SharePoint Document Issues

Fix Excel Cannot Open SharePoint-Synced Files for Specific User

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 19, 2026 869 views

Question details

A specific user is unable to open SharePoint-synced Excel files using the desktop application, receiving a file not found error with an incorrect path.

Fix Excel Cannot Open SharePoint-Synced Files for a Specific User

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Opening a SharePoint-synced Excel (.xlsx) file in the desktop Excel application.
Observed behavior: Excel displays an incorrect path and filename, stating the file cannot be found, despite opening successfully in Excel for the web and for other users.

Before you start

Before modifying user profiles, ensure you have backed up any locally saved files to an external drive and verified that the affected files open correctly in Excel for the Web.

Solution 1

Unlink and Re-sync OneDrive

Try resetting the connection between your PC and SharePoint before taking drastic measures like deleting a user profile.

Sometimes, the OneDrive sync client loses track of the correct SharePoint directory, leading to incorrect path errors in Excel. Resetting the connection can clear out minor synchronization glitches.

Unlink this PC

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray, select the Settings gear icon, go to the Account tab, and click 'Unlink this PC'.

Sign back in

Enter your Microsoft or organizational email address to sign back into OneDrive and follow the prompts to choose your sync folder location.

Re-sync SharePoint

Navigate to the SharePoint document library in your web browser and click the 'Sync' button to establish a fresh connection to your local File Explorer.

Solution 2Recommended

Recreate the Corrupted Windows User Profile

If the issue is limited to a single user profile while others can access the files, the local Windows profile registry may be corrupted and needs to be recreated.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office to Open Synced Spreadsheets

If Microsoft Excel continues to fail when opening SharePoint-synced files, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative that smoothly opens your local and synced Excel files without complex path errors.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install WPS Office for free.
2. Open WPS Spreadsheets: Launch the application and select 'Spreadsheets' from the main workspace.
3. Access your synced files: Click 'Open', navigate to your local SharePoint-synced folder in File Explorer, and double-click the .xlsx file to start editing.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls, .csv) formatsLightweight installation with incredibly fast startup timesEasily opens files directly from local OneDrive and SharePoint sync foldersFamiliar user interface requiring no learning curve for easy migration

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel show a different filename and path in the error?

This happens when the local Windows user profile has corrupted registry entries or a broken Office cache. Excel becomes confused and attempts to reference an outdated or non-existent file path, such as an old 'Shared Documents' folder, instead of the current synced path.

Can I use Excel for the web to bypass this error permanently?

Yes, Excel for the web bypasses the local Windows profile and the desktop OneDrive sync client entirely. You can continue to view and edit the SharePoint files directly in your browser without encountering the desktop application's path error.

Will simply resetting OneDrive fix this specific file path error?

While resetting OneDrive resolves many basic sync issues, it may not fix this problem if the corruption is deeply rooted in the Windows user profile registry. If a OneDrive reset fails, recreating the Windows user profile is the verified solution.

Document & File Issues