Can't open PowerPoint files from a Library inside an Add-In

[Mike Insch]

Currently having a problem with PowerPoint files in a Document Library that is part of a SharePoint Online add-in.

Opening a PowerPoint file, either by clicking directly in the library or by programmatically constructing a direct URL to the file suffixed with "?web=1" results in an error (shown below).

The same file stored in OneDrive, an O365 Group SharePoint Site, or a library in the site-collection the add-in is deployed to works correctly.  Word, Excel, PDF and other files in the Add-in document library also open correctly.

I've tested in clean deployments of the add-in, and the issue persists.  The issue occurs in both my organisation's Live tenancy and in my MSDN developer tenancy.

[#2]

hello Mike,

I have been facing the Same issue, got another discussion created (i did not find your post earlier)

SharePoint Add-In AppWeb document library does not render PowerPoint

i would like to connect / merge my discussion  with yours. i have reached out to Microsoft for their resolution on the same.  

Please let me know if you have found any workaround for this. 

[#3]

The only workaround I have found is to re-code our add-in so that opening a PowerPoint file triggers the file to load in the desktop application, not via the Webapp.  This is far from ideal however, as it's a different user experience for PowerPoint compared to all other file types.

[#4]

hello Mike,

I am thinking of copying PowerPoint from AppWeb Document library to HostWeb Document library and then open it.  since SharePoint Add-in is providing App UI to end user, we can manipulate file render location. But this will still involve some of amount of delay as we copy PowerPoint files first before opening. of course then delete file from HostWeb as well.

Everything was working fine till Dec 2017 and then new features / service patches were rolled out to all Tenants. all of a Sudden PowerPoint stopped working in AppWeb. apparently Microsoft has not discovered this issue as only 2 of us have reported it so far i guess. Even if Microsoft decides to fix  the issue, it will take at least 2/3 months for them update all tenants. This used to be really easy earlier with KB patches, cumulative packs, services packs that were available on demand.  we have no other option but to wait till Microsoft fix this on all Tenants.