Shows Wrong Owner on my ExcelFiles

[JayDee]

Hello,

If I post an Excel File... since a few weeks I see the old Admin everytime as an extra owner.

This Admin are deleted on our Company. 

And 30 days are over and he isn't listed on "Deleted users" in AdminBackend.

Many users are confused to read this name as owner on there own OneDrive-Files.

How can I remove this error-display =? or is this not an Error ? But the User is deleted....

pls help

[#2]

@JayDee 

If you are seeing an old admin listed as an owner on Excel files in OneDrive or SharePoint, and the user has already been deleted from your organization, there are a few potential explanations and steps you can take to resolve this:

1. Check Permissions:

• Open the Excel file in Excel for the web.
• Click on "Share" and then "Share with People."
• Check the list of people who have access to the file. If the old admin is listed, you may need to remove their access.

2. File Version History:

• In OneDrive or SharePoint, go to the document library where the file is stored.
• Right-click on the file and choose "Version history."
• Check if there are previous versions of the file where the old admin is listed as an owner. If so, you may need to restore the version without the old admin's ownership.

3. Manage Access:

• In OneDrive or SharePoint, select the file.
• Click on "Manage access" or "Advanced" (the wording may vary).
• Review the list of people with access and make sure the old admin is not listed.

4. Check External Sharing:

• If the file is shared externally, check the external sharing settings. Ensure that external users are not listed as owners.

5. Use SharePoint Online Management Shell (Admin):

• If you have administrative access, you can use SharePoint Online Management Shell to check and modify file ownership.
• Connect to SharePoint Online: Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourorganization-admin.sharepoint.com
• Get the file: $file = Get-SPOFile -Site "https://yourorganization.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite" -Identity "/sites/yoursite/Shared Documents/YourFolder/YourFile.xlsx"
• Check ownership: $file.Author

6. OneDrive/SharePoint Recycle Bin:

• Check the OneDrive or SharePoint recycle bin for the presence of the old admin's account. If the old admin's account is somehow associated with the file, it might still be listed in the recycle bin.

7. Restore a Previous Version:

• In OneDrive or SharePoint, if the file ownership issue is recent, you might consider restoring the file to a previous version when the correct ownership was in place.

Remember to carefully review and document any changes you make to file permissions or settings. If you are unsure about a particular step, it may be a good idea to involve your IT support.

Note: My knowledge of the topic is limited, but since no one has answered yet, even though it has been read many times, I posted the question in various AIs and found the upper suggested steps/solutions for you. The proposed solution is untested. Maybe it will help you further in your project, if not please just ignore it.

My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

Hope this will help you.

Was the answer useful? Mark as best response and Like it!

This will help all forum participants.

[#3]

sry but nothing worked.
It shows this user in every file as owner in the persnonal onedrive files of all users.

[#4]

@JayDee 

If the old admin continues to appear as an owner in every file in the personal OneDrive files of all users, and the previously mentioned steps did not resolve the issue, you may need to consider more advanced troubleshooting steps.

Here are some additional suggestions:

1. PowerShell Script:

• If you have administrative access, you can use PowerShell to iterate through OneDrive files and update ownership. This may involve checking and modifying file ownership for each user. Below is a sample PowerShell script that can be used as a starting point. Modify it according to your needs and test it in a controlled environment before applying it broadly:

Powershell code (is untested):

# Connect to SharePoint Online
Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourorganization-admin.sharepoint.com

# Iterate through each user's OneDrive
$users = Get-Content "C:\Path\To\UserList.txt" # Provide a list of user accounts
foreach ($user in $users) {
    $userOneDriveUrl = "https://yourorganization-my.sharepoint.com/personal/$user_domain_com"
    $userFiles = Get-SPOSite -Identity $userOneDriveUrl
    foreach ($file in $userFiles) {
        # Check and modify ownership as needed
        # Your logic to update ownership goes here
    }
}

2. SharePoint Online Management Shell:

• Explore additional SharePoint Online Management Shell cmdlets that might provide more granular control over file ownership.

3. Advanced Permissions Audit:

• Consider performing an advanced permissions audit using auditing features in SharePoint Online. This might help identify where the old admin is gaining ownership access.

4. Microsoft Support:

• If the issue persists, it might be worth reaching out to Microsoft Support. They have tools and resources to investigate and resolve complex issues related to SharePoint Online and OneDrive.

Before implementing any scripts or making changes, ensure you have a backup and test in a controlled environment to avoid unintended consequences. The text, steps and code was created with the help of AI.

[#5]

@NikolinoDE "if there are previous versions of the file where the old admin is listed as an owner. If so, you may need to restore the version without the old admin's ownership."

If this is the cause then it seems like a bug. Old owners of the document should not be recorded in perpetuity. It is not appropriate to restore an old version of the document that needs to be retained for auditing purposes. 

I came here because I have a bunch of Excel sheets with long out of date owners, who are not recorded in the document properties, and don't have access to the SharePoint where they are stored. 

[#6]

nop there is no other versions. It set him on new files as owner.

@NikolinoDE
will test it on powershell.

big thanks guys for helping.

if I check user profiles on Sharepoint there didnt find this user.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/manage-user-profiles