Permission & Access Issues

How to Remove Former Employees from a Shared Excel File

Rana Garcia Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to remove a former employee's access to a shared Excel workbook, particularly in situations where the original file owner has left the organization and the current user lacks direct ownership.

How to Remove Former Employees from a Shared Excel File

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Revoking file access during employee offboarding when the shared file is tied to an inactive or departed user's account.
Observed behavior: Former employees retain access to shared company data, and standard users cannot modify permissions because they are not the designated owners of the cloud-stored file.

Before you start

Verify whether the shared Excel file is stored in a personal OneDrive account or a centralized SharePoint library, and ensure you have administrative privileges to alter file ownership.

Solution 1Recommended

Transfer Ownership of Files Stored in OneDrive

Use this method if the shared Excel file is hosted on the departed employee's personal work OneDrive account.

When an employee leaves, files hosted on their individual OneDrive are at risk of being lost once their account is deleted. You must back up and migrate these files to an active account before revoking access.

Access the Former Employee's OneDrive

Contact your IT administrator to temporarily gain access to the former employee's OneDrive account via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Backup the Shared Excel File

Locate the shared Excel workbook in their OneDrive and download a copy to your local computer.

Upload to an Active Account

Reshare with the Team

Right-click the newly uploaded file, select 'Share', and invite only the current, required employees to collaborate.

Transfer Ownership of Files Stored in OneDrive

Retention Period Warning: Do not delete the former owner's account until you have fully backed up the data, as OneDrive files are typically deleted after a standard 30-day retention period.

Solution 2

Modify Access Permissions in SharePoint

Use this method if the Excel file is stored in a shared team SharePoint site or Microsoft Teams library.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to a shared Excel file if the owner's account is deleted?

If the file is stored in the user's personal work OneDrive, the file will become inaccessible to all collaborators and will eventually be permanently deleted after the organization's retention period (usually 30 days) expires.

Can I remove someone from an Excel file if I am not the owner?

Generally, no. You must either be the file owner, a SharePoint site owner, or a Microsoft 365 administrator to modify user access and remove someone from a shared file.

How do I find out who owns a shared Excel file?

You can check ownership by opening the file in Excel online and viewing the 'Manage Access' panel, or by checking the 'Details' pane of the file within your OneDrive or SharePoint document library.

Document & File Issues