We're seeing a strange Microsoft 365 behavior: in the Microsoft 365 admin center, only a user's manager as listed in Entra can use the "Create link" option for that user's OneDrive files. Global administrators, SharePoint administrators, and other administrators all fail when they try it. I've reviewed the SharePoint and OneDrive settings I can find, but nothing explains why the manager is the only person who can generate a view link. Has anyone encountered this or knows which permission or configuration controls it?
1 Answer
This sounds like an unexpected permissions change rather than a normal SharePoint setting. One possibility is that a script granted each user’s listed manager site collection administrator or otherwise added manager-based access to their OneDrive. I’d compare the affected OneDrive site permissions and audit logs with an unaffected account, and review any recent Graph or PowerShell automation that modified site administrators or sharing permissions.

I wondered whether a script had done something similar, possibly while trying to give managers access to their direct reports’ files. I checked the OneDrive site administrator setting, though, and it shows the user’s own account, which appears to be the expected value.