Forum Discussion
Files shared with Anyone sometimes prompt users to request acccess to the file
My company is experiencing an intermittent problem where sometimes a OneDrive for Business file shared with the setting "Anyone with this link can edit" prompts the user the file is being shared with...
Really unfortunate issue this one - we are trying to take customers on a journey to the magical modern workplace (which I love by the way!). But unfortunately without adequate training (and sometimes even with!) the first things they do are disable Autosave in office apps (because they didn't know about or trust version history and spent a few hours recreating a file someone changed), now they'll want 'attaching a file to email' to do 'just that' again due to issues with sharing links (facepalm - doh!). Next, they'll want a mapped drive letter back in explorer, because the OneDrive they now use on their PC cannot be made available for the ERP application they want to export data from, because it's running as a published application in Azure Virtual Desktop (eeeerrrrg)... 😃
I can appreciate your obvious superior knowledge on the inner workings of Microsoft's complex relationships. I also understand that there complex relationships are very likely required for security and functional operation.
However your missive doesn't help the less that expert user understand how they can resolve the situation, as there are no specific, detailed, and clearly defined steps listed to resolve the issue.
With all due respect, I realize your statement might resolve it for an experienced software engineer, familiar with the inner workings of the global Microsoft system, but for the vast number of users who do not have that skill set, what you have written does not offer a concrete, workable solution.
As an aside, it appears you assume most individuals reading these are well versed on the system as you are. To be blunt, we aren't. Also to be blunt, documentation for solutions needs to be in layman's language as much as possible, and needs to be tested against an untrained individual. I see this VERY OFTEN in these types of forums, in which a solution is offered, and the author is so familiar with the systems that they inadvertently leave out key steps, which to them are second nature, but to the inexperienced user are NOT a typical option they would invoke. For instance, many times when a change is completed, the window needs to be "Saved". Many end users may not be familiar with the particular window, and may not complete the last step, negating al the previous work. I have found a series of step by step screen shots, with arrows or highlights of the critical operations to be accomplished in each step are helpful.
Again, with all due respect, I have little doubt that your paragraph does address the root cause and the solution. But without the kind of documentation I mention above, it does little to help the inexperienced user solve the problems, AND CREATES FURTHER FRUSTRATION ON THEIR END. Creating one more small negative public relations impression for Microsoft.
- Sorry Bill, definitely not wanting to cause frustration ! Based on the age of this thread, and that I arrived here investigating the same issue, my intention was to highlight that MS need to ensure these issues are top priority to resolve. If it's not easy for people to use the new technologies, it's totally understandable they would want to revert to what they know works.
Even if it worked well in their browser (I haven't been able to do any tests yet), it's in their best interests to make sure it works in the other main browsers as well, with Chrome and Safari making up for 85% of worldwide usage... I like the idea of Outlook automatically sending links instead of files, mainly because it reduces duplication of data, but it has to work like attachments do. People get attachments and open them, it just works... but we don't the same result with links. Anyway sorry you took me the wrong way there, glad there at least seems to be a workaround - but a shame to see this thread started in Jan 2019 and is still happening!- I have a 365 personal account, as does the club I am a member of which wants to share files with members. I usually use Chrome, so to avoid any previous activity having any bearing on this, I have done this test using Edge.
Steps:
1. Open Edge and clear all browsing data (time range: all time, all boxes ticked).
2. Go to folder link shared by club.
3. Enter password.
4. Folders opened correctly, top right shows no user signed in. All good so far.
5. Edge prompts to save password, clicked Never.
6. Close Edge.
7. Open Edge and go to shared link again. Straight in, no password prompt, and now it shows I am signed in with my personal (not the club's) 365 account. That seems like two security breaches: the first is allowing me back in without a password prompt, the second is signing me in using my personal account without prompting me to do so.
8. This step isn't reliably reproduceable, but sometimes when I am already signed in using my personal 365 account, I am prompted to sign in when accessing the URL provided from the club's 365 account.
9. Also not always reproduceable, but sometimes after step 4, if I refresh the page, it signs me in to my personal 365 account.
How is it possible that after 3 1/2 years of this and several other discussions on the same matter, not one of these issues has been fixed, or even commented on by Microsoft?I share your concerns. If you check this thread, on October 20th a post was made and the solution I offered is not working for them.
I have concerns that MS is working to move totally over to subscription. If you may remember the initial press releases for Win10 implied it would be moving to a subscription service, with some pundits in the IT industry saying they saw MS moving to total cloud computing environment. This post is from June of 2022, but outlines what they see as the future. https://depotcatalog.com/will-windows-11-be-subscription-based/
I hesitantly ordered my tablet with Win10. I am seriously considering scrapping MS totally. The changes to force Open Authentication (Which I see as a misnomer, as it's linked to AD) are causing me a host of problems with my Android. I'm FORCED to use the MS android app, which is glitchy with my android contacts, which controls what my android reports as incoming texts and phone calls.
Needless to say, I'm not happy with the change to basically kill Outlook 2013 and older. While I've spent decades learning to make efficient use of Outlook, I see the writing on the wall, such that eventually MS wants a constant income stream, as opposed to offering a one time license fee for their products. I'll be looking for an alternative, one that hopefully runs on Win7. The problem I see is once MS and Google complete their move to subscription and cloud computing, the cost will climb to levels that make use of the systems nearly unfeasible. Similar to the situation with cable.Bill
