How to open a DOCX file without Microsoft Office

For better or worse, Microsoft Office and its associated DOCX file format have become ubiquitous, making us strangely dependent on the Microsoft ecosystem. In reality, though, you're not as dependent on MS Office as you might think, and today, virtually every writing platform can open Microsoft Word files. In fact, you don't even need to have a writing program to open DOCX documents, as we'll show you below. Read on to learn how to open a DOCX file without Microsoft Office.

Note: The methods described in this post work on both Windows and Mac operating systems. Some are also available on mobile devices.

1. Word for the web

If you want the absolute best compatibility with DOCX documents, with no weird formatting issues popping up out of nowhere, the free online version of Microsoft Word is the way to go.

The caveat is that you need a Microsoft account (Hotmail, Outlook, or Gmail will do), and the file must be uploaded to OneDrive. If you don't have a Microsoft account or want one , go to the next address.

1. Assuming you have Microsoft account Track your DOCX file in File Explorer or your desktop.
2. After that, open OneDrive by moving to File Explorer Click it in the navigation pane on the left (or search for it in the Start menu).
3. Pull DOCX file From its location to your OneDrive folder and drop it there.
4. Go to Microsoft Word Online Scroll down a little, and look in the bottom right corner. You'll notice a button. More on OneDrive“. Click on it.
5. OneDrive will open. You should now select your document from the list in the middle. If you don't, scroll down until you can locate it.
6. Once you find a DOCX file, double-click it to open it for editing. It will be automatically saved to your OneDrive, although you can also download it and email it directly to people if you wish.
7. Another alternative is to go to Microsoft Word online directly and press the button "download".
8. The file will be automatically uploaded to OneDrive and once this happens, the DOCX will open for you.

Tip: Did you know that Google Docs has a great library of templates? Here's one. Best Invoice Templates.

2. Google Docs

People are always surprised when they are told that DOCX documents can actually be opened through Google Docs, but this is something very important.

You will need to upload the DOCX file to Google Drive first (either through File Explorer if you have a Google Drive folder on your computer or by opening Google Docs In your browser, then drag and drop the file there) as shown below. Google Docs is also available as an app (Android | iOS.)

1. Once you are in Google Docs, click on the icon File Picker On the right.
2. In the new window, switch to the tab "Download" and click the . button "review" To search for your DOCX file.
3. Wait a few seconds for Google Docs to upload the document for you. Once finished, the file will open automatically.
4. You can start editing right away, without taking any additional steps.
5. When finished, you can either use the button "to share" And send the document link to others. Or click File -> Download“. Select the format you want from there.
6. You can also email this file directly from Google Docs.

3. Which free Office Suite is good?

If the cloud isn't your thing, any half-decent office suite will have a word processor capable of opening DOCX files. Two solid examples are: LibreOffice و WPS OfficeJust install one of the options on your computer and open the document from there. WPS Office is also available on both Windows and Mac. Android و iOS.

1. on LibreOffice Open the program and click on the button. Open file on the left.
2. will be open DOCX Yours instantly.

3. You can go ahead and start editing the document.
4. When it's time to save by going to File -> Save LibreOffice will ask you whether you want to keep the Microsoft format or convert the file to its ODF alternative. If you're concerned about the save format, choose the latter option.

5. Similar steps apply to WPS. It's very easy to get started using it and upload your DOCX files to the program.

6. When it's time to save, you can do so in the same DOCX format or choose from available options including WPS. Go to Menu -> Save As.

4. Wordpad

If you want to quickly view and edit a DOCX document, it's possible to open it with a basic text editor like Wordpad – which comes pre-installed on Windows devices.

1. Locate DOCX file On your desktop or file explorer.
2. Right click on it and select Open with from the context menu.
3. Locate Wordpad. If you can't see the primary menu option, click on “Choose another app”.
4. If you want to see more, click on “More apps”.
5. Wordpad will warn you that it doesn't support all document formatting features. If you have a complex DOCX format, you may not be able to view it accurately on Wordpad. For viewing and editing the basic document, it does the job.
6. In this example, Wordpad was able to reproduce the file quite accurately.
7. When it's time to save, Wordpad will advise you to save a copy of the original content just in case.

Tip: Trying to make your document easier to navigate? Here's how. How to add a table of contents in Word.

5. Online DOCX Editor

Another option for viewing your documents is an online DOCX editor. There are several online options, but for this post, we're working with Abcdpdf. The service can be accessed from a PC or Mac, as well as from a mobile device (via a browser).

1. Go to Abcdpdf website.
2. Click Upload files To bring DOCX to the platform.
3. Your document will appear. Review the DOCX and make any necessary adjustments. When finished, click the icon. "save" on the left.
4. Then press "to download" On the right.
5. Select the desired format and then press "the following".
6. Click "to download" Back to get the edited document on your computer.

6. Apple Pages

If you're using a Mac, you can use Apple's native Pages text editor to open DOCX files.

1. Open a DOCX in Pages just like you would any Pages document.
2. The file will display without any problems. You can go ahead and start editing.
3. When it's time to save, you can do so in the original DOCX format and more by going to File -> Export to.

Tip: Do you need to? Sign a PDF file on Windows But don't want to install additional software? Here's how to do it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How can I use Microsoft Office for free?
If you still want to use Microsoft Office, but don't want to invest in a Microsoft 356 subscription just yet, here's how: Some solutions that give you access to the entire Office suite for free.

Q2: Can I save to PDF using any of these options as I can in Word?
All of the options described in this article provide the option to save a DOCX file as a PDF once it's been reviewed. The only exception is Abcdpdf, whose print option doesn't appear to work. However, other similar tools may offer this option. If you need the opposite, here's how: How to convert a PDF file to a Word document.

Q3: Why can't I check?Can you open a DOCX file with one of these online tools?
If you can't edit a DOCX file, the original document may be locked. You'll need to ask the file owner to unlock it for you. They can do this by opening the file in Word and going to “File -> Info -> Restrict Editing -> Turn Off Protection.” If they can't access Word, you'll have to wait, because the restrictions can't be removed using the alternative tools described in this post.