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How to open word desktop in the online version
I open my document in microsoft word online version of Dropbox and I would like to edit it using my desktop app. How can I do this? There is no function for opening it in word desktop version.
Hi Sherly, thanks for reaching out to us here!
Through the Word Online app, there wouldn't be an option to open the file locally for editing.
To open your files in the local Microsoft apps for editing, you can use the Dropbox desktop app to sync your files locally to your computer. You can check out more info about the desktop app here.
It will create a local Dropbox folder on your computer which will sync any changes with your account online. This will allow you to open the files in local apps for editing and the changes you make with sync with your Dropbox account.
Let me know if this helps!
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Here's what I've been using for years on dropbox.com:
'Open in Microsoft Word' and 'Show in Finder' are brilliant features. As expected, the document is opened by desktop Word. The initial accepted response is incorrect--docs are supposed to be opened in desktop Word from the browser. (Unless DB is sunsetting this feature) These two options disappeared for me for some weeks and recently returned.
- Lusil
Dropbox Staff
I'm afraid that there's no update yet that I'm aware of, Jimmy2343.
If you haven't already, I'd recommend submitting a ticket to our team, so that they can look into this with you personally.
If you have any trouble doing this though, just give us another nudge and we'll be more than happy to send you one.
Thanks again, everyone!
I have the same problem! I want to open it in Word not "Word for the web"
Dropbox desktop app integration is going backwards. It just about works on Windows after allowing it to update the 'open' buttons after opening the files in the (rather basic) web version of a MS app. 10 minutes later, if I'm very lucky, an 'open in (a) desktop app' option appears.
On Macs it's a mess, doesn't work despite my best eforts and promises of platform neutrality.
I'm ☹️ to say that despite DBs best efforts at intergration using DropBox is becoming too cumbersome for much more than transferring files. Why use DropBox when the useful functionality with desktop apps is better implemented and built into OneDrive, Google Drive and iCloud.
With DB, I'm restricted to three devices on the desktop and productivity apps are clunky to say the least. The appeal of DB is evaporating fast in the growing face of once absent compettition.Perhaps it's time the world moved on…
The "here" link doesn't work.
- Daphne
Dropbox Community Moderator
Could you let me know which post you're referring to there, VegasDBUser? Our team has multiple platforms in house. We use the "dropbox" link all the time to send files through Slack. This typically lets me view the file in the web and then "show file in Finder or Explorer" depending on OS. This stopped working 2 days ago. Now when I click, it shows me the file on dropbox.com not within my local system. This doesn't help me as I need to open and edit the file, so now I am forced to trace down the file path.
With both windows and mac in one office, this was a key way of how we worked, why was this removed?
