Features

"Upload Blocked We ran into a problem with this file and can't save any new changes. Please save a copy to avoid losing your work." when opening an Excel document

Issue

When opening an Excel document, I am getting an error similar to the following, displayed at the top of the Excel spreadsheet.

  • "Upload Blocked We ran into a problem with this file and can't save any new changes. Please save a copy to avoid losing your work."
  • "The permissions on this file were updated and you no longer have rights to view this file. If you previously made changes to this file, they may not be saved".

Cause

This could be caused by one of the following. See below for the solution for each of these.

Two different accounts are used to sync files on two different tenants

Refer to the Microsoft help article "UPLOAD BLOCKED" error when you save OneDrive-synced files in Microsoft 365 apps

In the past, spreadsheets have not uploaded correctly via OneDrive

This can be caused where, in the past, spreadsheets have not been uploaded correctly via OneDrive. Having a file that has not been uploaded correctly can cause issues with other documents.

This is a Microsoft error. Refer to the Microsoft article Files Needing Attention FAQ

With OneDrive, the upload can be an issue with macro-enabled spreadsheets, especially where the spreadsheets are large or include references to other spreadsheets or where it uses pivot tables.

Solution

The following is the recommended best practice to avoid this issue and needs to be performed on each computer that is having the issue:

  • Ensure your computer is correctly configured to work offline with FYI including OneDrive. Refer to Configuring your OneDrive for use with FYI.

  • In Excel, check if there are any Files Needing Attention. Files that have failed to upload need to be removed.
  1. Open Excel.
  2. In File - Open, check for any files in that application that are showing as Files Needing Attention.
    Refer to the Microsoft article Files Needing Attention FAQ.
  3. From Files Needing Attention, you can open the file and re-save, or, you can discard the changes completely.
  4. Try editing a document again.

    Note: Office Upload Center has now been depreciated and replaced with the Files Needing Attention function in the relevant Office application.
Was this article helpful?
1 out of 51 found this helpful