Lost sharepoint files

Question

I have been using sharepoint and recently i cannot access and comes up with an error message Hmmmm ...cant reach this page

Looks like the webpage at XXXXXXXXXXX might be having issues or it may have been moved permanently to a new web address

Answer 1

Hello @Julie Munday

As you have shared, you couldn’t access the SharePoint files that you could access before. Because we can only see the message “…can’t reach this page,” we need to check why this happens to you in this case:

1/ Have you tried opening the link in an Incognito/Private window or a different browser?

2/ May I confirm whether all your SharePoint files have this issue or only some files? Please double-check to narrow down the issue.

3/ Are other people who can access these files also encountering the issue?

4/ What is your role in these SharePoint pages?

If possible, you can reach out to the owner to ask them to check the issue and re-add you for regaining access.

5/ Have you checked your OneDrive? If you usually sync these files, see if your OneDrive app is showing them.

If you still need my assistance, please come back with screenshots or any additional details so I can review it again and see if there’s anything more I can help you with. 

Have a nice day! 

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Answer 2

The error message indicates the SharePoint site’s homepage can no longer be loaded at its original address. Common causes are a deleted homepage, an expired subscription, or the site/content being moved or deleted.

Try these steps in order:

1. Confirm the site still exists and is accessible

• If other users also cannot access the site, the homepage may have been deleted or the site moved.
• If other SharePoint sites also fail with similar “can’t reach this page” errors, there may be a broader SharePoint/OneDrive access issue or subscription problem.

2. Check if the homepage was deleted If the site itself opens for others or via a different URL but the usual homepage fails:
3. Open the site’s Site Pages library directly (for example, a URL like https://contoso.sharepoint.com/SitePages/Forms/ByAuthor.aspx).
4. Look for the page that should be the homepage.
5. If it is missing, check the site’s Recycle Bin and Site Collection Recycle Bin and restore it if found. For restore steps, see “Restore items in the recycle bin that were deleted from SharePoint or Teams” in the referenced article.
6. If the original homepage cannot be restored, either:
   • Make an existing page the homepage:
     1. In Site Pages, select the three vertical dots (…) next to the page to use.
     2. Select Make homepage.
   • Or create a new homepage:
     1. In Site Pages, select New > Site page.
     2. Add content, then Save as draft > Publish.
     3. In Site Pages, select (…) next to the new page and choose Make homepage.
7. Check for subscription or DNS issues If no SharePoint or OneDrive sites can be reached and the browser shows a generic “site can’t be reached” error for all of them:
8. Verify the Microsoft 365 subscription that includes SharePoint/OneDrive is still active. If it has expired, reactivate it following the “Reactivate your subscription” guidance in the referenced article.
9. If the subscription is active, flush the local DNS cache on the affected computer:
   1. Open Command Prompt.
   2. Run: ipconfig /flushdns
   3. Press Enter, then try accessing SharePoint again.
10. If the site, file, or group was moved or deleted If a specific URL now returns a “file/page not found” (404) or similar message, the content may have been renamed, moved, or deleted. In that case, contact the SharePoint administrator to locate or restore the site or files.

If these steps do not restore access, contact the organization’s Microsoft 365/SharePoint admin or Microsoft technical support for further investigation.

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References:

• "This site can't be reached" and ERR_INVALID_RESPONSE error when accessing a SharePoint site
• Error 'DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN' when accessing SharePoint or OneDrive
• "Error: 404 File/Page not found" in OneDrive or SharePoint