One Drive Shared Folder Problem

Question

It has been two weeks with minimal response from Microsoft in regard to the OneDrive Shared Folders issues.

Here is the summarized issue:

Many customers worldwide have reported that their OneDrive shared folders have become inaccessible as regular file folders in File Explorer and instead appear as internet shortcuts. The reported issues include:

• Shared Folder Visibility - Users can see shared folders in a web browser, but these folders appear as link files (.URL) in File Explorer, which open the OneDrive website rather than displaying the folder contents.
• Synchronization Issues - Shared folders are not syncing properly with OneDrive on the desktop/PC. Attempts to add these folders to "My Files" result in creating internet shortcuts instead of actual folders.
• Access and Sync Problems - Users are unable to sync shared folders with their local devices, resulting in workflow disruptions and inability to access files offline. Users (other than the owner) of the shared files are unable to add and save new documents to the shared folders even though they have permissions to edit and view.
• Based on multiple reports, this is happening with BOTH Mac and Windows users.

I personally am having this problem with the 'Microsoft 365 for Family' plan. I assume that is considered for 'personal' or 'home' use. Would switching to a 'business' plan resolve these issues?

• For context, we were not given a separate business option when we purchased Microsoft Office 365 in November 2015. It was offered as "Office Home & Business 2016 for PC". We use it for Business as our company is owned by my family and we run with only two employees. We were not made aware that there were separate business plans.

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A response and an ETA for a resolution on this issue would be very helpful.

Thank you,

Lauren Damadzic

Answer 1

Dear Team MS

We are desperately waiting for your support and services regarding same

Answer 2

Hello,

we are a small architecture studio and sharing files is a vital task in our business

We declared this issue more than a month ago now and the Microsoft reply was that the engineers were working on this technical problem.

After one month we didn't receive any update and we are struggling in our day-to-day work. Very uncomfortable and this slows our job and incomings.

I would like to receive a prompt response because this is causing a big demonstrable distruption.

Thanks

Answer 3

Hello, Lauren Damadzic

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

Thank you for describing in detail the issue you are experiencing with your Microsoft 365 for Family plan.

This appears to be a known issue currently affecting OneDrive shared folders. Users from different regions have reported the same issue beginning approximately June 2024. We've summarized the main points of our current situation in this issue, you can review them at your convenience:

1-> Impact Summary:

Many customers worldwide have reported that their OneDrive shared folders have become inaccessible as regular file folders in File Explorer and instead appear as internet shortcuts. The reported issues include:

• Shared Folder Visibility - Users can see shared folders in a web browser, but these folders appear as link files (.URL) in File Explorer, which open the OneDrive website rather than displaying the folder contents.
• Synchronization Issues - Shared folders are not syncing properly with OneDrive on the desktop. Attempts to add these folders to "My Files" result in creating internet shortcuts instead of actual folders.
• Access and Sync Problems - Users are unable to sync shared folders with their local devices, resulting in workflow disruptions and inability to access files offline.

2-> Latest Update:

This issue may be due to an internal error affecting data synchronization and handling within the OneDrive service. Microsoft has acknowledged the problem and is actively working on a resolution.

• Efforts are underway to restore proper access to affected shared folders. Initial steps include investigating the issue's root cause and implementing fixes to ensure shared folders appear correctly as file folders in File Explorer.
• A comprehensive analysis is being conducted to determine the exact cause of the issue. Preliminary findings suggest a possible misconfiguration or recent update affecting shared folder handling and synchronization processes.

3- > Current Status:

• Some users have reported temporary workarounds, such as accessing shared folders directly via OneDrive web interface -<onedrive.live.com>
• Microsoft internal engineers are closely monitoring the service and implementing fixes to ensure stability and proper synchronization of shared folders.

The official Microsoft documentation has been updated regarding the issue you are experiencing. Our development team is aware of this issue and plans to fix it gradually in future updates, i.e. Internet shortcuts will be gradually restored to their original files.

We understand that this may have caused you some inconvenience, so we appreciate your patience. We will continue to monitor the progress of this issue and let you know when the fix is complete.

Add and sync shared folders to OneDrive for home - Microsoft Support

We fully understand the inconvenience and disruption caused by this issue. Our team is actively addressing it and working hard to fix it as soon as possible. By June 1^st^, 2024, our community support has posted the bug reports on the feedback platform for internal use. We are committed to resolving this swiftly.

I understand that your usage scenario involves family members using it for both personal and business purposes. Regarding your question, I would like to clarify that the current situation with OneDrive is not determined by your subscription type (Personal, Family, or Business), so switching to the Business plan may not directly address the issue you are experiencing.

OneDrive, as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription, is designed to provide users with file storage and synchronisation across devices. The quality of service and functionality of OneDrive is the same whether you are a personal user, a member of a family plan, or a business user. If you are experiencing any other issues with OneDrive, this may be due to issues with the service itself, or it may be related to your device, network environment, account settings, and other factors.

We understand that these issues may affect your work and life, and we will do our best to help you to ensure your experience is as smooth as possible.

Please let us know if you have any questions or need more help.

We wish you a happy life!

Best regards,

Maxine | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 4

I have seen some progress (newly created shared folders are now working) but there are still pending issues.

I have MS365 family and just tried to create a new share with a family member. When I then log online into the shared account, I can see the shared Folder and by selecting it I could create a shortcut ... but that is not what I want! Instead I want the shared folder to be synced offline on the target machine! Why the hell doesn't this work anymore? It definitely has worked for month and it seems that nobody at Microsoft cares?? Hey Microsoft, we we paid good money for the subscription - please deliver what you promised - NOW!

Answer 5

Is there any further update on this being fixed? Its been well over a month now.