Unable to open Excel files from a SharePoint 2010 on an iPad

Guest Blogger: Harold Kless

If you try to edit an Office file (Word, PowerPoint or Excel) from a SharePoint 2010 Document Library while using an iPad with MS Office applications installed, the file will not open and there is an error “there is no SharePoint Foundation application available to open
the app.”

SharePoint 2010 requires a plugin or active X to launch client applications, and neither of those are allowed on the iOS platform. SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint Online support protocol handlers that work with iPad.

To work around this behavior:

Option 1 – Add a Place within the application that will connect to the SharePoint Document Library.

1. To do this open any of the installed Microsoft Office applications
   (Word, Excel or PowerPoint).
2. On the opening window choose Add a Place.
3. In the Add a Place window click on SharePoint Site URL
4. In the SharePoint URL window enter the url or internet address of the SharePoint Document Library.
5. Click Next - when prompted enter the username and password.

Option 2 – download a copy of the file

1. When in the Document Library click on Download a copy.
2. The document will be displayed in the browser window with the option to choose how to open in the appropriate application.
3. When the file opens it will be read only with the option to edit and save.