Force OneDrive/Excel to return the local file path instead of a cloud URL

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.