By default, Microsoft 365 saves recordsdata within the surroundings the place you opened them and reopens them within the surroundings the place you final saved them. This can rapidly result in confusion, comparable to discovering your self in Word for the net while you thought you had been working within the desktop app. If you like to make use of desktop apps, even when accessing recordsdata by your Office on-line account or Edge’s new Office 365 dashboard, you may regulate a easy setting to make that occur.
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In this tutorial, I’ll present you tips on how to decide your surroundings at any given time. Then, I’ll current a fast method to drive Office 365 to at all times open a file within the desktop surroundings, regardless of the place you open or reserve it.
I take advantage of Office 365 on a 64-bit Windows 10 system. I’m utilizing Word, however this habits additionally applies to Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.
How to find out which surroundings you’re in with Microsoft 365
If you open a file whereas working on-line, you might have hassle realizing whether or not you are working on-line or in a desktop app. Luckily, it is fairly straightforward to seek out out which surroundings is lively. To do that, click on on the File tab after which click on Information. The doc proven beneath is open in Word for the net. Word will change to the desktop model when you click on Open within the desktop app.
How to manually select an surroundings in Microsoft 365
Online apps are handy. You can rapidly open a file, make modifications, and routinely save them to SharePoint or OneDrive. Despite the comfort, if that you must use the desktop app, you may select that surroundings from the net surroundings as follows.
- Sign in to your Office account as you usually would.
- Select the file you wish to open in Word, however do not double-click it to open it.
- With the file chosen, select one of many choices proven within the Open drop-down menu.
You should be working with a system that has Microsoft 365 put in to decide on this feature. Use this feature when you’re not sure of the file’s default surroundings setting.
How can I set Microsoft 365 to at all times open recordsdata in desktop apps by default?
Microsoft 365 Apps for the net are extremely handy regardless of their restricted options. These limitations are why most customers choose to work within the full desktop surroundings. Thanks to easy-to-use Office Online and the Microsoft 365 dashboard in Edge, many people now work in one among these environments. This means it is simple to open a file within the internet app with out realizing it till you attempt to carry out a activity that the net app does not assist. It’s not a giant deal, but it surely’s irritating and pointless.
SEE: How to obtain and set up Microsoft 365 apps in your Mac, iPad, or iPhone
When you understand you wish to use a desktop app while you work more often than not, you may drive the problem with a easy setting. If you open the file on-line, Microsoft 365 will open it in your desktop by default, so you may skip the handbook course of with out fear.
To configure this default setting, comply with these steps.
- Open the file in your Word desktop.
- Click the File menu.
- Choose Options from the left pane.
- Choose Advanced from the left pane.
- Scroll right down to the Link Management part.
- Select the Open supported hyperlinks to Office recordsdata choice within the Office desktop apps.
- Click OK to return to your Word doc.
Regardless of the place you created or saved the file, when you allow this setting, Word will at all times open the file within the desktop surroundings, if out there.
As far as I do know, Microsoft 365 does not provide a setting to at all times set Word for the net because the default. However, when you create the file on-line and by no means reserve it within the desktop app, Microsoft 365 will at all times open the file in Word for the net.
If you’re unable to keep up this setting, contact your administrator. If the characteristic is accessible to your group, an administrator could make it out there.
Why aren’t my Word, Excel, or PowerPoint recordsdata opening of their desktop purposes?
If your recordsdata aren’t opening in devoted desktop purposes, it is doubtless for one among three causes:
- The default program settings are incorrect.
- You are opening recordsdata from an internet browser in on-line mode.
- There is an issue with file associations in your system.
Even in case your pc opened Office recordsdata in desktop apps in some unspecified time in the future, a program or working system replace can change the default settings. You can repair this downside by right-clicking an Office file, choosing Open with → Choose Default Program, then selecting the specified Office software and checking the “Always use this app to open .docx” field (or the related file extension).
You could make an identical change inside an Office software. Once open, go to File → Options → Advanced, then, below File Opening Preference, choose Desktop from the drop-down menu.
A corrupted file or {a partially} put in Office suite also can trigger opening issues. To carry out a fast restore, open your pc’s Control Panel and select Programs → Programs and Features. Then, choose the specified Office product and click on Change → Quick Repair → Repair.
Additionally, to open Office recordsdata in desktop apps, your license should be up to date and activated, the recordsdata should be suitable with the model of Office in your system, and your account should have adequate permissions to entry the recordsdata.
Have a query about Microsoft 365? Ask within the TechRepublic discussion board.
Fiona Jackson up to date this text in January 2024.
