How to remove version history from Microsoft ppt if I only have edit access?

Rachael Lee 5 Reputation points
2026-08-28T09:34:08.53+00:00

I have tried to move the file to my private folder from sharepoint, after which upon reopening it from sharedrive it returns a 404. However, I could reopen it from my shared drive folder in Onedrive.
Does this mean the shared file is on the cloud and I won't be able to remove the history since I am not the owner? Is there an alternative way to do so?

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Files | Access OneDrive files
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  1. Ana Le 2,345 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-28T10:06:40.3533333+00:00

    Hi,

    Version history is controlled by the SharePoint or OneDrive location where the PowerPoint file is stored, rather than by PowerPoint itself.

    Being the file owner is not the only factor. Microsoft documents that the default SharePoint Edit permission level includes Delete Versions. However, permission levels can be customized, so the description “Can edit” alone is not enough to confirm whether your account has that permission. See Understanding permission levels in SharePoint⁠.

    To check your actual permission:

    1. Open the file from its current SharePoint or OneDrive location in a browser.
    2. Select More options (…) > Version history.
    3. Check whether Delete is available beside an earlier version or whether Delete All Versions is available.

    If those options are displayed, you can delete the earlier versions without being the owner. The current version itself does not have a Delete option in Version history. For a SharePoint file, Microsoft also notes that deleted versions are moved to the SharePoint Recycle Bin. See Delete a previous version of an item or file in SharePoint⁠.

    If the Delete option is missing or you receive an access-denied message, please ask the site or library owner or your Microsoft 365 administrator to check whether your effective permissions include Delete Versions. There is no supported method to bypass that permission.

    The 404 error does not by itself confirm the file’s ownership, current location, or whether its version history was removed. The result depends on how the file was moved:

    • Microsoft states that using SharePoint’s Move to command carries the document’s version history to the destination.
    • Using SharePoint’s Copy to command copies only the latest version.

    Therefore, if you need a separate file without the earlier version history and you are permitted to create one, Copy to is the documented alternative. It creates a new file; it does not remove the history from the original shared file, and the new file will need its own sharing link. See Move or copy files in SharePoint⁠.

    Opening the file from the Shared view in OneDrive only confirms that it is listed as a shared item. It does not confirm that the file is stored under your own My files area.

    Could you confirm whether the file was originally shared through a Teams channel or a Teams chat, and whether you moved it using Move to in SharePoint or through File Explorer/Finder? Channel files are stored in the team’s SharePoint site, while files uploaded to a chat are stored in the uploader’s OneDrive. File storage in Microsoft Teams⁠

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