The problem posted by MaxDaClog is not a SharePoint bug. It is a feature of how spreadsheets handle live data connections, and it exposes a deeper limitation in the traditional approach to sharing filtered views. When you save a copy of a file that contains FILTER formulas referencing another workbook, those formulas are still pointing back to the original source. Sending that copy to someone without SharePoint access does not sever the link. The file still tries to refresh, fails, and shows a warning. That warning is not a glitch. It is the spreadsheet being honest about its dependencies.
What MaxDaClog actually needs is a snapshot that behaves like a live, filterable dataset without pretending to be connected to anything. The current workflow assumes that "save a copy" also saves the values, but it does not. The FILTER function is a dynamic array formula, and dynamic arrays do not freeze their output on save. They retain the logic, not the results. This is a core design choice in modern spreadsheets: formulas are recalculated on open, and if the source is unreachable, the recalculation fails. The user is left with an error state, not a usable file.
There is a practical fix that does not require third-party tools or new permissions. Before sharing the copy, select the entire range of the FILTER output, copy it, and paste it as values into a new sheet within the same file. That stripped-down sheet will contain only the current data, with no live links to SharePoint. Then apply filters manually to that sheet. For editable comment columns, add them to this same sheet. The recipient will see a static dataset that they can sort, filter, and annotate freely. No warnings, no broken links, no dependency on SharePoint access.
This is not a workaround. It is a deliberate separation of concerns: one file for live data management, one file for shared review. The mistake is expecting a single file to serve both roles without compromise. Spreadsheets are powerful, but they are not magic. They cannot simultaneously maintain a live connection to a restricted source and behave as a self-contained deliverable. The solution is to choose one mode per file. MaxDaClog chose correctly by wanting a second file. Now they just need to finish the job by making that second file truly independent. Paste values. Apply filters. Add columns. Send with confidence.