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Setting up Microsoft online for Senior Citizen help --- How to access offline?

Anonymous
2022-09-12T15:58:59+00:00

My 93 (yay!) year old mom finally decided she needed a new computer after 15 years. There are some inexpensive all-in-one solutions for her. However, all of the subscription add-ons for software are a bit exorbitant for her price range, and she needs something simple to understand that she doesn't have to always renew.

I need a cheap or free solution for her, and I hear they've discontinued the MS works program. I've been using licensed office software for so long that I don't know how the web version works, and I 'm a bit confused. I think the online version is free, but how does it work if she's ever offline? Can she open up MS word and start a document? I have that option, of course, with my company's office 365 subscription.

I can set up Windows computers with no problem with Office 365 --- just have no clue how to do it cheap, free, and LEGALLY for mom. Please advise. Thank you.

P.S. She had actually been looking at some non-windows options marketed toward senior citizens. They are closed systems and overpriced.

Thank you.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. John Korchok 231.5K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2022-09-12T16:12:19+00:00

    You can install LibreOffice, which can read and write Word files. It's free.

    You can purchase Office 2021 Home & Student, which is a one-time charge of $150.

    The online version is free, but that version has limited features, files get stored online by default and you don't have off-line access to the program. You could also look at Google Docs, but it shares the limitations of Word Online.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-09-12T16:08:30+00:00

    I am using the Office 365 family. I have my mom on that account. She get a separate One drive account and MS OFFICE product from the One Drive and Office product that I am using. The office suite is downloaded and installed locally on the computer. She does need to be online to use the Office suite apps. However she will have to have internet access from time to time as the software will check the validity of the license and also it will check for updates that might be needed as well. If she uses One drive to save her data, the data will be saved locally until it can connect to the internet and then it will be stored in the cloud as well.

    Also by having the Office 365 and using the One Drive cloud drive, she can use the Office 365 Web version of Word to access and edit her files as well as the Word that is installed on her computer

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