SharePoint is a document management platform that allows you to manage all types of documents,including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and others. It can store vast amounts of data and enableyou to share and validate it. With SharePoint, conducting smooth communication and team collaboration is relatively easy, allowing you to control site access. When new usersjoin SharePoint, it is essential to provide them with apt training, or else they might have difficulties opening SharePoint documents.
However, many methods are available to open a document in SharePoint and OneDrive; let’s learn about them individually. This will help the users pick the most suitablemethod based on their understanding and requirements.
Opening document using the SharePoint Admin Center
- Login to your SharePoint account and go to the SharePoint Admin Center. Here, choose the Active Sites option.
- In the Site List, select any active site, go to its URL and click it. It will open the respective site.
- When you are on the site, go to Documents. Choose a file and double-click it to open.
Other ways to open a document in SharePoint
When you select a file, the File menu also opens. Here, you can click the Open button to open the document.
To access the document, simply right-click on it. In the menu at the top, locate and click on the "Open" command. From there, you can open the document within your web browser or directly in the associated application. If you have the Microsoft Office suite installed, selecting this option will open the document seamlessly in the respective Office application.
The Ellipsis, represented by a three-dotted icon, becomes visible upon selecting a document within the site interface. The available options within the Ellipsis menu mirror those from the previous method. If you encounter difficulties accessing SharePoint documents, simply click on the "Open" option, which subsequently presents the option to open the document in your web browser or dedicated app. Select your preferred option and proceed to open the document.
Suppose you currently have a document open in the MS Office suite. In that case, you can seamlessly access it within the app without disruptions, even when Word may experience crashes when attempting to open a SharePoint document. Here'sastep-by-step guide to help you through this process:
- Open any MS Office application and go to the File option.
- Go to Open to see the SharePoint site and OneDrive link. You can point to any to open the documents in them. First, select the SharePoint site and browse the document.
- You can use the same steps to access the documents from OneDrive.
If you can’t access SharePoint documents, it's important to understand that these documents are indeed available within the site, accessible to all users granted site permissions. However, there may be instances where you need to provide access to a specific document or folder for a user who lacks site-wide permissions. In such cases, you can still selectively share these files or entire folders. To do this effectively, you mustpossess the necessary permissions to allow users to view and edit these files. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to share a file with another user:
- On the site, go to Documents, select the file, and click the Share button.
- In the Send Link wizard, you can input the name of the user who you want to send the file to.
- Provide the name of the user and click the send button.
If you want to change the access level for any user, you can change the type of link. Click the dropdown list to edit the settings in the details pane.
- Anyone – Any user who receives the link can make all changes to the file. It will also include users from outside of your organization.
- People In (OrganizationName) – This option permits the user to access files or folders in the organization.
- Specific people – You can use this option to share the file with some specific people only.
NOTE: By default, the ‘Allow Editing’ setting is turned on, and you can disable this setting to allow the user only to view the file.
After making all the changes, click Apply. Then, input the name of the user and click Send.
Conclusion
If you can't open SharePoint documents, don't worry; the above methods will help you. When upgrading to the latest version of SharePoint, ensure migrating SharePoint documents, too. One can achieve this using Kernel Migration for SharePoint. This SharePoint Migration Software supports all versions of SharePoint and offers various filters, allows scheduling, and provides a complete report after the migration.
FAQs
Q - Why can't I open Word documents on OneDrive?
A - OneDrive allows all its users to access all their files easily. However, many users are facing the issue of Word documents not opening on OneDrive, or even OneDrive not letting open any file, and the most common reasons behind this are-
- Lack of necessary access permission
- Overload of the system's cached data
- Incorrect file on-demand setting
- Faulty OneDrive settings
- Internal issues within OneDrive
Q - How do I open a SharePoint file using a desktop app?
A - Locate the SharePoint file you want to open and then click on it. Based on the file type, it will show a list of apps that support opening it. Click on the option to open the file in the respective desktop app. For instance, if you want to open a list, you can open it in MS Excel on your computer.
Q - How do I share SharePoint documents with other users?
A - To share files or entire folders selectively, you need the necessary permissions to allow users to view and edit these files. Here's how to share a file on the SharePoint site with another user:
- Visit the SharePoint site, go to Documents, and select the desired file or folder.
- Click Share from the options.
- Input the Send Link wizard user to whom you want to send the file.
- Finally, click the send button.
Q - Can I control users'accessto the SharePoint files I shared with them?
A - Yes, SharePoint allows you to control access to users with whom you’re sharing your files and lists. One can set access as:
- Anyone – Anyone with the link can change the file, including users from external organizations.
- People In (OrganizationName) – Allows the user to access files or folders within the organization.
- Specific people – Share the file with particular individuals only.
Solution to Migrate SharePoint, Office 365, OneDrive & Google Drive