SharePoint Workflow URL Encoding %2520

SteveKnutson
MVP
Sep 28, 2018
I am getting the same issue with Excel

When I access a file from the Recent Files list in Excel and the file has a space in the path, I get a file not found error. The problem is the URL to the file is double encoded e.g. %20 for space becomes %2520

For example, the URL:
https://tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/Subsite/Documents/File 1.xlsx

is encoded as this in the recent files
https://tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/Subsite/Documents/File%25201.xlsx

It should encode as:
https://tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/Subsite/Documents/File%201.xlsx

I suspect the issue is PC build related because opening the file from a PC not joined to the client domain and opening the same file from their SP Online tenant doesn't generate the double encoded URL in the Excel recent files list.

Any ideas on what is causing this?
- Patrick G.
  Copper Contributor
  Oct 01, 2018
  Same issue here: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/10c13497-adf6-4de4-86f8-d011c63e9e8f/recent-sharepoint-files-which-was-opened-local-gets-corrupted-url-where-20-is-replaced-to-2520?forum=Office2016ITPro
  
  Not solved too.
  - Brian Eshelman
    Copper Contributor
    Oct 04, 2018
    My company too was encountering this problem when opening Word / Excel / PowerPoint files from SharePoint sites or OneDrive using the "File - Open" and clicking on an item in the "Recent Documents" list.
    
    We have been planning to roll-out Semi-Annual 1803 build 16.0.9126.2259 then because of other issues moved forward to 16.0.9126.2282. All other issues aside the one I was working on was with Microsoft OneDrive files where the filename or pathname contains a space. This issue continued to exists when I install the Monthly Targeted build of 16.0.10730.20102
    
    When you hover over the link of the ONE DRIVE file to be opened it shows the URL path correctly with only the %20 in place of the space in the https:// path.
    https://<companyname>-my.sharepoint.com/personal/<useraccount>/Documents/Test%20Folder/Test%20Document.docx
    
    When you right click on the file and choose “Copy Path to Clipboard” - you actually get a WRONG URL: This is the URL that copied:
    https://<companyname>-my.sharepoint.com/personal/<useraccount>/Documents/Test%2520Folder/Test%2520Document.docx?web=1
    
    Note that the name has a %20 which is a space in the path. In the copied URL it has %2520. %25 translates to ASCII HEX 25 translates to DEC 37 which is the ASCII for “%”. Thus the path is %20 but not really. It is %25 representing “%” followed by 20 to create %20 = space character. If I remove the 25 so that it is only %20 then the link works. This is a result of "Double-Encoding". BOTTOM LINE: OFFICE for WORD / EXCEL / POWERPOINT is creating URLs that contain a wrong character and the URL is wrong. This is not information provided by OneDrive or SharePoint it is a URL generated by the MS Office application.
    After working with a SharePoint / OneDrive Microsoft support person this was escalated to a "Special Team" that supports Office 365 but is made up of employees that also seem to have ties to the SharePoint / OneDrive team in their past.
    _______________________________________________________
    The ANSWER IS:
    As we discussed, this issue is being caused by the use of the RoamingSettingsDisabled key in Office.
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Roaming]
    "RoamingSettingsDisabled"=Dword:0x00000001
    This is a now-unsupported key in Office C2R, and the behavior you're experiencing is a result of a product bug that the developers have elected not to fix due to the deprecation of that key's use.
    The key can be remove/changed to "0" via GPO, as it's part of the Common Office 2016 policies.
    _______________________________________________________
    The GPO setting is available in the current .ADMX file. Those deploying the newer versions of the "Semi-Annual" builds of Office 365 are just seeing this because of the incorporation into the Semi-Annual code. Those that use the Monthly Targeted builds should have already been seeing this for possibly up to 5 months.
    
    I hope this helps since I was not able to find this information any places else as was VERY lucky to have directed to the right support team within Microsoft. It was with-in two minutes of saying "HELLO" that he was able to provide the solution.

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