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June 1, 2009

Upload .docx Files to Google Docs

If you use Microsoft Office 2007 and save all the documents in the software's native formats, you've been wondering why it's not possible to upload .docx files in Google Docs. Of course, you could save the files in the format used in the previous versions of Microsoft Office, but things should be easier.

Now that the Office Open XML format is an international standard and it's supported by popular software like OpenOffice, Google decided to implement importing Microsoft Office 2007 files. In March, Google Spreadsheets added support for .xlsx files and now you can import .docx documents.


"To import a .docx or .xlsx file, simply click the "Upload" button in your Docs List menu, select your file, and voila! We'll upload and convert your document for use in Google Docs. This is a another great benefit of Google Docs - you don't have to worry about what format the file is in. Just upload it and we'll figure it out for you," mentions Google Docs blog.

Even if you don't have to worry about formats, you still need to take into account that not all the features available in Microsoft Office are included in Google Docs, so it's not a good idea to delete the original file from your computer.

13 comments:

  1. > Now that the Office Open XML format is an international standard
    You're kidding right ? It's an international joke

    > and it's supported by popular software like OpenOffice,
    OpenOffice only supports partial reading, not writing, and I seriously hope they'll never allow anything to be saved in those formats.

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  2. I'm resisting the OOXML formats until the very end...

    @Chui-Wen Chiu I don't think Google supports PPTX just yet. They're probably working on it, however.

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  3. > you still need to take into account that not all the features available in Microsoft Office are included in Google Docs, so it's not a good idea to delete the original file from your computer.

    When you upload PDF you can download the original file. When I upload an Office document, does Google store the original? If Google Docs is to become GDrive, they should. Whether you can view or edit only certain features would then be a different matter, but then I didn't have to keep the original files on my computer.

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  4. It's a good thing especially in the occasions where people use their Office 2007 to prepare some documents only to find out it doesn't work in the computer in that conference room. Happens at least 10 times a day in my hospital. Yes I know there are formatconverters available from microsoft.com, but not all computer allows software installation, and even in those that do allow it just takes too much time.

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  5. Office 2007 is NOT OOXML format!

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  6. Well its a good thing especially in the occasions where people use their Office 2007 to prepare some documents only to find out it doesn't work in the computer in that conference room.this is really great...

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  7. I agree with Yeast Infection, there are moments when you need to edit/view your documents and find out that the computer at your client's office or in a conference room is very old and the software does not support new file formats. I guess all goes online now?

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  8. still can't upload .docx

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  9. Google Docs may "support" docx but it doesn't do a very good job of it. Lines of text overlap, tables go off the page, edits don't show, etc. etc.…
    I certainly wouldn't rely on it.

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  10. why can't I see math equations in .docx via google docs?

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