You might see that the Dropbox Community team have been busy working on some major updates to the Community itself! So, here is some info on what’s changed, what’s staying the same and what you can expect from the Dropbox Community overall.
Forum Discussion
Sherly
5 years agoExplorer | Level 3
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.
...
- 5 years ago
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!
Daphne
5 years agoDropbox Staff
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!
- acboydston5 years agoHelpful | Level 6
But previously, in the browser view of dropbox, there was an option to 'open in Word desktop.' Similarly, there was an option to 'show in finder.' Have these features intentionally been removed?
- tmorgan5 years agoNew member | Level 2
Trying to open a file save in dropbox as an excel file. It won't give me the excel option in the drop down anymore
- Jimmy23435 years agoExplorer | Level 4
Hi everyone,
I'm sorry if the answer here is obvious, I'm a little new to this. I recall, just a few weeks ago, that when I opened a Dropbox link (a link to one of my files), it would give me the option to open the file in the desktop app. That is, once I clicked on the link it would open in my browser. From there I could click on the "open" button on the top right and it would let me open it in the Dropbox desktop app. Now, when I click "open" three's only a place to "Connect apps".
Am I misremembering? Or did I mess something up? I'm on a Mac running the most recent Dropbox desktop app.
- Walter5 years agoDropbox Staff
Hi Jimmy2343; welcome to our Community and happy Monday!
Are you referring to a shortcut to a file of yours or maybe a shared link?
Could you please let me know if you get any different results after clearing your browser's cache and/or on another browser?
In the meantime, you can search for the file locally on your computer and access it from there.
Keep me posted anyhow!
- Walter5 years agoDropbox Staff
Hi there acboydston; happy Friday and thanks for joining this discussion.
Could you clarify if you're not seeing the Open button on our website at all or if you're not getting the results you'd like?
On that note, can you take a look at your Connected Apps tab as well as the default ones and let us know what you find there?
Thanks!
- gabicatalyze5 years agoNew member | Level 2
Hi Walter,
My entire organization is having the same problem. We all have the "open" button (next to "share") when we open a link to the doc/ppt/excel, and that used to list an option called "Open in Word" /PowerPoint/Excel but that is gone and we only have the edit online version.
Our connected apps only shows "Microsoft office online"
Thanks!
- SalimB5 years agoNew member | Level 2
I have setup dropbox for business for a client and they now have members of staff working from home on their own PCs. They should be able to open dropbox files from a browser login and work remotely without having the company dropbox account linked and downloaded on their PC.
Please tell me this is a software issue and not a "feature" as people who have Microsoft office installed should not have to rely on online versions of this software to open their own files.
I can't accept that as an "accepted solution". Can someone from Dropbox please clarify if this is the case going forwards or will this be fixed.- acboydston5 years agoHelpful | Level 6
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.
- VegasDBUser4 years agoHelpful | Level 5
The "here" link doesn't work.
- Daphne4 years agoDropbox StaffCould you let me know which post you're referring to there, VegasDBUser?
- LVDBUser4 years agoExplorer | Level 4
About Delete, edit, and organize
Solve issues with deleting, editing, and organizing files and folders in your Dropbox account with support from the Dropbox Community.
Need more support
If you need more help you can view your support options (expected response time for an email or ticket is 24 hours), or contact us on X or Facebook.
For more info on available support options for your Dropbox plan, see this article.
If you found the answer to your question in this Community thread, please 'like' the post to say thanks and to let us know it was useful!