Data Import & Export

How to Fix Excel Numbers Changing During OneDrive SharePoint Import

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to prevent numerical data and decimal places from shifting incorrectly when importing an Excel workbook into SharePoint.

How to Fix Excel Numbers Changing During OneDrive SharePoint Import

Product: Microsoft Excel, OneDrive, SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Importing data from an Excel workbook into a SharePoint site using a OneDrive connection.
Observed behavior: Numerical values change their decimal placement (e.g., 1,387.24 becomes 138.724) during the OneDrive import process, whereas direct uploads preserve the correct values.

Before you start

Before proceeding, confirm if manually uploading the Excel file directly to SharePoint preserves the correct numbers. If it does, use this direct upload method as a temporary workaround while troubleshooting the OneDrive connection.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify and Align Regional Settings

Mismatched regional settings between Excel, SharePoint, and your web browser can cause decimal separators and thousands separators to be misinterpreted during the import process.

In many regions, the comma is used as a decimal point, while in others it represents a thousands separator. If SharePoint and Excel are configured with different locales, data translation errors will occur during syncing.

Check Excel Regional Settings

Ensure your computer's OS regional format (Control Panel > Clock and Region on Windows) matches the format used to enter the data in your Excel workbook.

Check SharePoint Regional Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint site, click the Gear icon, go to Site Information > View all site settings > Regional settings, and verify the locale matches your Excel data format.

Check Browser Language

Open your web browser's settings, locate the Language preferences, and ensure the primary language aligns with the region expected by your SharePoint site.

Sync Delay: After changing SharePoint regional settings, it may take a few minutes for the changes to fully propagate across the site before you test the import again.

Solution 2

Isolate the Issue with a New Workbook

Determine if the format corruption is specific to a single corrupted file or a broader SharePoint site configuration problem by testing fresh data.

Solution 3

Escalate to Microsoft 365 Support

If the issue persists across different workbooks and sites despite correct regional settings, it may be a backend bug with the OneDrive import process.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do decimal places shift when importing from OneDrive to SharePoint?

This is most commonly caused by a mismatch in regional settings. If SharePoint is set to a European region (where commas are used as decimals) and Excel is set to a US region (where commas are thousands separators), the system misinterprets the numbers during the import.

What is the quickest workaround for this Excel import issue?

The fastest workaround is to bypass the OneDrive connection entirely. Save the Excel file locally and upload it directly to your SharePoint document library via the web browser, which generally preserves the original numerical values.

How can I check my SharePoint regional settings?

Go to your SharePoint site, click the gear icon for Settings, select 'Site information', click 'View all site settings', and then choose 'Regional settings' under the Site Administration section to view and modify your current locale.

Excel & Data Problems