Unable to bulk download files from a OneDrive folder that has been shared

Question

First of all, I see this question has been posted in Jan. With the most unhelpful recommendations to solve the issue when it is a Microsoft issue.

I am a professional creative that use OneDrive to both store files and share with clients large [photo and video files]

Usually you can open the link and bulk select the files and click download and for some reason this option has been removed.

This makes using your platform useless.

Here is another users experience, which is still the exactly my issue, after following all your recommended steps. Even smaller folders with as little as 7 files in, you still are not able to select more than one item at a time to download.

"I have shared links with 2 clients. Neither have their own MS Account or OneDrive.

They are able to access the folder(s) containing their images.

They are able to view those images and can download each image individually.

They are now, not being allowed to "select all" and download all the images with one click.

This wouldn't be too much of a problem if there were only a handful of images, but many of my clients can have several hundred images to download.

I have been able to replicate their experience and can confirm what is happening. Right-clicking an image produces a context menu that gives the option to download that image. If more than one image is selected at the same time, the context menu is completely different and gives the options to "delete", "move to" or "copy to".

The option to "delete" is potentially catastrophic due to synching.

The other two options, "move to" and "copy to", both prompt the user to open their OneDrive and do not give them an option to move the files to a folder on their hard drive (download them). My clients, who do not have OneDrive, do NOT want to download the application.

I have tried sending the link as both "anyone with the link can edit" and "anyone with the link can view". I can find no difference to what the end user is able to do. It appears to have only started with the installation of Windows 11 Pro, if that has any bearing on anything.

Is this a bug? Or a change of policy that has not been communicated with end users like me? Is there a solution (other than leaving Microsoft)?

---

Moved from: Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | MacOS

Answer 1

Hi @Annie Mouse

I understand how frustrating this is, especially when it affects something as basic as downloading your files. I can also see that other user has recently reported similar behavior, so you’re certainly not alone in running into this. 

Can't download more than 1 photo at a time on a shared link - Microsoft Q&A 

Unfortunately, at the moment this behavior is not listed under any publicly documented or active known issues. To help ensure this is properly reviewed, I recommend reporting the issue through the Microsoft 365 admin center > Service health (if you are using Microsoft business subscription and have admin rights) 

In addition, you may also want to use Report a problem in OneDrive to submit feedback directly. That feedback goes to the product team and helps with visibility, especially when multiple users are encountering the same behavior. 

It may also be worth contacting Microsoft Support since a technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis.        

Here’s what your Microsoft 365 Global Admin (IT Admin) should do next:       

• Submit a Service Request: The Global Admin should create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin.         
• Find Your Microsoft 365 Admin: If you’re unsure who the Global Admin is within your organization, you can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.     
• If your subscription is managed through a Microsoft partner or reseller, they can also assist with opening a support request and liaising with Microsoft on your behalf.      

Note: If you’re an end-user, please coordinate with your Office 365 Global Administrator to handle these steps.     

I apologize for redirecting you the related team support, as the moderators in this community don’t have access to the detailed system needed to troubleshoot this effectively due to privacy and security constraints. But Microsoft’s support team has elevated permissions and access to backend systems that we, as community moderators, do not. This ensures your issue is handled with the right tools and expertise and helps you get a faster resolution.       

I know this isn’t the most immediate solution, but those channels are the best way to get this reviewed by the right teams. Thank you for your patience and for raising the issue. 

---

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.