Share file Link Settings dialog
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 9:06 am
Screenshot of a PowerPoint file open in the cloud
Since it’s hosted in the cloud, it can be shared with your content consumers by clicking the Share button at the top right of the browser window. This opens the link creation window. You can choose to share the file with anyone who has the link or click the ‘Anyone with the link’ text to access additional protection features:
Screenshot of the Link Settings options pop up
Now you can deselect Allow editing and even set a password and expiration date, assuming you have a premium subscription. You can then copy the link and provide it to your users.
Are there any pitfalls for this method? Oh yes – and it’s a huge phone numbers turkey gaping hole! When you provide that link and someone clicks on it, the file opens as below:Screenshot of open PowerPoint file. In the top righthand corner are several options: Download, Send to OneDrive, Start slideshow, Print to PDF.
Can you see the Download button at the top? Uh oh. What was Microsoft thinking? You choose to share something as a read only file on the web and your audience can just download it as a pptx file, with the ability to edit the file!
UPDATE OCT2022 – thank you Chantal Bose
You can now share a file, set the permissions to view only and then block the ability to download:
ARM and Sensitivity
If you work for a large organisation with a competent IT team then it might be that you can use other Microsoft technologies such as ARM (Azure Rights Management, formerly IRM or Information Rights Management) or the relatively new Sensitivity Labels feature. Both use advanced encryption to provide varying levels of access to your file. These solutions are complex to implement, so talk to your IT team to see if you can use them.
Since it’s hosted in the cloud, it can be shared with your content consumers by clicking the Share button at the top right of the browser window. This opens the link creation window. You can choose to share the file with anyone who has the link or click the ‘Anyone with the link’ text to access additional protection features:
Screenshot of the Link Settings options pop up
Now you can deselect Allow editing and even set a password and expiration date, assuming you have a premium subscription. You can then copy the link and provide it to your users.
Are there any pitfalls for this method? Oh yes – and it’s a huge phone numbers turkey gaping hole! When you provide that link and someone clicks on it, the file opens as below:Screenshot of open PowerPoint file. In the top righthand corner are several options: Download, Send to OneDrive, Start slideshow, Print to PDF.
Can you see the Download button at the top? Uh oh. What was Microsoft thinking? You choose to share something as a read only file on the web and your audience can just download it as a pptx file, with the ability to edit the file!
UPDATE OCT2022 – thank you Chantal Bose
You can now share a file, set the permissions to view only and then block the ability to download:
ARM and Sensitivity
If you work for a large organisation with a competent IT team then it might be that you can use other Microsoft technologies such as ARM (Azure Rights Management, formerly IRM or Information Rights Management) or the relatively new Sensitivity Labels feature. Both use advanced encryption to provide varying levels of access to your file. These solutions are complex to implement, so talk to your IT team to see if you can use them.