up. It was a document with footnotes, comments, etc. and the body of the text is irregularly placed into the comments column (I can't include a screenshot for this person's privacy but trust me that it is completely messed up). How can I restore the document to its original formatting that was visible to the person who sent it to me when they initially exported the file.

Please help! Trying to use 365 after being used to user-friendly Google Drive has been an absolute nightmare.

Answer 1

Submitting my questions here as every time I try to access Microsoft Support it says access denied due to server issue. For context I am working on a Mac.

First issue: Someone shared a file for me to edit through OneDrive. I received the email containing the link to the shared file and am able to open it and edit it in my browser. However, whenever I try to access the file by first logging into my OneDrive account, it does not show the file in the shared with me tab despite the fact that the file was shared with me. As such, I am only able to edit the file on my web browser rather than using the Word desktop app which is preferable. How do I resolve this and why isn't it showing as shared with me in my OneDrive?

Second issue: Someone shared a different .docx file with me as an email attachment. I downloaded the file as a .docx file but whenever I open it in word the formatting is completely messed up. It was a document with footnotes, comments, etc. and the body of the text is irregularly placed into the comments column (I can't include a screenshot for this person's privacy but trust me that it is completely messed up). How can I restore the document to its original formatting that was visible to the person who sent it to me when they initially exported the file.

Please help! Trying to use 365 after being used to user-friendly Google Drive has been an absolute nightmare.

I suggest that you post separate questions separately to get the best answers.

How to Ask Questions In this Forum (to get the best and quickest answers)

First issue:

You may want to ask the first question in the OneDrive forum rather than here.

When you open a file from a OneDrive link, it will always be opened in the browser version. I recommend saving it locally and opening in your desktop application.

Addressing your second issue:

First, if the document is being edited in both the desktop application and the online program, these are truly different programs and that, alone, can mess up formatting.

Second, any document that is an email attachment should be first saved to the local hard drive as a file and then opened in Word from there, rather than being opened and edited directly from the email. See: Recover lost attachments edited from Outlook by Graham Mayor, MVP

Third, a document's formatting and pagination can change simply from being opened on a different computer. To insure that it looks the same regardless of the platform, send a pdf. Send a pdf copy with the .docx if editing is needed on both sides. See also:

• Why has my page layout changed when I open my document on a different machine? by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP
• Archive What happens when I send my document to someone else? Will Word mess up my formatting? | ShaunaKelly.com