- Microsoft Forms not accepting responses has several causes, including browser and app-related issues.
- On the owner’s side, it’s important to check access permissions.
- On the user side, check your account details, submission date, and how you access the form.
Microsoft Forms is all about getting the opinions and responses from the people you send them to. But if Forms isn’t allowing that, it’s safe to say it’s failing short in its main purpose. Depending on whether you’re a creator or responder, this error might require different fixes. That said, we’ve got a few solutions for both sides of that equation.
This article will look at how to fix unresponsive Microsoft Forms.
What Causes This Error
Let’s take a quick look at some of the most common issues behind not being able to respond to a Microsoft Form:
- The owner of the form has disabled submissions.
- Forms is having issues with a particular browser.
- There are issues with the sharing settings (owners).
- Account or internet connectivity issues could be the problem.
With so many possible causes, we’ve got several fixes ready to try.
Fixes for Microsoft Forms Not Accepting Responses
Try these solutions below and see if they resolve your particular issue:
Check Response Settings (Form Owners)
If you’ve created the Microsoft Form and users are reporting submitting issues, the first thing you should check is your submission settings. Are your access permissions configured correctly? Here’s what to do:
Step 1. Click the Settings icon in the top menu bar.
Step 2. Under “Who can fill out this form,” you’ll see several options listed. For greater reach and access to respondents, select either “Anyone can respond” or “Only people in my organization can respond.”
In instances where you’ve included the ability to upload a file, the “Anyone can respond” option might be greyed out. To enable this option, you’ll need to remove the upload response from your form.
Check the Submission Deadline (Users)
If you can’t submit a response to a Microsoft Form, then odds are pretty good that the submission deadline has come and gone. If you navigate to the link and are greeted with a message telling you as much, then your only choice is to contact the organizer of the form directly, if possible, to see if they’re still accepting responses.
Browser Troubles
The issue might not be with Microsoft Forms at all, but with your web browser. Here are a few quick troubleshooting tips to try:
- Start by restarting your browser. This fixes many problems.
- Clear your browser cache entirely, or just for the one Microsoft.
- Disable your VPN or adblocker.
- Try a different browser to see if the problem is related to the one you’re currently using.
- Open the form in your browser’s Private Mode. This will disable third-party extensions and add-ons that can conflict with some functions.
Check Your Account
Your Microsoft account may also be a major reason for you not being able to respond to a form. If you have multiple accounts, for example, a certain account may not have the permissions necessary to submit a response, so you’ll have to switch to one that does.
If you’re running into errors, it’s important to make sure you’re logged into your account, and the right one at that.
In rare instances, Microsoft services themselves could be to blame. You can check their status here .
Finally, private network restrictions on your access point (such as a private office) can also prevent access to certain sites. It’s worth checking with your organization to find out if Microsoft Forms is included in this.
