Having issues with SharePoint? Here’s a step-by-step troubleshooting guide for common problems, with solutions to get things working again!
Problem: "Access Denied" or "You do not have permission to view this site."
Solution:
- Check user permissions under Site Settings Site Permissions.
- Ensure the user is in the correct SharePoint group (Owners, Members, Visitors).
- If using SharePoint Online, check Microsoft 365 Admin Center for license issues.
- If the site is external, confirm sharing settings allow outside access (Admin Center Policies Sharing).
Problem: SharePoint pages load slowly or fail to open.
Solution:
- Try a different browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) or open Incognito Mode.
- Clear cache & cookies in your browser settings.
- Check SharePoint Service Health (Microsoft 365 Admin Center Service Health).
- Reduce large images, excessive web parts, or scripts on your page.
- If using SharePoint On-Premises, check server performance (RAM, CPU, SQL database).
Problem: Changes in SharePoint don’t sync with OneDrive.
Solution:
- Click OneDrive icon Settings Stop Sync Reconnect the SharePoint folder.
- Ensure OneDrive is updated to the latest version.
- If using SharePoint Online, check the Sync settings under Library Settings Advanced Settings.
Problem: "The file is too large to upload."
Solution:
- SharePoint Online has a 250GB file size limit.
- SharePoint On-Premises may have a lower upload limit set in Central Administration.
- Try drag-and-drop upload instead of the "Upload" button.
Problem: You deleted a file, but it’s missing from the Recycle Bin.
Solution:
- Check the Second-Stage Recycle Bin (Site Settings Recycle Bin Second-Stage Recycle Bin).
- If using OneDrive Sync, check your local PC’s Recycle Bin.
- If deleted by another user, check Site Collection Admin Recycle Bin (Admin access required).
Solution:
- Check Power Automate Logs (Power Automate My Flows Flow Runs).
- Ensure the user who created the flow still has access to the list/library.
- If the flow is triggered by a file change, check document versioning settings.
- Try recreating the connection to SharePoint in Power Automate.
Solution:
- Check SharePoint Outgoing Email Settings (On-Premises: Central Admin System Settings).
- If using Microsoft 365, verify that email notifications are turned on for SharePoint.
- Ensure the approvers have edit permissions to the list.
Problem: Search results are incomplete or missing files.
Solution:
- Wait for reindexing (Can take up to 24 hours for new content).
- Manually trigger a reindex: Site Settings Search Search and Offline Availability Reindex Site.
- Ensure the files are not in a restricted folder or marked as "Do Not Index".
- If using SharePoint On-Premises, check Search Service Application in Central Admin.
Problem: Clicking on a SharePoint link leads to a 404 error.
Solution:
- Check if the page was moved or deleted.
- Update the link in Site Settings Navigation.
- If using a custom script, ensure the URL paths are correct.
Problem: A guest user can't open a shared document.
Solution:
- Ensure external sharing is enabled in Admin Center Policies Sharing.
- Resend the invite using "Share" "Send link" Choose "Anyone with the link".
- If guests see "Sign-in Required," change the link settings to "Anyone with the link can edit."
Problem: SharePoint files don't show in Teams.
Solution:
- Make sure the SharePoint site is linked to the correct Teams channel.
- Try removing and re-adding the SharePoint tab in Teams.
- Check Teams File Permissions under "Manage Team Settings Permissions."
Solution:
- Refresh the page and clear browser cache.
- Check Site Permissions to ensure the user has access.
- If using a custom web part, test in a different browser or disable the web part.
Solution:
- Check versioning settings in the document library.
- Ensure no one else is editing the file at the same time.
- If co-authoring is disabled, enable it in Library Settings.
Solution:
- SharePoint has a 400-character limit for URLs.
- Shorten folder names or move the file to a root directory.
- Use OneDrive Sync instead of opening the file via URL.
Check Microsoft 365 Service Health for outages (https://status.office365.com/)
Test in Different Browsers (Edge, Chrome, Firefox)
Use SharePoint Logs & Power Automate Run History for debugging
Train Users on Best Practices to avoid common issues