Cannot open any links on Teams

Question

Hi,

I have been using teams on my work account for some time. In the last few months I have been unable to open files. Every time I try, it tells me 'sign in is not complete'. I am signed in. I have cleared the cache. Help!!!

Answer 1

Hi @Maxine Maretzki, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Regarding the issue where you are unable to open files in Microsoft Teams. I’d like to ask a few quick questions to better understand your situation and assist you more effectively:  

• Are you using the Microsoft Teams desktop application or the web version? 
• Does this issue occur with all files, or only with specific ones? 
• If it affects only certain files, were those files created by you, or were they sent to you by another user? 
• Are you able to open the same files directly in SharePoint or OneDrive, outside of Teams? 
• If possible, could you provide a screenshot of the error message? 

Thank you again for your time and understanding. While this initial response may not resolve the issue immediately, I’d like to gather more details so I can assist you more effectively.  

I really appreciate your patience, and I’m here to help. Looking forward to your response.  

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Answer 2

The message “sign in is not complete” when opening files in Teams usually indicates an authentication or cookie/URL trust issue between Teams and the underlying Microsoft 365 services (SharePoint/OneDrive).

Try these steps in order:

1. Fully sign out and back in to Teams
   • In Teams, select the profile picture > Sign out.
   • Close Teams completely (make sure it is not running in the taskbar).
   • Reopen Teams and sign in with the same work account used for email/OneDrive.
2. Clear the Teams cache again (Windows and Mac)
   • Quit Teams.
   • On Windows: in File Explorer, go to %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams and delete all contents of that folder, then restart Teams and sign in.
   • On Mac: quit Teams, then delete ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams, then restart Teams and sign in.
   • This removes cached auth and file access data and forces a fresh sign-in.
3. Check browser cookie settings (for web-based auth inside Teams) If using Teams in a browser, or if embedded web views are used for file access:
   • In Chrome: go to Settings > Site settings > Cookies and site data.
     • Select Allow all cookies and ensure Block third-party cookies is not selected.
     • Under Sites that can always use cookies, add:
       • microsoft.com
       • microsoftonline.com
   • In Safari (macOS or iOS): disable Prevent cross-site tracking in Settings/Preferences > Safari > Privacy. These settings ensure Microsoft Entra ID and SharePoint/OneDrive cookies can be used so sign-in completes.
4. Validate Teams/Office 365 URLs are allowed on the network
   • Ask the IT admin to verify that all required Microsoft 365 and Teams URLs and IP ranges are allowed through firewalls and proxies, as documented in Microsoft 365 URLs and IP address ranges.
   • Misconfigured proxies or blocked URLs can cause incomplete sign-in when opening files.
5. If using Edge/Internet Explorer to open files
   • In Internet Options:
     • Under Privacy > Advanced, accept First-Party and Third-Party cookies and check Always allow session cookies.
     • Under Security > Trusted Sites > Sites, add:
       • https://login.microsoftonline.com
       • https://*.teams.microsoft.com This prevents sign-in loops when Teams or file views rely on the browser engine.
6. If the issue is only with files shared in 1:1 or group chat
   • Files shared in chat are stored in the sender’s OneDrive. If the error appears only on those files, the OneDrive site may have Limited-access user permission lockdown mode enabled.
   • Ask the file owner (or the admin) to:
     1. Sign into their OneDrive site.
     2. Go to Settings (gear icon) > OneDrive Settings > More Settings.
     3. Under Features and storage, select Site Collection Features.
     4. Find Limited-access user permission lockdown mode and select Deactivate.
   • After this, retry opening the file from Teams.
7. Involve the IT admin if the problem persists
   • There may be a tenant-level Microsoft Entra ID or SharePoint/OneDrive configuration issue preventing sign-in completion. The admin can review sign-in logs and run the Teams/SharePoint diagnostics in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

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References:

• I can't reconnect to Microsoft Teams
• Troubleshoot-signing-in
• Teams stops working when joining from Edge or Internet Explorer
• Error when opening a file in Teams: You don't have access to this file
• Why am I having trouble signing in to Microsoft Teams?