Even if you’re a Google Workspace user and no longer use Microsoft Office, you might need to work with Office files (e.g. Excel, Word, PowerPoint) sometimes. For example, your customers or business partners may be required to communicate with Microsoft Office files.
Please don’t worry, In Google Workspace, you can still work with Microsoft Office files, even if you don’t have Office installed.
These are how to work with Microsoft Office files with Google Drive:
– Add and Open Office files in Drive
– Work in Office and sync files to Drive (Office required)
– Convert Office files to Google files
Let’s take a look at each.
1. Add and Open Office files in Drive
In Google Drive, you can upload, store and share data in any file format. Microsoft’s office format is one of them.
For example, sales proposals with PowerPoint, customer list with Excel, Meeting minutes by Word, etc. can be uploaded to Google Drive in the original Microsoft office format.
Also, if you open the file on the drive in the office format, you can use Google’s online collaborative editing function as well. Now you can safely store your files in Google Drive and edit them with your team.
How to Add and Open Office files in Drive
1. Open Drive.
2. Click [New ( + ) ] and [File upload] / Or just drag & drop the file from your computer
3. Choose the Office file you want to upload.
4. In Drive, right-click an Office file, Open with Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Google Slides.
5. Edit and collaborate on the file. All changes are saved to the original Office file.
2. Work in Office and sync files to Drive (Office required)
If you want to edit files with Office on your computer, it is recommended to use Google Drive for desktop.
Google Drive for desktop allows you to stream and sync the files on your Drive on your computer, and you can open and edit the file with Office.
How to work in Office and sync files to Drive
1. If you haven’t already, install Google Drive for desktop on your computer.
This adds your Google Drive folder to your computer.
2. On your computer, add your Office file to your Google Drive folder.
3. In Office, click [File] and [Open] and find your Google Drive folder.
4. Click your Office file and click [Open].
5. Edit your file.
Any changes you make to your file in Office sync in Drive.
*If you cannot install Google Drive for desktop, it may not be permitted by the administrator of your organization. Please contact your administrator.
3. Convert Office files to Google files
You also can convert your Office documents and PDF files to Docs, Sheets, or Slides.
How to convert Office files to Google files
1. Open Drive and double-click an Office file.
2. Click [File] and [Save as Google Docs/Sheets/Slides].
To automatically convert all future uploads of Office files to Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides:
1. In Drive, at the top, click [Settings button] > [Settings].
2. Next to Convert uploads, turn on [Convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format].
Note: Previously uploaded files will not be converted.
Here are the best practices for when you are stuck it’s better to keep the file as Excel or convert to Sheet.
Convert existing Excel to Sheets if:
– You need to collaborate or simultaneously edit with your team.
– Your dataset is 5 million cells or fewer.
Continue working in your existing Excel if:
– Your dataset is greater than 5 million cells.
– You’re using the Hyperion add-on with Excel.
– If you use rare chart types, such as 3D pyramid charts or pie-of-pie charts.
– If you need to print it out.
How was it? Hope you find that you can use and manage your existing Office files with Google Drive more conveniently and safely.
If you would like to know more about how to use Google Workspace, please feel free to contact us from here.