Starting the week of August 12, select file types—including Word (.doc, .docx, etc.) documents and PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx, etc.) presentations—will no longer be able to be saved to file share servers. These files will instead need to be saved in OneDrive, Teams or SharePoint.
No existing files are impacted by this change. However, files of these extensions will no longer be able to be created or updated.
Here is the full list of file types:
- Email: .eml, .msg, .pst
- Word: .doc, .docx, etc.
- PowerPoint: .ppt, .pptx, etc.
- OneNote: .one
- Visio: .vsd
- Rich Text File: .rtf
Please note that Excel file types (such as .xslx and .csv) are not being screened out at this time.
Why is this happening?
As a company, it’s vital that all files with these extensions are stored in M365. This has several benefits, including:
- Security: This allows data protection labels to be applied to files with sensitive information.
- Retention: This ensures that documents are handled appropriately when they meet their retention deadline.
- Legal: This makes legal discovery more comprehensive and efficient.
What actions do I need to take?
- If you do not have access to a file share server, or do not save these file types to your file share server, you do not need to take any action.
- If you currently save any of these file types to a file share server, determine an alternate storage location in M365 (OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint). View our guidance for more information on sharing and storing files.
Have questions?
If you have any questions about this change, or about where to store files more generally, please contact the MIS Help Desk.