Do you urgently need to edit a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet but don't have Microsoft Office installed on your computer? No problem! There's no need to invest time and money in purchasing and installing programs. You can edit Excel and Word files without Microsoft Office installed, directly from your Microsoft account, in the browser.
The main advantage of this method is that you can edit documents from any computer with an internet connection, regardless of the operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux) or browser. Plus, all documents are automatically saved in your Microsoft account, so you won't risk losing data.
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How to Edit Excel and Word Files without Microsoft Office Installed
First, to be able to edit Excel, Word, PowerPoint, or other Microsoft Office documents online, you need a computer with an internet connection and a Microsoft account. If you don't already have a Microsoft account, follow the steps below to open one.
Create a Microsoft Account
This step is only if you don't already have a Microsoft account.
1. Open any browser and go to the web address: account.microsoft.com, then click on "Sign In".
2. At the next step, you need to click on "Create One!". Here you have the option to use an existing email address or create a new one.
3. Next, follow the steps to create the new Microsoft account. You'll need to select your region, date of birth, and the confirmation code received at the email address used to register the new account.
Once you have completed these steps, you'll be able to use the new Microsoft account to edit Excel or Word files from any computer, anywhere, without needing to have Microsoft Office applications installed.
Create, Edit, and Save Excel, Word, PowerPoint Files without Microsoft Office Installed
After you have created the new Microsoft account or logged into an existing account, go to the online Microsoft Office applications and choose the type of document you want to work with. You can work online in almost all the applications available in Microsoft 365 or older versions of Microsoft Office.
Click on the top left corner, at the "App launcher" and open the Microsoft Office application you want to work in.
How to Create and Edit Microsoft Word Files Online
From the list of Microsoft 365 applications available in the browser, select Word. You have the option to create a new blank document to edit from scratch or to use the Word templates provided by Microsoft.
Microsoft 365 online applications offer almost all the options of Microsoft Office applications dedicated to installation on a computer. Text formatting options, insertion of tables, images, video, and other elements into the document, Excel formulas, plus many other options specific to each type of document.
Saving and Sharing Microsoft 365 Documents
Microsoft 365 documents edited online in your Microsoft account are automatically saved in real-time and can be accessed from any device or computer where you connect your Microsoft account.
Also, from your Microsoft account, you can export the document created online in editable format for installed Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint applications. If you have the OneDrive application installed on your computer, there is no need to export. The documents will be available in the synchronized folder of the OneDrive application.
Exporting Microsoft 365 documents online can be done very simply, in at least two ways: from the OneDrive storage space or directly from the document editing page of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
Exporting Microsoft 365 Documents from OneDrive
To export Microsoft 365 documents from your online account, all you need to do is sign in with your Microsoft account on onedrive.live.com, hover over the document with your cursor, then click on the three dots of the quick options menu.
Additionally, exporting a Word or Excel document can also be done from the editing or viewing page. Click on the "File" tab > "Save as" > "Download a copy".
Word or Excel documents exported from the Microsoft 365 online account can then be edited in the Microsoft Office applications installed on the computer or in compatible applications for editing Office documents.
In conclusion, if you need to view, create, or edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote documents, you don't necessarily need to have the Microsoft Office suite or Microsoft 365 installed. To edit Excel or Word files without Microsoft Office installed, you can access your Microsoft online account. From here, you'll have free access to all these options for your documents.
Related: How to use Copilot in Excel for spreadsheets
Additionally, there are other free online alternatives for editing Office documents, such as Google Docs and LibreOffice Online.
