In this post, we are showing you how to work on your Office files using Google Drive. More specifically, you will learn how to edit, download, and convert Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. There are two ways to edit Office files: you can either edit them using Office Compatibility Mode (OCM) or convert them to a Google Drive compatible format (e.g., Docs, Slides, Sheets).
1- Edit Office files using OCM:
OCM works only on Chrome browsers. Here is how it works:
- “Open a Chrome browser window.
- Install the Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides Chrome extension.
- Open any Office file and start editing.
How to know you can edit Office files:
- Open an Office file.
- Click the File menu.
- If you see “Office Compatibility Mode” in the menu, you can edit the file or save it to Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides.
To edit Office files on a Chromebook, see instructions in the Chromebook Help Center.”
2- Download Office file
Here is how you can download an Office file using OCM:
- “Open a Chrome browser window.
- Open an Office file.
- In the top right, click Download.”
3- Convert Office files to Docs, Slides, or Sheets
Converting Office files to Docs, Slides, or Sheets enables you to collaboratively work on files with colleagues in real-time. Here is how to convert Office files:
- “Sign in to Drive or one of the Docs, Sheets, or Slides home screens.
- Right-click a file.
- Select Open with and then Docs (or Sheets or Slides).
- If you’re editing an Office file in OCM, you can convert by clicking File and then Save as Google Docs (or Sheets or Slides)”
Keep in mind that some features are not supported during conversion. For instance:
- “Password protected files can be previewed in Google Drive, but not converted to Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
- Embedded charts and videos in Word and PowerPoint files will be converted to images
- Linked spreadsheets in Excel files
- SmartArt images will be converted to Google Drawings”
Source: Docs Editors Help
