It is common for someone to need to edit Microsoft Word documents even though they don’t have an Office 365 Subscription. This is something we’ve seen several customers run into, so we created this tutorial to show options for editing Word files in Google Docs or with Office Online. Using these options can save you from having to subscribe to Office 365 just to edit a document or two a few times a year (we suggest using Office Online over Google Docs). If you’re frustrated with trying to edit Office documents, then this tutorial can keep you from looking like this person.
We also broke down the options for editing Word files online in this video:
Let’s get to it!
Table of Contents
- Edit Microsoft Word Files with Google Docs (Jump to Section)
- Edit Microsoft Word Files with Office Online – the preferred method (Jump to Section)
Edit Microsoft Word Files with Google Docs
Step 1: Upload your Word documents to Google Drive
The first step in this process is to create a Google account or to login to your existing account. Once logged in, navigate to Google Drive by opening the app menu:
Click the “New” button in the upper left side and choose File upload.”
Upload your file and refresh your browser. You’ll see that the file is now in Google Drive and that it is in Word’s “DOCX” format.
Step 2: Edit the document
Double-click the document in Google Drive and you’ll see that it opens in the Google Docs editor. You’ll also notice that you are editing a file that is still in Word’s DOCX format.
Make your desired edits and your changes will save automatically.
Step 3: Download the Microsoft Word file
The final step in this process is to download the completed Word file back onto your computer. To do this, simply click “File” and mouse over the “Download” option. When the menu pops out, click that you would like to download the document in Word format and save it to your desired location:
Be mindful that if you’re downloading the document in the same folder where the original file exists then you’ll need to rename it or save over the original.
Be mindful of formatting problems
Keep in mind that when you format a MS Word file in Google Docs then you may run into some formatting problems. As an example, here’s a side-by-side screenshot of an original Word file and a copy that was edited using Google’s tools. Note the formatting errors in the bullet list (the spacing is off).
The more of Word’s formatting features that were used in the original document, the more likely you are to run into formatting problems. This is why using Office Online, which is free, is our preferred option for editing Word files without an Office 365 subscription.
Edit Microsoft Word Files with Office Online (Our Preferred Method)
Step 1: Login to your Outlook.com account or create one
Begin this process by logging into your Outlook.com account or by creating a new one.
Step 2: Open the online Word application and upload your file
Along the left side of your screen, you will see the Microsoft Word icon. Click this icon and the online Word application will open.
Next, click “upload” and upload your file:
Your document will open in the online version of Microsoft Word.
Step 3: Make your desired edits and download the file
Make your desired edits directly in the document. There is no “save” button as your changes will save themselves automatically. Once you have made your edits, click “File,” then click “Save As,” and download a copy of the document. Be mindful that if you’re saving it into the same folder as where the original is stored, you’ll either need to rename the copy or save over the original.
Be mindful that Word’s online version lacks some of the features of its desktop counterpart
You’ll notice that editing a Word document with Office Online (now known as “Office for the Web”) doesn’t create the formatting errors that occur when one edits the file in Google Docs. It’s important to understand, however, that the online version of Word does not have all of the features which are included in the desktop version. This means that if certain features were used in the document, then they may not appear in your online copy. It’s important, therefore, to compare your online version to the original for consistency.