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Fix OneDrive Access Link Opening the Wrong Account in Microsoft 365
Question details
An administrator generates an access link for a former employee's OneDrive, but the link incorrectly redirects to the administrator's own OneDrive Home.
- Product
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A Microsoft 365 administrator is trying to access the files of a former employee whose account is still covered by a retention policy.
- Observed behavior
- Clicking the generated access link opens the administrator's personal OneDrive Home instead of granting access to the former employee's files.
Ensure you are signed in with a Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator account in Microsoft 365, and verify that the former employee's account is still within the active retention period.
Open a Support Request in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center
Because this involves incorrect backend routing of SharePoint/OneDrive links, Microsoft Support must investigate the tenant logs and resolve the backend configuration.
When an access link redirects to the current user's default OneDrive, it usually indicates a failure in resolving the target personal site collection. Since backend SharePoint routing cannot be repaired manually by tenant admins, escalating to Microsoft Support is required.
Navigate to admin.microsoft.com and log in using your global administrator or support administrator credentials.
On the left-hand navigation pane, locate the 'Support' section and click on 'Help & support'.
Type a brief description of your issue, such as 'OneDrive access link redirects to admin account', and press Enter to view suggested self-help articles.
If the automated solutions do not fix the routing issue, select the 'Contact Support' button to open a formal ticket for backend investigation.
Manually Assign Site Collection Administrator Rights
Bypass the faulty automatic link generation by manually granting yourself direct administrative access to the user's personal SharePoint site.
Experience Hassle-Free Document Management with WPS Office
While resolving Microsoft 365 backend routing errors requires technical support, WPS Office offers a straightforward, standalone solution for document creation and local file management without complex administrative configurations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a former employee's OneDrive link open my own files?
This generally happens due to a routing error or caching issue in SharePoint Online. The system fails to locate or resolve the intended target's personal site and defaults to loading the currently logged-in user's OneDrive Home.
Does the Microsoft 365 retention policy affect OneDrive access links?
A retention policy ensures the data is preserved and not deleted, but it does not control how the access link functions. If the retention policy is active, the files exist, but routing errors may still prevent the link from working correctly.
How long are a former employee's files kept in OneDrive?
By default, OneDrive files are kept for 30 days after a user account is deleted. However, Microsoft 365 administrators can configure custom retention policies to preserve data for up to 10 years or even indefinitely.
