One drive files

Hello Matti Halinen,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum!

I understand that you are having issue with OneDrive and Excel files. I truly understand how you feel. Let me assist you go through this situation.

I suggest you try these first

1. Check if OneDrive is actually running (most common cause)

If OneDrive is not running or stuck, Office apps report “no internet connection” even when Wi‑Fi works.

• Look at the bottom‑right taskbar.
• Click Show hidden icons (^)
• Check for a white or blue cloud icon (OneDrive)
• If no icon:
• Select Start
• Type OneDrive
• Select OneDrive to start it

If OneDrive starts and asks you to sign in, sign in with your Microsoft account.

2. Sign out and sign back into OneDrive (fixes “account not recognized”)

This resets the broken authentication link between Excel and OneDrive.

• Right‑click the OneDrive cloud icon
• Select Settings
• Go to Account
• Select Unlink this PC
• Close OneDrive completely
• Start OneDrive again
• Sign in with your Microsoft account
• Let sync finish

Then open Excel and try saving again.

3. Verify Excel is signed in (Excel can be offline even if OneDrive isn’t)

Excel must be signed in separately.

• Open Excel
• Select File
• Select Account
• If you see Sign in, select it
• Sign in with the same Microsoft account used for OneDrive

If the account shows but says “Disconnected”, sign out and sign back in.

4. Update OneDrive and Windows (fixes “no internet” false errors)

Microsoft confirms outdated OneDrive or Windows can cause this exact behavior.

• Select Start
• Open Settings
• Select Windows Update
• Install all available updates
• Restart the PC
• Download and install the latest OneDrive app
• From Microsoft’s OneDrive download page

After restart, open OneDrive > wait for sync > open Excel.

5. Test via OneDrive web (confirms account access)

This tells us if the issue is local only.

• Open a browser
• Go to https://www.onedrive.com/
• Sign in with your Microsoft account

If files open there > local OneDrive/Office issue. If you cannot sign in > account sign‑in problem

if the issue persists, please let me know this information so I can assist better:

1. Do you see the OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows taskbar, and if yes, what color or error status does it show?
2. Can you sign in successfully to your account at https://www.onedrive.com/ using the same Microsoft account?
3. Does this problem affect only Excel, or do Word and PowerPoint also fail to open/save OneDrive files?
4. Is your OneDrive connected to a personal Microsoft account, and did the issue start after any recent change (update, password change, new device, VPN, antivirus)?
5. What is the exact message shown in Excel when opening or saving (only “no internet connection” or something else)?

I hope this will help with your situation. Please feel free to reach back if you have further update or more questions.

Best Regards,

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Follow these steps to restore access to OneDrive files from Excel on the laptop:

1. Confirm OneDrive is running and signed in
   • On Windows, select the Start button, search for OneDrive, and open the OneDrive desktop app.
   • If Windows shows errors like "Can't open file" or "Make sure OneDrive is running", starting the OneDrive app usually resolves this.
2. Fix OneDrive sign‑in issues
   • If the OneDrive icon is gray or shows that it is not connected, open it and complete the Set up OneDrive screen with the email address and password.
   • If the account is not recognized or sign‑in fails:
     • For a personal Microsoft account, use the Microsoft account sign‑in helper to recover username or password.
     • For a work or school account, reset the password or contact the organization’s IT admin.
3. Check OneDrive connection during sign‑in
   • If OneDrive reports it is not connected even though Wi‑Fi works for email and banking, restart OneDrive:
     • Select Start (or macOS Finder), search for OneDrive, and open it again.
   • If the OneDrive app is missing or outdated, download and install the latest version from the official OneDrive download page.
4. Open files directly from OneDrive
   • Once signed in and connected, try opening the Excel files directly from the local OneDrive folder (in File Explorer) or from the Open dialog in Excel pointing to OneDrive.
   • If Windows shows a generic "Can't open file" error, ensure OneDrive is running as in step 1.
5. If Excel still reports no internet when saving
   • Use File > Save As in Excel and explicitly choose the OneDrive location again after confirming OneDrive is signed in.
   • If the problem persists only with this device and not with OneDrive on the web or mobile, consider contacting Microsoft Support from the OneDrive support page.

References:

• "Can't open file" error in OneDrive
• Can't sign in to OneDrive