File Sharing Problems

How to Transfer Ownership of a Shared Word Document in Office 365

Natalie Taylor Sep 29, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to transfer ownership of a shared Word document to ensure it remains accessible to the team after the original owner leaves the organization.

How to Transfer Ownership of a Shared Word Document

Product: Microsoft Word / OneDrive / SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An employee or document owner is leaving the organization, and their shared Word documents need to be retained and managed by other team members.
Observed behavior: Documents stored in a personal OneDrive are tied to that specific user's account and will become inaccessible when the account is deactivated.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to the original owner's OneDrive account, or ask them to perform the transfer before their account is deactivated by the organization's IT admin.

Solution 1Recommended

Move the Word Document to SharePoint or Microsoft Teams

Transfer the file from a personal OneDrive account to a shared workspace like SharePoint or Teams to ensure continuous team access.

Files stored in a personal OneDrive are linked to the individual user's account. When an employee leaves and their account is deleted, those files can be lost forever. Moving them to a SharePoint document library or a Microsoft Teams channel ensures the organization retains ownership and the team maintains uninterrupted access.

Access OneDrive

Select the Document

Select the file by clicking the circular checkmark icon next to the file name.

Choose the Move Command

Click on 'Move to' or 'Copy to' from the top command bar.

Select the Destination

Choose the desired SharePoint site or Microsoft Teams library from the list of available organizational destinations.

Assign New Owners

Once the file is successfully moved, navigate to the destination SharePoint site or Teams channel and assign additional owners to manage future access.

Move the Word Document to SharePoint or Microsoft Teams

Assigning Multiple Owners: It is highly recommended to assign at least two owners to the SharePoint site or Teams channel to prevent similar access issues if another team member leaves in the future.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to a shared Word document if the owner's account is deleted?

If the document is stored in the owner's personal OneDrive, it will become inaccessible and eventually deleted once the user's account is fully removed from the organization. It is crucial to move these files to a shared workspace like SharePoint beforehand.

Can I just change the owner of a file directly in OneDrive?

OneDrive does not have a direct 'transfer ownership' button for personal files. The standard organizational method is to move or copy the file into a shared SharePoint library or Teams channel, which automatically transfers the ownership to the group.

Do I need special permissions to move files to SharePoint?

Yes, you need to have edit access to the original file in OneDrive, as well as contributor or owner permissions for the destination SharePoint site or Microsoft Teams channel where you intend to move the file.

Document & File Issues