Why is my excel spreadsheet blank in parts and I cannot amend it it appears to be read only

Question

When opening my saved excel spreadsheet sheet portions of it are blank also it won’t let me amend it even opening a new spreadsheet in OneDrive

Answer 1

Hi Robert,

Based on what you described, it sounds like the problem could be related to how OneDrive is handling the file in the background. When Excel files open blank or become uneditable—even new ones it’s often due to one of the following:

Sync or Cache Glitches

Sometimes, OneDrive’s sync process can get stuck or corrupted, especially if the file was recently moved, renamed, or edited on another device. This can cause Excel to load a broken or incomplete version of the file.

Permissions or Locking Issues

If the file is shared or was opened on another device, it might be locked in read-only mode. This would explain why you can’t make changes even in new files if OneDrive is struggling to confirm your editing rights.

Browser or App Conflicts

If you're using Excel for the web, browser extensions or cached data might interfere with how the file loads. In some cases, the file appears blank even though the data is still there.

 

 

Here are a few steps that usually help:

Open in Excel Desktop App If you're using the web version, try clicking “Open in App” from OneDrive. This often bypasses browser-related issues.

Clear Browser Cache or Try Incognito Mode If you're on a browser, open the file in private/incognito mode or try a different browser to rule out cache problems.

Check OneDrive Storage If your OneDrive is nearly full, it might prevent new changes from being saved or synced properly.

Download the File Try downloading the file to your device and opening it locally. If it works fine offline, the issue is likely with OneDrive’s sync or permissions.

Sign Out and Back In Sometimes, simply signing out of your Microsoft account and signing back in can refresh your session and fix access issues.

 

If none of these help, let me know what device and version of Excel you’re using (e.g., Excel for Web, Excel 365 desktop, mobile app) Let me know how it goes, Happy to help!