How to Unshare an Excel File

If you frequently share Microsoft Excel files with colleagues or clients, it’s essential to know how to manage the file sharing settings. Unsharing an Excel file can be necessary if you want to revoke someone’s access to a file or if you accidentally shared the file with the wrong recipient. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the simple steps you need to follow to unshare an Excel file in a straightforward and efficient manner.

Step 1: Open the shared Excel file

The first step in unsharing an Excel file is to open the file in your Excel application. Make sure that you are signed in to your Microsoft account to access the file sharing settings. Once you have the file open, locate the Share button on the toolbar at the top of the screen.

Step 2: Access the Share settings

After clicking on the Share button, a new window will appear that displays all the people you’ve shared the file with and their permission levels. Find the person that you want to unshare the file with and click on the “Can edit” or “Can view” button next to their name.

Step 3: Remove Sharing Access

After clicking on the appropriate button, a dropdown menu will appear. Click on “Stop sharing” to revoke that person’s access to the Excel file. The person will no longer be able to view or edit the file, but they will still have a copy of the file on their device if they were previously able to download it.

Additional Tips

If you want to unshare the file with multiple people, repeat this process for each person that has permissions to the file. Additionally, if you want to unshare the file with everyone, you can click on the Advanced button located under the list of people you’ve shared the file with, then select “Turn off link sharing for this item”.

Always make sure to confirm that the file is no longer shared with the person you revoked access with after you’ve completed the above steps.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to unshare your Excel files in a quick and easy way. You’ll be able to rest easy knowing that you’ve protected your sensitive data from unwanted access.

Helpful Tips for File Sharing in Excel

In addition to learning how to unshare an Excel file, keeping your files secure during sharing is your responsibility. Follow these tips to make sure that your Excel files are secure while sharing:

• Limit sharing to trusted colleagues: Only share files with people you trust.
• Set password protection: Password-protect your Excel files to prevent anyone without the password from accessing them.
• Check file permissions and accessibility: Ensure that people with the link or editing permission to your shared files are the intended recipients.

Use OneDrive for Secure File Sharing

Using OneDrive is an easy and secure way of sharing your Excel files with others. These are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy when using OneDrive:

• File encryption: OneDrive encrypts all your uploaded files both during transmission and storage.
• Password-protection: You can secure your shared files with a password for an extra layer of security.
• Control access & permission: You can control who gets access to your shared files and whether they can edit or view them or not.
• File versioning: OneDrive allows you to keep multiple versions of your files, so you can restore an earlier version of your file if necessary

By using a secure sharing solution like OneDrive, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your shared Excel files are protected and will be accessed only by the intended recipients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the top five frequently asked questions related to unsharing Excel files:

Can I unshare an Excel file without opening it?

No, you must open the Excel file before you can unshare it as you need access to the “Share” button in order to access the sharing settings and revoke file sharing permissions.

Will the person I unshare with be notified?

No, the person won’t receive any notification after you unshare an Excel file. They will simply lose their access to the file.

Can I unshare an Excel file that I didn’t share?

No, you can only unshare an Excel file that you shared. You don’t have permissions to revoke access to a file that someone else shared with you.

How can I tell if my Excel file is shared?

If an Excel file is shared, you will see the word “Shared” in the title bar, as well as the names of people that you’ve shared the file with on the toolbar.

What can I do if I accidentally unshare an Excel file?

If you accidentally unshare an Excel file, simply re-share the file with the respective person.

Unsharing an Excel file is a simple process, but one that’s important for keeping your data secure. With these steps and tips, you’ll be able to effectively manage your shared files in a professional and efficient manner.