There are several different ways to work with Microsoft Office files without having the apps on your computer.


Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote


By default, your old Office files will open in the appropriate Apple application if you double-click on a file. The original file will not be modified, and a copy will be opened and converted to the new format. (For example, if you double-click on a Word file it will open in Pages and the copy will be a Pages document.) If you save the file, it will be saved in the new format as well, leaving the original file alone.


To export the file to a MS Office format (in this case, Word):

  1. Choose File > Export To > Word.
  2. Select where you want the file to be saved.
  3. A copy will be saved in the format you selected.


If you are logged in to your New Ulm iCloud account on your computer and iPad, you save Pages, Numbers, and Keynotes files to your iCloud account and they will sync between your devices. You can edit those files via Apple's suite on the Mac, iPad, iPhone, or web (e.g. on a Chromebook).


Google Docs, Sheets, Slides


Working with native MS Office files in Google Drive is very easy. Please see their "Work with Microsoft Office files" learning center page. This also works if you need to edit the files on a Chromebook.


LibreOffice


LibreOffice is a free, open source software program maintained by a members of the original OpenOffice team. It is available for Macs and Windows computer.


To use LibreOffice on your computer, you will need to download it via the Mosyle self-service tool.


Open MS Office Files

  1. Right-click on the file you wish to open in the Finder.
  2. Select Open With > LibreOffice and wait for the file to open.


Saving MS Office Files


If you opened a MS Office file as described above, simply saving the file will save it back to the original file and retain the original format.


To save a new LibreOffice file into an Office format:

  1. Choose File > Save.
  2. In the File Type popup, choose the appropriate Word, Excel, or PowerPoint format.


It is possible to set LibreOffice as the default program for Office files, so that, for example, double-clicking on a Word file will open it in LibreOffice instead of Pages.


Microsoft 365


All staff have access to the free, online version of Microsoft 365 (previously known as Office 365), and you can log in via your Google credentials. Office files can be uploaded into OneDrive online and edited easily with any of Microsoft's tools. You can also download files from within a web application (such as Word) or directly from the OneDrive site.


Microsoft 365 can also be accessed on Chromebooks.