Files won't open in desktop app when opening through SharePoint or MS Teams

Viktorija Potoroča 0 Reputation points
2026-08-06T14:44:33.6666667+00:00

Hello

Since a few months I've had a problem where I cannot open files in the desktop app when opening through MS Teams or website version of SharePoint.

When opening through Teams I get this error:

User's image

Translation "Download an app to open this MS-Excel link. Your PC has no app that can open this link. Search for a compatible app in the Microsoft Store".

When trying to open through SharePoint web version, it does absolutely nothing. It won't even give me an error code.

What I have tried:

  • Clean reinstall of Office 365
  • Clean reinstall of Windows 11
  • Clean reinstall of MS Teams only
  • Changed laptop to a new model

Specifications:

  • Operating system: Windows 11
  • Office used: Office 365
  • SharePoint webversion: tried both Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Files | Other
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  1. Helen Luu 2,785 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-06T15:09:05.26+00:00

    Hello @Viktorija Potoroča,

    Based on the information you provided, I understand that you are experiencing an issue when attempting to open Excel. You receive the following message:

    "Download an app to open this MS-Excel link. Your PC has no app that can open this link. Search for a compatible app in the Microsoft Store."

    To help investigate this issue further, could you please provide the following information?

    1. The exact version of Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 installed on your device. You can find this by opening any Office application, then navigating to File > Account, and sharing a screenshot of the Product Information section. (make sure to not include any personal information such as email address, display name...)
    2. The license assigned to your account. To check this, sign in to My Account, select Subscriptions from the left-hand menu, and provide the name of the assigned license.
    3. Are you using a personal device or a company-managed device? If it is a company-managed device, do any of your colleagues experience the same issue?
    4. Are other Office applications, such as Word or PowerPoint, opening and functioning normally?

    This information will be very helpful to narrow down the issue. Please feel free to send an update whenever you have the details available.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-06T14:44:57.9066667+00:00

    This usually points to the Windows/Office file-link handoff not being registered correctly, rather than a SharePoint or Teams file problem. Since Office, Windows, Teams, browsers, and even the device were already reinstalled, focus on the file open preference and local Office association path.

    1. In Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on Windows, go to File > Options > Advanced > File Open Preference.
      • Set it to Desktop.
      • This preference applies across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
    2. Test from SharePoint or OneDrive with the explicit desktop handoff:
      • Select the file.
      • Choose More > Open > Open in app.
      • For this to work, the OneDrive sync client must be installed/running, and Files on Demand must be enabled.
    3. If SharePoint still does nothing, check the SharePoint library behavior:
      • Open the affected library.
      • Go to Gear icon > Library Settings > Advanced settings > Opening Documents in the Browser.
      • If this setting is forcing browser behavior, change it as needed.
    4. Reassociate the file type in Windows with the correct Office desktop app:
      • Select Start.
      • Open Control Panel.
      • Go to Programs > Default Programs.
      • Under Set a default for a file type or link type, search for the file type and assign the correct Office app.
      • Repeat for the affected Office file types.
    5. If multiple Office versions were ever present on the device, remove the versions not needed and restart Windows. Multiple Office versions can cause files to open in the wrong app or fail to hand off correctly.
    6. If the problem is only when opening links from Teams, check the supported scenarios:
      • Desktop opening from Teams requires the file to be a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file hosted in OneDrive or SharePoint.
      • It must be opened from the Teams desktop app.
      • Teams chat file links can still open in the browser.
      • This feature is supported for Windows users with a qualified Microsoft 365 subscription.
    7. If the file opens in the browser but not in desktop, also rule out document-specific issues:
      • A corrupt file or incompatible format can prevent SharePoint from opening it correctly.
      • Download the file and test whether it opens locally.

    If none of the above changes the behavior, the remaining supported next steps are the standard Office-side repairs for SharePoint/OneDrive desktop-open issues: clear the Office document cache and repair the Office application.

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

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