Fix Office 365 Slow Opening Files from User Profile Disks
Question details
Word and Excel are taking several minutes to open documents stored on Remote Desktop Services (RDS) User Profile Disks via a Scale-Out File Server.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel)
- Device & OS
- Windows Server / Remote Desktop Services
- Scenario
- Opening Office documents stored in User Profile Disks (UPDs) hosted on a Scale-Out File Server (SOFS).
- Observed behavior
- Files take several minutes to open on the scale-out file server, whereas the same files stored on a standard file server open normally.
Ensure that your network connection to the Scale-Out File Server is stable and try opening non-Office files (like PDFs) to see if they also experience slow load times.
Change Office Update Channel to Semi-Annual Enterprise
Newer versions on the Current Channel can sometimes introduce network stability issues. Switching to the Semi-Annual channel is recommended for RDS environments.
If you are using a recent release (such as version 2105 on the Current Channel or an Insider Preview), it might contain bugs affecting network file access. In production RDS environments, the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel is recommended for better stability.
Use the Microsoft Office Deployment Tool (ODT) or Endpoint Configuration Manager to manage your RDS Office installations.
Change the Channel attribute in your configuration.xml file from 'Current' to 'SemiAnnual'.
Run the ODT with the updated XML file to switch your server's Office installation to the more stable Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel.
Troubleshoot the Scale-Out File Server (SOFS)
Determine if the delay is specific to Office applications or a broader SOFS and User Profile Disk configuration issue.
Use WPS Office for Fast File Loading in Server Environments
If Microsoft Office 365 continues to struggle with slow load times on network drives or User Profile Disks, consider switching to WPS Office. It is highly optimized, lightweight, and designed to open files quickly even over complex enterprise network configurations.
- 1. Download the lightweight installer: Visit the official WPS Office website to download the free installation package.
- 2. Deploy on your server: Install WPS Office across your RDS or local environment quickly without heavy system overhead.
- 3. Open files instantly: Access your existing Word and Excel documents from network drives seamlessly and without format loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my Office 365 files opening slowly on a network drive?
Slow opening times can be caused by Office update channel bugs, network latency, or specific software conflicts with Scale-Out File Servers (SOFS) and Remote Desktop User Profile Disks (UPDs).
What is the best Office channel for a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) environment?
For production server environments, the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel is highly recommended. It provides greater stability and fewer unexpected network performance issues compared to the constantly updating Current Channel.
How do I know if the problem is Microsoft Office or my file server?
Test by opening files from a standard file server instead of the Scale-Out File Server. If files open instantly on the standard server, the issue is likely related to your SOFS or UPD configuration rather than Office itself.
