Dropbox: Open Files in the Desktop Microsoft 365 Apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Environment

U-M Dropbox

Issue

How do I open Microsoft files stored in Dropbox in the desktop Office 365 productivity apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc)?

Resolution

For both options below, you must have the following requirements in place before attempting to open the file:

There are two options for opening a Microsoft file stored in Dropbox in an Office 365 productivity app:

  1. Open files locally using the Dropbox app folder located in your Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) directory (RECOMMENDED)
  2. Open a Microsoft file from your U-M Dropbox account on the web:
    1. Hover over the file and click the three-dot icon in the top right.
    2. Select Open in.
    3. Select the relevant option from the drop-down menu.

Method #2 is not recommended as it is known to not work on a consistent basis.

Additional Information

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.

Print Article

Details

Article ID: 7752
Created
Fri 4/8/22 11:36 AM
Modified
Mon 11/13/23 4:36 PM

Related Articles (3)

This article provides information regarding why you may not be able to edit files on the Dropbox website.
This article explains how Excel files using VBA macros interact with Excel for the web and Dropbox.
This article provides information on using the Dropbox Microsoft integration with PHI and HIPAA-regulated data.