The file either doesn’t load properly or takes unusually long to open

Dear @Sven Jansen,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Please understand that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to cover your organization domain name in the description. Please notice to hide these personal or organization information next time you post error or some information to protect personal data. Based on your description, you are encountering error code 0x80070185 when opening an Excel file from OneDrive using your business account, where the file either fails to load properly or takes an unusually long time to open despite being signed in.

For better understanding your situation, and can support you the best effectively, could you please provide some information as:

Does that Excel file shared with you from another user or stored in your own OneDrive?

Have you tried to check other colleagues whether they have the same issue as you? Or that issue only happen in your side?

Are you experiencing this issue with only one file or with other files in OneDrive?

Please understand that the more information you provide, the effectively I can support you.

Looking forward to your update.

Error 0x80070185 when opening an Excel file from OneDrive for Business typically indicates a problem with file sync or access, even if already signed in.

Based on the available information, use these steps to narrow it down and work around it:

1. Confirm the file is not locked by another app
   • If the file is open in another app or process, OneDrive may not sync it correctly and Excel can hang or fail to load.
   • Close any other apps that might be using the file, then try opening it again from OneDrive.
   • If unsure what is holding the file, restart Windows and then try again. This clears stale locks that can block sync.
2. Check that OneDrive sync is healthy
   • Make sure the OneDrive sync client is running and not reporting sync errors on that file or folder.
   • If OneDrive shows that the file "can’t be synced" or similar, follow the guidance in the OneDrive error messages to resolve the sync issue first, then reopen the file from the synced folder.
3. Verify permissions on the file
   • If the error is related to access, ensure the Windows user account has Full control on the local copy of the file:
     1. In File Explorer, browse to the OneDrive-synced folder and locate the Excel file.
     2. Right‑click the file > Properties > Security.
     3. Select each listed user or group and confirm that the required permissions (ideally Full control) are allowed.
     4. Apply changes and restart the computer if permissions were modified.
4. Try opening via Office Online as a workaround
   • If the desktop Excel client continues to fail or is very slow, open the same file directly in Excel for the web from OneDrive/SharePoint in the browser. This bypasses local sync and can confirm whether the issue is specific to the desktop client or to the file itself.
5. If the file opens but behaves like a local file
   • If the file opens but appears as a purely local file (AutoSave off, prompts to upload to OneDrive), this can be related to a temporary misconfiguration between Office and OneDrive sync.
   • Close all Office apps (including Outlook and OneNote), then reopen the file from OneDrive again. An April 2024 update addressed a known issue of this type; restarting Office after the update typically resolves it.

If the problem persists after these checks, capture whether the issue occurs only for this file or for multiple OneDrive files, and whether Excel opens other local files normally. That information will help support determine if this is a broader sync/service issue or file‑specific.

References:

• Troubleshoot file upload issues with OneDrive
• What do the OneDrive error codes mean?
• OneDrive files incorrectly opened as local files without AutoSave