How do I open a .xlsx file on my desktop using Office 365 Web Version by just clicking on the file name? How do I associate the default action for .xlsx files to open in Office 365 web version?

Question

My non profit license is only for Web Version of Office 365. How do I quickly open an excel file on my desktop to work in the online version of excel?

Answer 1

Hi @Jodi Bogen,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

According to your concern, unfortunately, you can't make a local Excel file on your desktop open in Excel web version automatically just by double-clicking it in File Explorer. Office web by design cannot directly access local PC files to open it directly from the device local storage. Therefore, the only approach you can get a one-click experience as you prefer is to upload the Excel file to OneDrive/SharePoint and then using a desktop shortcut to have it open in Excel web. Your file must be uploaded first into OneDrive/SharePoint or any cloud drive or Excel web cannot access it.

The step is not too hard, you just need to upload the file to OneDrive > right-click the file > Copy Link. Then go back to your Desktop, right click and choose New > Shortcut > paste the link and name it. After that, you can quickly access the file by double-clicking the shortcut.

While these options are not available today, I’m optimistic about future enhancement since I understand how important this functionality is for your workflow. Because of that, I strongly recommend you share your feedback directly with the Microsoft engineering team via Microsoft 365 Feedback Hub → Send Feedback and describe your suggestion in detail.

Sharing your experience through this channel is the most impactful way to advocate for a change that would benefit you and other users. Your input plays a vital role in shaping the future of Microsoft products. 

Note: As community moderators, we kindly ask for your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have influence product design decisions and have limited access to internal development details, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.

I appreciate you taking the time to report this, as feedback like yours helps improve the experience for everyone. If you’re unable to submit the feedback yourself, please let me know and I’ll be happy to submit it on your behalf.

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Thank you for your kindness and contributions to the forum.

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Answer 2

To open a .xlsx file on your desktop using the Office 365 web version, you cannot directly associate the file type to open in the web version by just clicking the file name. However, you can use the following method:

1. Upload the File to OneDrive: First, upload the .xlsx file to your OneDrive account. You can do this by dragging the file into the OneDrive web interface or using the upload button.
2. Open in Excel for the Web: Once the file is uploaded to OneDrive, you can navigate to it in your web browser and click on it to open it in Excel for the web.
3. Create a Shortcut: If you want quicker access, you can create a shortcut to the OneDrive file on your desktop. Right-click on the file in OneDrive and select the option to copy the link. You can then create a shortcut on your desktop that points to this link.

Unfortunately, there is no built-in way to set .xlsx files on your desktop to automatically open in the Office 365 web version without first uploading them to OneDrive.

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References:

• Excel for the web
• Configure the Launch mode of Office Clients