Fix Microsoft Teams not downloading or showing files

This post will show you what you can do if Microsoft Teams is not downloading or showing any files. Teams is a comprehensive business communication platform that unifies instant chat, audio calling, and video calling, and allow its users to collaborate through different channels. It also lets them share files with others on the Teams network. Files can simply be uploaded or shared as a ‘link to the file’ on a one-on-one chat, group chat, or on specific channels. While it’s pretty easy to download these files, some users are finding it difficult to download the shared files on their Windows 11/10 PC. This article attempts to solve this issue using some effective solutions.

Files shared on a channel are available in the team’s SharePoint folder and can be accessed via the Files tab. They are also available in OneDrive for Business (for one-on-one or group chat). To download a shared file, you can click on the More Options icon (three horizontal dots) next to the file name and select the Download option. Once downloaded, the files will appear in the Downloads folder of your device.

Why won’t Teams let me download a file?

Microsoft Teams may not allow you to download a file if you don’t have permission for the same. This can also happen due to a network or browser issue. If you’re using the Teams Desktop app, the ‘The file didn’t download‘ error may occur if the file path consists of an apostrophe (‘) character.

Fix Microsoft Teams not downloading or showing files

If Microsoft Teams is not downloading or showing any files, you can fix this issue and successfully download the file using the following solutions:

1. Check for file permissions.
2. Check for invalid characters in the file path.
3. Use a different version and then try.
4. Clear MS Teams cache.
5. Download the file using SharePoint Online.

Let us see these in detail.

1] Check for file permissions

Sometimes the shared file can only be opened and viewed by the recipient. If you’re not able to download the file, chances are, the file is being shared with Restrict View permission. Ask your IT/Office 365 admin to check whether you have permission to download the file. If not, you may request the file owner for permission to resolve the file download issue.

2] Check for invalid characters in the file path

” * : ‘ < > ? / \ | and leading and trailing spaces are invalid characters that are not allowed in file and folder names in OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online. If the path of the shared file consists of any of these characters, you won’t be able to download the file.

3] Use a different version and then try

Try to download the problematic file by switching to a different version of Teams. For example, if you’re using the desktop version of Teams, try downloading the file using Teams for the web. If you’re already using the browser version, try changing the browser, clearing your browser’s cache, or switching to the desktop or mobile version of the app.

Read: Microsoft Teams Login issues: We couldn’t sign you in.

4] Clear MS Teams cache

If the above solution didn’t work, clear the cache data of the Microsoft Teams desktop client. Clearing the cache will help fix issues you experience with Teams. It will not remove any user data.

To clear the Microsoft Teams cache:

1. Sign out from the Microsoft Teams app.
2. Close the app.
3. Launch the WinX menu by right-clicking on the Start button in the Windows taskbar.
4. Click on the Task Manager option.
5. In the Task Manager window, right-click on Microsoft Teams under the Processes tab and click on the End task option.
6. Open File Explorer.
7. Copy %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams and paste it into the address bar of the File Explorer.
8. Press the Enter key.
9. Select and delete the entire content of the Teams folder.
10. Reboot your device and launch the Teams app.

Note: If you’re not able to find the Teams folder, your files may not be synced to File Explorer on your Windows 11/10 PC. To sync shared files in a channel, go to the Files tab and click on the Sync option. This will sync your files on OneDrive for Business, which is different from your personal OneDrive account.

5] Download the file using SharePoint Online

Files shared on Teams are stored in a Document Library folder in SharePoint Online. If you’re not able to download a file from your Teams account, try downloading it through SharePoint. Use the Open in SharePoint link to go to the SharePoint site linked to your Office 365 account and download the file.