Access to Microsoft

Question

I created a spreadsheet and a PowerPoint, but now it’s on view only status and I can’t seem to get more access. Its states that I am not authorized for more access, but my partner assured me that I’m an admin. Not sure why I’m denied access and I have tried different ways with no success. How can I get access to the spreadsheet and PowerPoint I created?

Answer 1

Dear @UrielVilla-4507,

I hope you’re having a good day.

Thank you for explaining the situation in detail.

In Microsoft 365, it’s important to know that being able to open a file and being able to edit a file are two different permission levels. Even if you are an admin, edit access to documents is controlled at the file level, not by admin role.

Here are the main things I recommend checking, in order:

First, please confirm which account you are signed into in Excel or PowerPoint. If you have more than one Microsoft account (for example, a work account and a personal Microsoft account), the apps may be opened with the wrong one.

You can check this by selecting your profile picture in the app and making sure it matches the account that originally created the files.

Next, check where the files are stored. Open the files from OneDrive or SharePoint in a browser. Locate the spreadsheet and PowerPoint, then select Share or Manage access and check who is listed as the Owner

check who is listed as the Owner

and whether your account has Edit or only View permission

If your account only shows View, you won’t be able to enable editing yourself.

If the files are stored in your partner’s OneDrive or in a SharePoint site where you only have read access, your partner (or another admin with access) will need to explicitly assign you Edit or Owner permissions on those files.

If your partner confirms that you are the only admin and no one else has owner access, you can also try opening the files directly from OneDrive or SharePoint Admin Center, take ownership of the files, and then grant yourself edit rights. Once ownership or edit permission is restored, the files should no longer open as view‑only.

You can find more details here: Manage site admins - SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn

Lastly, if you are opening the files from an old email, chat message, or saved link, try opening them directly from OneDrive or SharePoint instead. Sometimes older links are shared with view‑only access, even if your permissions have changed since then.

I hope this information helps point you in the right direction. Please feel free to reply below if you have any update or further concern.   

Warm regards, 

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".    

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.   

Answer 2

The files are opening as view-only because the account being used does not currently have sufficient permissions or full editing rights to those specific files, even if that account is an admin elsewhere.

Use these checks and fixes:

1. Confirm file permissions
   • Ask the site or file owner (or SharePoint/OneDrive admin) to verify that the current account has Edit permission on the specific spreadsheet and PowerPoint.
   • If the account is missing, have them explicitly grant Edit access to that account on each file or on the containing folder/site.
   • If “Access Denied” or “You need permission” messages appear, follow the standard SharePoint/OneDrive permission troubleshooting steps to ensure the account is correctly added with edit rights.
2. Check if the file is locked by another user
   • If someone else has the file open in the desktop version of Office, the file may be locked and only open read-only for others.
   • Ask the other user to close the file in their desktop app.
   • After they close it, reopen the file; editing commands should become available.
   • If changes must be made immediately while it is locked, use File > Save As to create a new copy, edit that copy, and then reconcile changes later.
3. Verify it is not restricted by Information Rights Management (IRM)
   • If the file has restricted permissions (IRM/sensitivity labels), the rights are embedded in the file.
   • Open the file and use View Permission (Message Bar) or the status bar message (for example, “This workbook contains a permissions policy”) to see what rights the current account has.
   • If the account does not have edit rights, the file owner or rights administrator must grant additional permissions.
   • If an error indicates the Office version does not support the applied protection policy, update Office to the latest version or open the file in Office for the web.
4. Check for other causes of read-only behavior
   • Right-click the file in File Explorer, select Properties, and ensure the Read-only attribute is not checked.
   • If the file opens in Protected View (banner at the top), use the options in that banner to enable editing if the file source is trusted.
   • If antivirus is forcing Office files to open read-only, adjust the antivirus settings or exclusions as recommended by the antivirus vendor.
5. If commands on the ribbon are disabled
   • If edit commands are grayed out even with correct permissions, the commands may be disabled via group policy or because the file is in Protected View or reduced functionality mode.
   • In that case, contact the Microsoft 365/IT administrator who manages policies for the tenant to review and adjust any restrictions.

If, after these steps, the account still cannot edit files that were originally created, the most likely cause is that ownership or permissions on those files changed (for example, moved to a location where the account no longer has edit rights). Restoring or re-granting edit permissions on the current storage location will resolve the issue.

---

References:

• Unable to access SharePoint Online
• File is locked by another user and commands are grayed out
• Open a file that has restricted permissions
• Why did my file open read-only?
• Commands on the Ribbon are disabled by the administrator