Microsoft OneDrive is a popular file cloud hosting, sharing, and to a degree editing service. This is especially true on Windows, as Windows users who sign in with a Microsoft account have OneDrive automatically.
Like any other file hosting service, OneDrive supports the sharing of files. You have a few options there. Notable options include setting rights to view or edit, adding a password, or expiration.
When you try to share a file or files, you get two options in the beginning:
- Send Link, which informs recipients about the new shared file.
- Copy Link, which creates a link that you may copy.
While you can add any email, name or group to “Send Link”, you will run into a dead-end if you try to send it to emails that are not associated with a Microsoft account.
The dreaded “The following emails are not Microsoft accounts” error is displayed in that case immediately.
When you switch to “Copy Link”, you do get a few more options. You can set an expiration date and also a password. There is also the option to share it with anyone, which means that anyone may access the link without signing-in, or with specific people.
Creating Sharable Link never ends
If you pick specific people and add a non-Microsoft account email address, your browser will enter the never-ending “creating sharable link” loop.
This appears to be a common problem. A search for the issue returns plenty of support requests on Microsoft community websites, but also elsewhere.
To get out, you may want to press the Esc-Key. Not only does it end the link creation screen, it also shows you the reason why you cannot invite specific people.
You may have guessed it already: because the email is not a Microsoft account email.
In other words, if you want to share OneDrive files with emails that are not associated with a Microsoft account, you can only use “anyone”.
Here, it may be a good idea to set a password and/or an expiration date, especially if you plan to share it with a small number of users.
Bonus Tip: Select Shared > By You on the OneDrive website to see all files that you have enabled for sharing. OneDrive does not display lots of information there.
You do not know if the shared file is set to expire or if it is password protected. There is also no information on hits or any other kind of traffic information.
Select the three-dots icon and then “manage access” to check out the full sharing information. Links are found under the links tab.
There, OneDrive is finally revealing whether access is good for editing or viewing. Icons indicate whether the link is password protected or auto-expiring. What you do not get is the password, however. You can delete links from here and change the password, if you need to.
Have you ever shared files online? If so, which service or application have you used for that? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
