"How to" - create a shortcut to launch a Microsoft Word Online "webapp" from the desktop

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PPC
Posts: 362
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2018 8:22 am

"How to" - create a shortcut to launch a Microsoft Word Online "webapp" from the desktop

#1 Post by PPC »

Quick Tip: How to add a shortcut/Icon to launch a Microsoft Word Online "webapp" from the desktop:

Intro: Are you a former Windows user and miss clicking a link and open Ms Word?
When possible I prefer using a free (or even paid) native Office application (LibreOffice, WPS...). If you really have to use Ms Word in Linux and (either to create or to open a word document) that task can be as simple as clicking a desktop icon...

Steps:

1- This "how to" works with Google Chrome web browser. If you don't have it, install and then run it.
2- enter this in the address bar: https://office.live.com/start/Word.aspx and enter your Microsoft user name and password, if prompted to do it. If prompted, click the option to keep you logged on (to avoid having to log in every single time you want to use Word On-line).
3- Click the "menu" icon on the upper right corner of Chrome's Window, then "More Tools" and "Add to Desktop". This creates a new shortcut on your desktop, it even has MS Word icon. You can rename that shortcut (right click it, choose rename and replace the name for whatever you like best, for example "Word").
4- Every time you click that shortcut Word On-line opens up in a new window, without address bar, very similar to using a "real" installed Ms Word application.

Warning 1: File compatibility- even MS Word on-line being a official Microsoft product, it isn't 100% compatible with Microsoft generated documents. Even when completely compatible, it has less resources than the full fledged version- it's enough for most common tasks, but it may lack some advanced options you may need.
In my own experience- I had a Ms Word generated document that did not display correctly in MS Word On-line or even the Android version of Word, but displayed fine in LibreOffice! Then again, about a couple of years ago there was a excel spreadsheet that I could open only on Excel On-line...
Warning 2: Privacy- if you share your computer with someone else, be aware that being logged on to you Microsoft account gives access to your files to every other user that accesses your computer. If that's the case, you may create a MX user for yourself and one for other user(s).

I hope someone finds this tip handy...

P.

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