UPLOAD BLOCKED

IVOR COHEN 0 Reputation points
2026-04-17T03:13:22.5666667+00:00

All of a sudden, ALL of my Excel files have the message - "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.

However, EVERYTHING between 02/02/2026 andv04/16/2026 IS LOST!!

There is NOTHING saved during that period, even though every entry WAS saved as it was entered.

How do I recover all the lost entries??

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-04-17T03:13:36.5+00:00

    The "UPLOAD BLOCKED" message means Excel cannot save changes back to the original location (typically OneDrive or SharePoint). When this happens, Excel prompts to save a local copy so work is not lost.

    From the available information, there is no supported way to retroactively recover unsaved edits that were never successfully written to OneDrive/SharePoint or to a local file. Recovery options only apply to:

    1. AutoRecover / Document Recovery (local files)
      If the workbooks were stored on the device (not only in the cloud) and AutoRecover was enabled, check for recovered versions:
      • Open Excel.
      • If Document Recovery appears, open each listed file, review, and Save As any versions that contain the missing work.
      • If multiple versions appear, choose the one with the most recent date/time that still contains the needed entries.
      • After recovering what is needed, close the Document Recovery pane and choose Yes, I want to view these files later (safest option) if unsure, or No, remove the files. I have saved the files I need when finished.
    2. Previous versions / recycle bin (cloud files)
      If the files were stored in OneDrive or SharePoint and were deleted or overwritten, use the service’s recovery features:
      • If a file was deleted while being edited, Excel/Word/PowerPoint will show a message and require saving a copy. To get the original file back, restore it from:
        • The SharePoint or Teams site recycle bin, or
        • The OneDrive recycle bin.
      • After restoring, open the restored file and compare with any local copies that were saved when the "UPLOAD BLOCKED" error appeared.
    3. Fixing "UPLOAD BLOCKED" to prevent further loss
      To stop the error so future changes are saved to OneDrive:
      • Restart OneDrive and Excel, then sign in again with the same account.
      • If the issue persists, unlink and re-link OneDrive, then try saving again.
      • Install all available Windows updates, restart Excel, and test saving to OneDrive again.

    If no AutoRecover versions, previous versions, or recycle-bin items contain the missing entries, those specific edits are not recoverable using the documented Microsoft 365 mechanisms.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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