Opening Office Files simply in Edge

Help please! I want to open Word, Excel etc. files stored locally on a PC in Edge Browser

As straightforward as the way Edge opens pdf files and Chrome opens Ms Office files to Google Apps (“Open With” set to Chrome).

I do not want to employ newish Office App and totally work in the browser/or Office App from the get go.

Want to allow an inexperienced user as they are used to doing, double click on an Office file in File Explorer and have it open in Edge.

Files opened like this in Edge are moved to Edge Downloads which seems bizzare.

Tried extensions in Edge/Chrome, Edge settings, searching for answer online.

Seems a simple and logical requirement to me but solution not currently obvious?

Thanks for any helpful comments.

Conversation 6 comments

  • dkrowe

    Premium Member
    06 June, 2022 - 9:54 am

    <p>Edge Settings &gt; Downloads &gt; Open Office files in the browser</p><p>Turn that on, should do what you want.</p>

    • letsmakeitbetter

      06 June, 2022 - 6:26 pm

      <p>The default App Office document file doesn’t help as Edge same issues.</p><p>Works perfectly for Google setting Google Chrome as the default App opening to there Office products.</p><p>Appreciate the your recommendation using the Office App. Dare I say in a Microsoft forum I find the browser works better with multiple tabs in Google Apps. </p><p>Every opening of an App is a new Windows. </p><p>Microsoft insists opening Word say on the same tab you had an Excel file open in. Outlook OWA does open in a new tab. Consistancy – nope</p>

    • letsmakeitbetter

      06 June, 2022 - 6:36 pm

      <p>Apologies replay was for Arnoldamigauser.</p><p>The button on for Office as you indicate does not work.</p><p>Still wants to put files in the Downloads folder.</p><p>Will check on my Windows 11 PC if any different.</p><p><br></p>

  • anoldamigauser

    Premium Member
    06 June, 2022 - 11:34 am

    <p>A PDF stored locally will open in Edge by default from File Explorer. A PDF stored in OneDrive, only in the cloud, will download to the local machine, in its OneDrive location if synch is set up, and open in Edge if double-clicked in File Explorer; if opened from the web, it will open in Word online. The former behavior is because Edge is set as the default app for PDFs in File Explorer, and the latter because "Open Office files in the browser" is the default setting for downloads in Edge…to prevent the files being downloaded, thereby saving space on the local disk.</p><p><br></p><p>Personally, I think that inexperienced users would be better served using the Office App, as it will work with Office 365 Business Basic or the free Office Online apps for consumers. It is a single place to go and find things they have been working on. The inexperienced that I have worked with generally have a hard time remembering where they have put things.</p><p><br></p><p>If you do not wish to use that, I would suggest on each machine, setting the default app for office document types to be Edge, and see what happens.</p>

    • letsmakeitbetter

      06 June, 2022 - 6:35 pm

      <p>The default App Office document file doesn’t help as Edge same issues.</p><p>Works perfectly for Google setting Google Chrome as the default App opening to there Office products.</p><p>Appreciate the your recommendation using the Office App. Dare I say in a Microsoft forum I find the browser works better with multiple tabs in Google Apps.</p><p>Every opening of an App is a new Windows.</p><p>Microsoft insists opening Word say on the same tab you had an Excel file open in. Outlook OWA does open in a new tab. Consistancy – nope</p>

      • anoldamigauser

        Premium Member
        06 June, 2022 - 10:03 pm

        <p>Yeah, the Office App or the Office dot com homepage both behave oddly. The difference seems to involve the separator below PowerPoint…above it opens in the same tab or the office window, below it opens a new tab. It can also balk at signing in each application, despite the fact I am logged in with MSA on computer and in Edge, so WTF.</p><p><br></p><p>I could not set Edge as default for an office file format (I tried .docx) which is the other reason I recommend the Office app. It may be easier to just set them up with Office dot com as the homepage and let them work from there. Basically, use the PC as a Chromebook. You can install office dot com as a PWA…not sure if it is the same as the Office app, I have not compared the app to the PWA.</p>

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