PowerPoint shows SharePoint permission error when opening PPTX from Windows file share and Word TEMP environment variable error

Question

Hello,I am facing a rather unusual issue with Microsoft PowerPoint and Word would like to ask for your guidance.- When users try to open a PowerPoint file located on a network drive, they receive the following error message:
“Access denied – You do not have permission to view this file. Would you like to request permission for SharePoint?”

• Also when users try to open any existing Word file, they get the error:
  "Die Arbeitsdatei konnte von Word nicht erstellt werden. Überprüfen Sie die TEMP-Umgebungsvariable."
  After dismissing the error message multiple times in Word, the file sometimes opens successfully

More information for PowerPoint Error:

• The issue occurs for multiple users, not only internally but also for some users in our subsidiary company. Both environments have independent infrastructures
• The PPTX files are stored on a Windows Server file share and are accessed via a mapped network drive (drive letter) created by a logon script Therefore, this setup has no relation to SharePoint
• The problem started 2–3 weeks ago. Before that, access worked without any issues
• NTFS and share permissions have been checked. Users should have read/write permissions and no changes were made

I have tried:

• Reset PowerPoint as the default application for .pptx
• Performed an Office Online Repair
• Disabled Protected View temporarily in PowerPoint Trust Center
• Opened the file directly via UNC path \Server\Share\File -> same error
• Modified registry key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PowerPoint.Show.12\shell\Open\command angepasst auf "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Root\Office16\POWERPNT.EXE" "%1" -> same error
• Copied the PowerPoint file within the same file share -> same error
• Copied the PowerPoint file to the local Desktop -> file opens normally
• Right‑clicking the file and selecting “Open with PowerPoint” opens the file without errors (however, this is only a short‑term workaround).

Resolution:

After extensive troubleshooting, I found a Reddit comment suggesting to disable the Preview Pane on the right side in File Explorer. After disabling the Preview Pane, PowerPoint files and the Word Files on the network share could be opened normally again.

Has anyone experienced similar behavior, is this a bug, or can explain why the File Explorer Preview Pane could trigger this SharePoint‑related access error on a classic file share?

Screenshot 2026-04-07 113454.png
Screenshot 2026-04-07 112623.png

Answer 1

Hi @Leon

Thanks for sharing the solution you found. This behavior is a known issue and is commonly associated with how Office interacts with the File Explorer Preview Pane. This is a support article that explains this behavior and outlines several possible workarounds, which you may find helpful: "Could not create the work file” error in Office

Please keep in mind that although the issue can present with the same or very similar error messages, the underlying cause isn’t always identical across environments. Factors such as system configuration, preview handlers, cache locations, or how files are accessed can all play a role, which is why the article lists multiple possible approaches rather than a single fix.

If you notice the same behavior again in a different context, or if it appears under slightly different conditions, reviewing the other steps in the article may be helpful.

Hopefully it clears thing up and if you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.   

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