SharePoint and OneDrive during the Microsoft outage: can you reach your files?
When email and calendars falter, the next question is: can I still get to my files? During the Microsoft 365 outage of November 2026, the answer for most people is yes, with a few important exceptions. Here is what Microsoft reports about SharePoint Online and OneDrive, what you are better off not doing, and how to work with shared files today.
According to Microsoft, files stored directly in SharePoint Online are accessible. Sharing files with people outside your organisation, and features that need Exchange Online, may fail.
Below you will find what works, what doesn't, and how to still get files to a customer or supplier. Status as of Friday 13 November 2026, 10:15.
What works and what doesn't
- Opening files stored directly in SharePoint Online works, according to Microsoft.
- Sharing files with people outside your organisation may fail.
- Features that rely on Exchange Online, such as email notifications, may falter.
- In the Microsoft 365 apps, the list of recent files may stay empty.
- Do not remove sync or unlink OneDrive; that costs a lot of time after recovery.
The outage began on Thursday 12 November at around 17:15 Dutch time with Exchange Online (NOS). SharePoint Online and OneDrive for work or school are separate services, but some of their features communicate with Exchange. On Microsoft's status page, Microsoft states that features depending on it may be affected, and that opening files stored directly in SharePoint Online continues to work.
Microsoft also mentions one specific problem: some users get errors when sharing files with people outside their organisation, even if external sharing is allowed in the settings. And in the Microsoft 365 apps, users may not be able to see their recent files. That last one is awkward, but your files are still there.
SharePoint and OneDrive according to Microsoft, status as of 13 November 2026, 10:15
| What you do | Status | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Opening a file in SharePoint or Teams | Working, according to Microsoft | Use as normal |
| Sharing a file with a colleague | Not listed as affected | Use as normal, optionally send the link via chat |
| Sharing a file with someone outside the organisation | May fail | Reuse an existing sharing link, or share later |
| Recent files in the Microsoft 365 apps | List may stay empty | Open the file via the folder or the site in SharePoint |
| Notifications and invitations by email | May not arrive, or arrive late | Forward the link itself via another channel |
OneDrive on your computer
If you use the OneDrive app on Windows or Mac, the files you had already synced are simply on your drive. You can open and edit them. Changes are saved and synced as soon as the connection is working properly again.
If you see a message that syncing is failing, leave OneDrive alone. Do not unlink the account or delete the folder to try again. Re-syncing a large library takes a lot of time after recovery, and you risk duplicate files with a computer name appended.
- Work in the folder that is already synced
What was already on your computer, you can simply keep using.
- Leave the integration in place
Do not unlink OneDrive and do not remove libraries from sync.
- Do not have two people working in one file at the same time
When syncing falters, conflicts arise more easily. Agree on who edits what.
- Check after recovery
Check whether the OneDrive icon is green again and whether any files show a conflict message.
Getting files to a client or supplier anyway
If a file has to go to someone outside your organisation today and sharing isn't working, first check whether a sharing link already exists. A link created earlier often still works. If the email invitation doesn't arrive, forward the link yourself via a channel the recipient knows.
Don't reach for a free file-sharing service your organisation doesn't know, especially not for files containing personal data or confidential information. That solves today's problem and creates a new one: a copy of your file somewhere you have no visibility of and no agreements about. If it can wait a few hours, wait.
Around an outage, messages appear with a supposed sharing link or a request to log in again to SharePoint or OneDrive. Only open links from senders you expect, and always log in via your organisation's usual address.
After recovery
Check that any shared links you tried to create during the outage actually exist and have the right permissions. A sharing attempt that failed halfway may have produced a link configured differently from what you thought. Remove links you no longer need.
Once service is restored, administrators also review the security and compliance features around files. Microsoft reports that parts of Purview, such as labels and data loss prevention, were affected. What that means is covered in the article on Intune, Defender and Copilot. For email and calendar, read the article on Outlook; for the timeline, see the outage overview.
specific problem Microsoft mentions for SharePoint Online: sharing with people outside the organisation.
steps to get OneDrive on your computer safely through the outage.
the incident in the admin centre under which Microsoft tracks the impact on SharePoint.
Frequently asked questions
About SharePoint and OneDrive during the Microsoft 365 outage of November 2026.
Does SharePoint work during the Microsoft outage?
Largely. According to Microsoft, files stored directly in SharePoint Online remain accessible. Sharing with people outside the organisation and functions that require Exchange Online may fail.
Can I still access my OneDrive files?
Files that were already synced to your computer can be opened and edited as normal. Changes sync as soon as the connection is working properly again.
Why isn't external sharing working?
Microsoft reports that some users get errors when sharing with people outside their organisation, even when it is permitted. Reuse an existing sharing link or share later.
Should I unlink OneDrive and link it again?
No. That doesn't fix the outage and, after recovery, it takes a long time to sync everything again.
Why can't I see recent files?
Microsoft reports that the list of recent files in the Microsoft 365 apps may stay empty. Your files are still there; open them via the folder or the site.
Are my files safe?
Microsoft reports no loss of files and is not aware of malicious activity as the cause. After recovery, do check whether there are any sync conflicts.
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