[Major] Issue Modifying Powerpoint Files with MS Office Online

We recently addressed issues affecting Box users. We would like to take the opportunity to further explain these issues and the steps we have taken to keep them from happening in the future.

Between May 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM PDT and May 15, 2025 at 04:04 AM PDT, some users may have experienced difficulties while working in Box. During this time, some users encountered an error when attempting to open PowerPoint files via the Box for Office Online integration. The issue occurred as a result of a third-party update. We were able to resolve the issue by working closely with Microsoft to diagnose and remediate the issue and restore our service. In addition, we are working to enhance monitoring and alerting, and improve escalation channels with Microsoft to decrease any possible downtimes caused by such issues to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. 

‌

Analysis

‌

The incident was caused by a Microsoft update that impacted the Box for Office Online integration. Based on logging, we observed that valid access tokens were missing in requests from Microsoft to retrieve PowerPoint files. As a result, such requests were rejected, and Microsoft could not access the file content to display it in Office Online. We were able to resolve the issue by working closely with Microsoft to diagnose and remediate the issue and restore our service.

‌

Corrective Actions

Box has initiated the following corrective actions:

• Create additional monitors and alerts to detect unusual request patterns more quickly
• Enhance the escalation process with Microsoft for faster issue resolution

‌

We are continuously working to improve Box and want to make sure we are delivering the best product and user experience we can. We hope we have provided some clarity here and we would be happy to answer any questions you may still have regarding this matter. 

Sincerely,

The Box Team