Troubleshooting Common Issues Saving Excel Files in Microsoft Teams.
March 06, 2025
Issues Saving Changes to Excel files shared in Teams Channels.
Here are some steps you can try to fix the issue:
The First Two Steps You Should Try Is Disconnecting and Re-Connecting The Microsoft Account To Refresh The Application Status And Restarting The Computer.
Step-by-step instructions to sign out and sign back into a Microsoft Account in common applications like Excel, Teams, and Outlook.
To Sign Out:
Open the application (e.g., Excel, Teams, Outlook) on your device.
Look for your profile picture or initials in the top right or left corner of the screen.
Click on your profile picture or initials to open the account menu.
From the menu, select "Sign Out" or a similar option to log out of your Microsoft Account.
Confirm the sign-out action if prompted.
To Sign Back In:
Open the application again.
Look for the "Sign In" or "Log In" option, usually found in the top right or left corner.
Click on the "Sign In" option.
Enter your Microsoft Account email address associated with the application.
Follow the prompts to enter your password and complete the sign-in process.
Remember that the exact steps might vary slightly depending on the version of the application and the platform (Windows, Mac, etc.) you are using.
Step-by-step instructions for restarting a computer or laptop on both Windows and Mac:
For Windows:
Click on the Start button in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Select the "Power" icon, usually represented by a circle with a vertical line inside.
Choose "Restart" from the options provided.
Confirm the restart if prompted.
Your computer will shut down and then automatically restart.
For Mac:
Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen.
Choose "Restart" from the drop-down menu.
A confirmation dialog will appear; click "Restart" to proceed.
Your Mac will shut down and then automatically restart.
Remember that on both Windows and Mac, you can also use keyboard shortcuts to restart:
For Windows: Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then select "Restart" from the options.
For Mac: Press Control + Command + Eject (or Control + Command + Power on Macs without an optical drive), then confirm the restart.
If the issue still persist, Try the following below:
Make sure the file is not open by another user or program. You can check the file properties by right-clicking on it and selecting Properties. If the file is locked, you will see a message saying "This file is currently in use. Try again later." You can also try to rename the file or move it to another location and see if that works.
Make sure you have the proper permissions to access and modify the file. You can check the file permissions by right-clicking on it and selecting Properties, then Security. You should see your account name and the level of access you have. If you don't have full control, you can try to change the permissions by clicking Edit and selecting your account name, then checking the Full Control box. You may need to enter an administrator password or get permission from the owner of the file or folder.
Make sure the file does not have IRM applied to it. You can check this by opening the file in Excel or Word and looking for a message bar saying "This document contains a permissions policy" or "This workbook contains a permissions policy". If you see this message, you will need to contact the person who created or sent you the file and ask them to remove the IRM or grant you edit permissions.
Make sure the file is not corrupted or damaged. You can try to repair the file by opening it in Excel or Word and clicking File, then Open, then Browse. Then, select the file and click the arrow next to Open, then choose Open and Repair. This will attempt to recover any data from the file and fix any errors.
Troubleshooting Steps:
Check File Permissions:
Right-click the file in Teams and select "Manage Access."
Ensure users have "Edit" or "Can Edit" permissions.
Clear Teams Cache:
Fully exit Teams.
Press Windows + R, type "%appdata%\Microsoft\teams," and press Enter.
Delete the contents of the "Cache," "databases," "GPUCache," "IndexedDB," "Local Storage," and "tmp" folders.
Disable Co-authoring (Temporary):
Open the Excel file in the desktop app.
Go to File > Info > Manage Workbook.
Under "Sharing," uncheck "Allow changes by more than one user at the same time."
Save to OneDrive:
If issues persist, save the file to OneDrive and share it from there.
Check Network Connectivity:
Ensure a stable internet connection.
Test connectivity to SharePoint and OneDrive.
Update Teams and Excel:
Install the latest updates for both applications.
Additional Tips:
Close Unnecessary Files: Close any other Excel files that you're not actively using.
Restart Devices: Sometimes a simple restart of your computer or device can resolve issues.
Helpful Resources:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/changes-not-saving-when-collaborating-on-excel/52ba3470-9e56-4d6a-842f-e7cb509f7d5e