Ultrasound Waves & SharePoint Woes: A Week in Review

This week brought two revelations: one from beneath the skin, and one from beneath the surface of our digital infrastructure.

🎯 The Vein Report: A Peek Beneath the Surface

After weeks of ignoring what felt like a rebellious spaghetti strand behind my knee, I finally went in for a varicose vein ultrasound. The technician was kind, the gel was cold, and the results were… illuminating. Turns out, my circulatory system has been moonlighting as a topographic map of the Ozarks. No immediate drama, but a few twists and turns that might need attention down the line.

For those curious: yes, the machine does sound like a submarine sonar, and no, I did not ask for a printout to frame.

📁 SharePoint: When External Access Becomes Existential

Meanwhile, back in the digital realm, our team faced a different kind of blockage. External users—partners, consultants, and the occasional brave soul from another department—have been hitting a wall when trying to access our shared folders on SharePoint.

Symptoms include:

• 🔒 “Access Denied” messages despite correct permissions
• 🔄 Endless loops of login prompts
• 🧭 Confusion over whether they need a Microsoft account, a guest link, or a secret handshake

We’ve tried:

• Rechecking folder permissions (yes, they’re set to “Anyone with the link”)
• Confirming external sharing is enabled at the site and tenant level
• Sending fresh invites with expiration dates far into the future (the year 2099 is looking good)

Still, the issue persists. If you’re one of our external collaborators and you’ve been locked out, know this: it’s not you, it’s SharePoint. We’re working on a fix, possibly involving Power Automate, a sacrificial spreadsheet, and a strongly worded email to IT.

🧠 Final Thoughts

Whether it’s veins or virtual folders, clarity matters. This week reminded me that systems—biological or digital—need regular checkups, and that transparency (even when tangled) is better than silence.

If you’ve had similar SharePoint struggles or want to swap ultrasound anecdotes, drop a comment below. We’re all navigating the twists together.

UPDATE: SharePoint is fixed!!!!