Forum Discussion
Force OneDrive/Excel to return the local file path instead of a cloud URL
Hello,
I have all my 3D models stored in a OneDrive-synced folder, including the Excel file that controls many of the model parameters. I work on three different PCs, so using OneDrive for synchronization would be ideal.
However, my modeling software Solid Edge runs into a specific issue:
it does find the linked Excel file in the OneDrive-synced folder and attempts to open it, but as soon as it tries to read the parameters, it gets stuck in an endless loop. The reason is that Excel no longer provides a normal local Windows file path for the workbook—even though the file is fully available offline. Instead, Excel exposes the OneDrive/SharePoint URL, and Solid Edge cannot process this URL, which causes the loop.
What I have tried so far:
- Enabled “Keep files on this device” for the entire project folder
- Completely shut down OneDrive (disabled it and killed all OneDrive processes in Task Manager)
- Tried changing the stored Excel path inside Solid Edge from a local path to the OneDrive URL — Solid Edge does not accept URLs as valid paths
None of these attempts solved the issue.
If anyone has a reliable method to make Solid Edge read a OneDrive-synced Excel file as a local file path, I would really appreciate your help.
3 Replies
Thank you very much for such a detailed and thorough answer. I’m sure it will be helpful for many people. Unfortunately, my Office version (2021) is still too old for some of the methods you mentioned to work. I also can’t change the version because it’s fixed by my company.
Still, thank you for the effort and the explanation.When Office files are stored inside a OneDrive folder and opened by Excel, Excel always reports the OneDrive/SharePoint URL as the file path — even if the file is fully local, even if OneDrive is closed, even if the file is “Keep on this device.”
This is Office’s AutoSave cloud integration, not OneDrive’s syncing behavior.
Solid Edge cannot handle URLs → infinite loop.
Fortunately, there are three reliable fixes, and only one is the “real” one you need.
Fix 1: Disable Office’s cloud integration so Excel returns the true local path.
This is not controlled by OneDrive. It’s controlled by Excel/Office.
Do this on each PC:
1. Disable AutoSave
Excel → File → Options → Save →
Uncheck “AutoSave OneDrive and SharePoint Online files by default”2. Disable the Office cloud-backed file system
Excel → File → Options → General →
Under “When opening files”
Uncheck: “Open files from OneDrive and SharePoint Online by default”
(Shows only in newer builds)3. Stop Office from converting paths into URLs
Open Registry Editor (Win + R → regedit)
Create this key if missing:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Internet
Inside it create a DWORD (32-bit):
UseOnlineContent
Set value: 0
Fix 2: Open files via the local path using a shortcut.
If you open the workbook directly via its path, e.g.:
To guarantee this, create a shortcut:
C:\Users\<you>\OneDrive\Modeling\Parameters.xlsx
Excel can be forced to treat it as local only if AutoSave is disabled.
excel.exe "C:\Users\<you>\OneDrive\path\to\file.xlsx"
Ensure AutoSave is off → Excel will report a local path.
Fix 3 (advanced): Move the Excel file outside OneDrive, use symbolic links.
If you don’t want Office cloud logic interfering at all:
Move the Excel file to a non-OneDrive folder
And create a symlink inside the OneDrive folder:
Open CMD as admin:
mklink "C:\Users\<you>\OneDrive\Project\Parameters.xlsx" "D:\Models\Parameters.xlsx"
OneDrive syncs the placeholder, but Excel sees the actual file as a fully local file and returns a true path. This is rock-solid for CAD/CAE workflows.
Hope this helps you, if not please just ignore it.
* It is better to give a bad answer than to give no answer at all. The user has to decide what is OK for them.
Thank you very much for such a detailed and thorough answer. I’m sure it will be helpful for many people. Unfortunately, my Office version (2021) is still too old for some of the methods you mentioned to work. I also can’t change the version because it’s fixed by my company.
Still, thank you for the effort and the explanation.
