Permission & Access Issues

How to Fix Access Denied for Microsoft Forms Uploaded Files

Amos Gikunda Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

Form collaborators cannot access files submitted via a Microsoft Forms File Upload question due to missing folder permissions.

How to Fix Access Denied for Microsoft Forms Uploaded Files

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Multiple team members are collaborating on a Microsoft Form, but when they try to open files submitted by respondents, they encounter an access error.
Observed behavior: Collaborators receive an 'Access Denied' message when clicking on uploaded files because the backend storage permissions in OneDrive or SharePoint do not automatically inherit the form's collaboration settings.

Before you start

Ensure you are the original creator of the Microsoft Form or have administrative access to the associated SharePoint site so you have the rights to modify folder sharing settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Grant Folder Access for Personal Microsoft Forms in OneDrive

Share the specific OneDrive folder where personal form uploads are stored with your collaborators.

When you create a personal form, all file uploads are routed to a dedicated folder in your personal OneDrive account. Sharing the form does not share this folder, so you must grant access manually.

Open OneDrive Apps Folder

Log into your OneDrive account on the web and navigate to the 'Apps' folder.

Locate the Form Folder

Click on 'Microsoft Forms', then open the specific folder that matches the title of your form.

Find the Upload Question Folder

Inside the form's folder, open the subfolder corresponding to the specific File Upload question.

Share with Collaborators

Select the upload folder, click the 'Share' button at the top, configure the link settings to include your specific collaborators, and send the invitation.

Grant Folder Access for Personal Microsoft Forms in OneDrive

Access Restored: Once the invitation is sent, your collaborators will be able to click the file links in the form responses and view the uploads without errors.

Solution 2

Grant Folder Access for Group Microsoft Forms in SharePoint

Modify permissions in the SharePoint document library for forms connected to a Microsoft 365 Group.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do form collaborators get an access denied error if they can edit the form?

Microsoft Forms manages form editing permissions entirely separately from the backend OneDrive or SharePoint file storage permissions. Being a collaborator on the form layout does not automatically grant access to the folders where the uploaded files are actually saved.

Where are Microsoft Forms uploaded files stored?

For personal forms, files are saved to the creator's OneDrive under Apps > Microsoft Forms > [Form Name]. For group forms, they are saved in the connected SharePoint site's default document library under Apps > Microsoft Forms.

Can I automatically grant file access to new form collaborators?

There is no direct setting inside Microsoft Forms to auto-sync file access with new collaborators. You must manually share the OneDrive or SharePoint upload folder using a group link or shareable link so everyone retains proper access.

Document & File Issues