Forum Discussion
Display Issue opening files via Sharepoint "Open in App"
Hello MS Tech Community,
We frequently work with CAD files/programs on SharePoint. Using SharePoint’s "Open in App" feature, we can open and edit CAD files directly in the desired CAD application.
However, we have encountered the following issue: When we open CAD files via the "Open in App" feature, the user interface in several CAD programs is misaligned. Buttons appear disproportionately large, the drawing window is too small, and the entire display is distorted. However, when we open the same file through File Explorer (e.g., via OneDrive synchronization), the file is displayed correctly without any issues.
Affected programs: Archicad, Cadwork, Rhino
This issue has been occurring since we first started working with CAD files on SharePoint, approximately 3–4 months ago. It still persists, and we tested it again last week with the same result.
My colleagues are experiencing the exact same issue. We’ve tried different devices and users.
The support of the affected programs didn't have any solution, so we asume it's a sharepoint / onedrive issue. We also contacted the Microsoft Support. They told us to open a ticket in this community.
We have some console logs of the file openig process. There are some differences when we open it in the local file System and via "Open in App" in Sharepoint.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to solve this problem or has experienced something similar? We would be grateful for any help or suggestions.
Thank you in advance and best regards,
1. Basic troubleshooting steps
Check file type association
Test if different file types (e.g. .docx, .xlsx, .pdf) all have problems
Right-click the file > “Open as” > select the correct default application.
Clear the client cache
Close all Office applications
Delete the local cache:
Windows: %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\16.0\WEF
Mac: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Office/Data/Library/Caches
2. Frequently Asked Questions Fixes
Files can't be opened/Errors reported
Reset the Office app:
Open Word/Excel > File > Accounts > Reset Settings
Repair Office installation:
Control Panel > Programs and Features > select Microsoft 365 > Changes > Quick Fixes
File opens as blank/gibberish
Check if the file is encrypted or protected by IRM:
Try opening locally after downloading directly from the web version
Disable browser plugins to test:
Access SharePoint using Edge/Chrome no-trace mode
“Unable to connect to the server”.
Check web proxy settings:
Ensure *.sharepoint.com is not blocked
Update the Office license:
Open any Office app > File > Accounts > Update License
