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Is anyone else getting OneDrive access error when trying to use the Data Visualizer in Excel?

Brass Contributor

Our organization doesn't use OneDrive. Suddenly this week the Data Visualization add-in for Excel is requiring it to save a new visualization in an Excel spreadsheet.

onedrive excel error.png

I checked our version of Windows 10 and Excel for the known error but both are newer than that. We had other problems come up this week where OneDrive was expected and OneNote tabs in Teams would not connect to the notebooks nor allow a new notebook tab to be created except from OneDrive. I don't know if this is related but that was fixed overnight and this was not, so maybe it isn't.

11 Replies

@mduCantoo 

Restrictions and limitations in OneDrive and SharePoint

This article contains information about the restrictions and limitations that apply to file names and file types when syncing with OneDrive for home, OneDrive for work or school or SharePoint in Microsoft 365.

Restrictions

Limitations

Troubleshooting tips

Invalid characters

File upload size

OneDrive system requirements

Invalid file or folder names

File name and path lengths

Support and Recovery Assistant

Invalid or blocked file types

Thumbnails and previews

Only sync what you need

Network or mapped drives

Number of items to sync or copy

Syncing too many files

Elevated privileges

Information Rights Management

Duplicate filenames

Sharing

Differential sync

 

How many OneDrive accounts

Libraries with specific columns

 

Authenticated proxies

Windows specific limitations

 

OneNote notebooks 

macOS specific limitations

 

Set up file storage and sharing in Microsoft 365

OneDrive is designed for individual use, with the occasional sharing of files.

 

Additional Information:

Files save to OneDrive by default in Windows 10

 

I would be happy to know if I could help.

 

NikolinoDE

I know I don't know anything (Socrates)

* Kindly Mark and Vote this reply if it helps please, as it will be beneficial to more Community members reading here.

Thank you for the information. It may come in handy if we are ever allowed to use OneDrive or OneDrive for business. None of our users currently have any OneDrive access. We have SharePoint Online and Office365 only.

How do we tell Windows 10, Excel, Visio, Word, SharePoint, etc. that we do not use OneDrive so it doesn't stop our users from using the O365 products?

@mduCantoo 

Info for: SharePoint in Microsoft 365 Office for business Microsoft 365 admin SharePoint Server 2019 OneDrive (work or school) Office.com OneDrive (home or personal) OneDrive (work or school) operated by 21Vianet OneDrive for Business OneDrive for Mac OneDrive for Windows SharePoint admin center SharePoint in Microsoft 365 Small Business SharePoint operated by 21Vianet

Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive

You find in the Link many usefull informations.

Like: If you want to remove a OneDrive folder from your computer, follow the steps in Choose which OneDrive folders to sync to your computer.

 

I would be happy to know if I could help.

 

Nikolino

I know I don't know anything (Socrates)

 

Thank you again for the information. I had found that article and uninstalled OneDrive from my computer. OneDrive was already disabled on my machine and, even after uninstalling it, Excel still insists that I need to set up OneDrive before it will let me use the Data Visualizer Add-in.

@mduCantoo 

My understanding is that Data Visualizer Add-in keeps created diagrams on OneDrive under user account. Diagrams itself are generated on Microsoft server based on data is sent to the server from your file. Add-in actually is only organizes data exchange with the server and shows result.

 

You need to have Visio Desktop to keep everything within app.

According to the article, "With the Data Visualizer add-in, you don't need Visio to create a diagram. The same is true for sharing the diagram with others" and it also says we can edit it in Visio on the Web without a license. (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/about-the-data-visualizer-add-in-for-excel-6a108d96-16e6-...) unless I am misunderstanding, which is always possible. This next article also makes it sound like you don't need the Visio license for simple creation and editing. (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/the-data-visualizer-add-in-is-designed-for-microsoft-365-...)

Surely there is a way to use it without using OneDrive. I guess we will need to put in a help ticket with Microsoft to get the information on how to do that, so that the data visualization can be saved with the Excel file.
Yes. We want to be able to save the file in SharePoint instead of OneDrive, if not locally. After reading those two articles, I made sure I was logged in to my work account. It insists on using only OneDrive and won't allow anything else.
best response confirmed by mduCantoo (Brass Contributor)
Solution

@mduCantoo 

If you save new file on SharePoint and after that start to create something with Add-in, it saves data on this SharePoint site.

 

If you start with add-in on not saved file, or saved locally, add-in saves data on OneDrive.

Yes! That did the trick. If I start with the Excel file being in SharePoint, I can open it in the desktop application and am able to add the Data Visualizer and, by editing the cells in the Excel, manipulate the diagram, changing labels, connections, shapes, etc. but not edit the drawing itself, which is the expected behavior when using it without a Visio license. I am also able to open the diagram in Vision for the Web and save the diagram as an image, pdf, Visio file, etc. and to share or print it.

Our Global Admin has turned off the webstore for Excel on the Web, but that is a completely different issue that I can take up with them.

Thank you, Sergei!

@mduCantoo , you are welcome, glad to know you sorted this out.

1 best response

Accepted Solutions
best response confirmed by mduCantoo (Brass Contributor)
Solution

@mduCantoo 

If you save new file on SharePoint and after that start to create something with Add-in, it saves data on this SharePoint site.

 

If you start with add-in on not saved file, or saved locally, add-in saves data on OneDrive.

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