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I cant sign in to my microsoft account when accessing a shared file

Nass 0 Reputation points
2026-01-12T12:54:10.79+00:00

Whenever i tried logging in, this error message will pop out:

Correlation ID: [Moderator note: personal info removed]

Date and Time: 1/12/2026 4:48:51 AM

URL: [Moderator note: personal info removed]

Issue Type: Unknown issue.

Please help, thanks

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For education | MacOS
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  1. Gabriel-N 17,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-01-12T14:06:39.7366667+00:00

    Please note that Q&A forum is a public platform, and moderators will modify the question to hide personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

    Dear Nass

    Thank you for reaching out to the Q&A Forum.Based on your description, it appears that Excel on your Mac is attempting to authenticate your education account, but may be redirected or conflicted by a cached personal Microsoft account (or vice versa). Please verify the origin of the shared file. If the file was shared from a work or school account (e.g., @company.com, @universityname.com), you must access it using the corresponding school or organizational account.

    Refer to the AI Assist response and consider trying Option 2 or Option 3. Additionally, you can open a private/incognito browser window, navigate to the shared link, and sign in using your school account. If the file opens successfully in the browser but not in the Excel desktop application, attempt to relink the file within Excel by signing in the app using the same credentials.

    If your account includes a license for the desktop app and the issue persists, follow Microsoft’s official guidance for removing old or corrupted Office license files on macOS: How to remove Office license files on a Mac

    Important: The following steps will remove Outlook profiles. If you have local data in Outlook, please back it up before proceeding.

    Quit all Office applications. Open Finder and navigate to: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/

    Delete the Identity folder. Open Keychain Access and search for the following terms, then delete all related entries:

    • Microsoft Office
    • ADAL
    • MSOID

    Restart your Mac and open any Office application and sign in again using your work or school account.

    Hope this information is helpful. When you have a chance, please share an update on the outcome as your feedback can be valuable to others in the community who might be experiencing the same challenge.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread

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  2. AI answer

    2026-01-12T12:54:17.5333333+00:00

    It seems you are encountering a sign-in issue with your Microsoft account when trying to access a shared file. The error message you received includes a Correlation ID, which is useful for troubleshooting. Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

    1. Check the URL: Ensure that you are using the correct URL for accessing the shared file. It should typically be a link provided by the person sharing the file.
    2. Clear Browser Cache: Sometimes, clearing your browser's cache and cookies can resolve sign-in issues.
    3. Try a Different Browser: If clearing the cache doesn't work, try accessing the link using a different web browser or in incognito mode.
    4. Check Account Type: Make sure you are using the correct credentials for the type of account (personal, work, or school) that the shared file is associated with.
    5. Contact Support: If the issue persists, consider reaching out to Microsoft support with the Correlation ID you provided. They can help you identify the specific issue related to your account.

    Following these steps should help you troubleshoot the sign-in problem you are experiencing.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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