Error when opening a file in Teams: You don't have access to this file

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    Microsoft OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Teams

Symptoms

In Microsoft Teams, you share a file with another user in a chat window. Then, the file is automatically stored on your OneDrive site. When the other user tries to open the file in Teams, the following error message is displayed:

You don't have access to this file.

Cause

This issue occurs because the Limited-access user permission lockdown mode feature is activated on your OneDrive site. This is a site collection feature that helps prevent anonymous users from accessing application pages that are mostly helpful on classic, publishing-based SharePoint sites. We recommend that you do not enable this feature on OneDrive sites.

Resolution

To fix this issue, deactivate this feature in OneDrive.

  1. Sign into your OneDrive site.
  2. Select the Setting icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select OneDrive Settings > More Settings.
  4. Under Features and storage, select Site Collection Features.
  5. Locate Limited-access user permission lockdown mode, and then select Deactivate.

For more information about Limited-access user permission lockdown mode, see Enable or disable site collection features.

Run a self-diagnostics tool

Microsoft 365 admin users have access to diagnostics that can be run within the tenant to verify possible issues with accessing files shared in Teams chat.

Note

This feature isn't available for Microsoft 365 Government, Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet, or Microsoft 365 Germany.

Select Run Tests below, which will populate the diagnostic in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Run Tests: Unable to access files shared in Teams chat

The diagnostic performs a large range of verifications.

Need More Help?

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