Delete File with Unwanted Users

Question

How to delete a file with unwanted guest users when the sharing link has already been deleted?

I shared an excel file with my husband via e-mail - - when he went to open it... I could see his

name and access, but there were 2 other accounts as GUEST....

We quickly deleted the SHARE LINK and DELETED the LOCAL COPY of the FILE, but it will NOT

DELETE because there are people still in it (!!!!!)

HELP!!!!

Answer 1

Deleting the sharing link and the local copy does not immediately remove other users from the file; it only removes the link they used to get in. To fully remove unwanted guests and stop the “people are still in it” behavior, remove their access at the file’s source (OneDrive or SharePoint) and delete any remaining “Anyone” links.

Use these steps depending on where the file is stored:

1. Open the file’s source location (OneDrive or SharePoint library) where the Excel file is saved.
2. Select the file and choose Share.
3. In the sharing dialog, select Manage Access (or similar option):
   • In Word/Excel/PowerPoint on the web or desktop, select Share in the top-right corner, then Manage Access.
4. On the Links or Manage Access panel:
   • Delete any Anyone or “People with the link” entries by selecting the trash can icon or X next to those links, then confirm Delete link.
   • This revokes all anonymous/guest access to the file, including those extra guest sessions.
5. If specific external users were granted direct access (not just via a link), remove them from the file’s permissions:
   • In SharePoint/OneDrive, remove their permissions from the shared item, or remove them as guests in the directory if you no longer want them to have any access.

If the file still refuses to delete because it thinks users are in it, first remove all sharing as above, wait a short time for sessions to close, then try deleting the file again from its online location (OneDrive/SharePoint). Once deleted online, any local synced copy can be removed normally.

If a guest account continues to cause access issues, remove the guest from the site or directory and then re-share only with the intended person.

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References:

• Seeing guests in your Office files that you don't recognize?
• Overview of external sharing in SharePoint and OneDrive in Microsoft 365
• Access Denied or You need permission errors in SharePoint Online and OneDrive
• Manage sharing with external users in Microsoft 365 Small Business
• Share and collaborate on files in Office for Android
• Deleting a message with an attached file in Microsoft Teams Free