OneDrive: Autosave disabled when opening files from OneDrive folder

[MacFlaX]

I'm using several macOS and iOS devices to work on synchronized Excel files via OneDrive. Generally it works well, but recently I got the following problem:

On one of the Macs Autosave is disabled when I open shared Excel files from the (local) synchronized OneDrive folder. Excel asked to upload file to OneDrive. If I do this, it overwrites the existing file and Autosave gets enabled, but only until I open the file again from the (local) OneDrive folder.
If I open files via Excel from the cloud, or from the OneDrive website, Autosave is enabled and stays enabled. Thet means the issue occurs only when I open files from the local synchronized OneDrive folder.
It looks like if OneDrive doesn't synchronizes local files or links correctly.

A second Mac, with identical Excel 16.90.2 and OneDrive 24.206.1013.0004 versions, works flawlessly.

Both Macs are on macOS 15.1. and are using the same Apple ID and Microsoft ID. OneDrive has full drive access rights on macOS on both machines.

I tried already unsuccessfully:

• Reseting OneDrive
• Uninstalling and Re-Installing OneDrive
• Deleting and Re-Installing Office365
• Installing OneDrive folder in user directory and on external drives
• OneDrive in "files on demand" and local download mode

Did someone experience similar issues and found a solution?

 

[MacFlaX]

I'm still looking for some hints... Autosave via OneDrive isn't working yet. Further OneDrive and Office re-installs didn't addressed the issue.

The Mac not working is a new and freshly installed Mac Mini M4. The Mac working is a MacBook Pro M1 Pro. On this MacBook I had temporary the same issue after testweise changing the region from Germany to US (to play with Apple Intelligence). After changing the region back to Germany and re-installing OneDrive and Office it worked again.

 

[chrfr]

I'm still looking for some hints... Autosave via OneDrive isn't working yet. Further OneDrive and Office re-installs didn't addressed the issue.

The Mac not working is a new and freshly installed Mac Mini M4. The Mac working is a MacBook Pro M1 Pro. On this MacBook I had temporary the same issue after testweise changing the region from Germany to US (to play with Apple Intelligence). After changing the region back to Germany and re-installing OneDrive and Office it worked again.

Autosave is a Microsoft 365 subscription feature. If you look at the “about Excel” menu, make sure that the license version indicates you have the subscription rather than a standalone license.

 

[MacFlaX]

Autosave is a Microsoft 365 subscription feature. If you look at the “about Excel” menu, make sure that the license version indicates you have the subscription rather than a standalone license.

Thanks @chrfr. Yes, I have a valid Office365 subscription and I'm logged in. On both Macs the same way, but one works, the other not...

 

[screensaver400]

No help for you, but I'm also experiencing the same issue on a new install of O365 (I am a subscriber) on a new MacBook M3. I've been Googling the problem, and found many reports of the same problem, though it appears inconsistent.

One "hint"-- I experienced this when opening Word and PowerPoint files from the OneDrive folder. When I opened an Excel file from the OneDrive folder in Finder, Excel prompted me to "allow access to files managed by OneDrive" (or similar), and then it did have auto-save enabled. The request shows as "approved" in Privacy & Security Settings (see screenshot).

It seems like the problem is related to that prompt not hitting in Word and PowerPoint; Word and PowerPoint then view it as a file "Saved to my Mac."

As a workaround, you can open from OneDrive directly in Word/Excel/PowerPoint by hitting File>Open; auto-save works when opening files that way. But I haven't found a fix to allow you to open files from the OneDrive folder in Finder.

 

[MacFlaX]

No help for you, but I'm also experiencing the same issue on a new install of O365 (I am a subscriber) on a new MacBook M3. I've been Googling the problem, and found many reports of the same problem, though it appears inconsistent.

One "hint"-- I experienced this when opening Word and PowerPoint files from the OneDrive folder. When I opened an Excel file from the OneDrive folder in Finder, Excel prompted me to "allow access to files managed by OneDrive" (or similar), and then it did have auto-save enabled. The request shows as "approved" in Privacy & Security Settings (see screenshot).

Thanks a lot @screensaver400. I don't remember if Excel asked for permissions after installation. But at least Excel is correctly listed (like in your screen shot) with "files & folders" access to OneDrive and OneDrive itself has "Full Sisk Access". Interestingly Word and Powerpoint are not listed as apps with "files and folder" access rights, but have the same issue like Excel. Testwise I granted Excel "full disk access", but the issues continues. When I open the file from the Onedrive folder on Mac Autosave is disabled, when I open it directly from OneCloud Autosave is enabled correctly.

 

[MacFlaX]

As a workaround, you can open from OneDrive directly in Word/Excel/PowerPoint by hitting File>Open; auto-save works when opening files that way. But I haven't found a fix to allow you to open files from the OneDrive folder in Finder.

Yes, this works! Thanks. It's my actual workaround as well ;-)
Ideally I want to have links/aliases to some OneDrive files on the desktop. I haven't found a way yet to put an alias on the desktop linked directly to the files in the cloud

 

[screensaver400]

Yes, this works! Thanks. It's my actual workaround as well ;-)

Ah, oops, missed that part of your OP.