How to Install Microsoft Office on a Chromebook

Sep. 21, 2020

Earlier on, we noted in ourChromebook vs Laptop comparisonthat Chrome OS is improving and making its way to become a desktop-class operating system. That said, users hold back from permanently moving to a Chromebook because it does not support many of their favorite apps, especially the Office programs. Sure, there are Android and web versions of MS Office available on Chromebooks, but they don’t cut it for pro users. So if you want to run the full-fledged version of Microsoft Office then you have come to the right place. Here, we detail a complete guide on how to install Microsoft Office on aChromebook. So without further delay, let’s go through the guide.

Run Microsoft Office on a Chromebook

Here, you can get an overview of how we are going to install MS Office on a Chromebook. I would suggest you stick to the guide so you don’t get any errors during the installation process. On that note, let’s begin.

Before anything, let me tell you thatMicrosoft Office 2007 works the best on Chromebooks. You can try the latest versions but you might face some installation errors.  So if you have a copy of MS Office 2007 in a CD or your old PC then transfer it to the Chromebook. In case, you don’t have it stored then you will have to get it for cheap from eBay or Amazon. Make sure to buy MS Office from a trusted seller.

One more point to note, if the setup file is inISO or ZIP formatthen extract it to a folder and then move the folder to your Chromebook. We have shown above how the extracted folder should look like.

1. Now that you have got a copy of MS Office 2007 let us proceed with the installation. You need toenable Linuxandset up Wine 5.0on your Chromebook(just follow the first part). For your information, Wine is a compatibility layer that allows Windows apps to run on a Chromebook through the Linux container.

2. Once you have done that, move the MS Office folder to the Linux files section in the Files app. Make sure torename the folderto something short. For instance, I have renamed it to just office.

3. Now, open the Linux Terminal and run the below command tomove to the office folder.

4. You are now inside the office directory. Here, execute the below command tostart the MS Office installation processon your Chromebook.

5. It willopen the installer window. If you are prompted with a serial key dialog then you will have to find it on your CD or inside the folder. Once you enter the serial key, the installation process will begin.

6. After the installation is done, simplyhit the “Close” button. You have successfully installed Microsoft Office on your Chromebook, but you need to fix the shortcuts.

7. Just to test things out, you can run the below command to check whether MS Office is working properly on your Chromebook. Make sure to changeyourusernameto your actual one. You canfind your username in the highlighted portion of the Terminal window.

8. Once you enter the command, you will get a prompt toassign a namefor your Office works. Enter a name and hit the “OK” button. You may be prompted with an update window. Simply select “Not now” and proceed.

9. Finally,Microsoft Word will open upon your Chromebook. You can now test things out and check if everything is working fine.

10. If thescaling is too lowthen open Terminal and runwinecfg. It will open the Wine configuration window. Here, move to the “Graphics” tab and increase the screen resolution to 140dpi.

11. Now, let’s go ahead and fix the shortcuts so you can quickly open Office programs from the App Drawer in a click. Open the Files app and move to the Linux files section. Here, click on the 3-dot menu andenable “Hidden files”.

12. Next,navigate to the following file path: .local -> share -> applications -> wine -> Programs -> Microsoft Office. Here, you will find all the shortcuts (.desktop files).

13. Right-click on the shortcut that you want to fix. For instance, I want to fix the shortcut for MS Word so right-click on it and open with Text. In the Text window, replace the address thatfollows afterExec=with the below command. Make sure to change the username though. After that, press Ctrl + S to save the changes and close Text.

14. Now,open the App Drawerand click on the Microsoft Word shortcut inside the Linux folder. This time, MS Word will open up instantly without any file-path error.

15. You canrepeat the above step for other programstoo like Excel, PowerPoint, etc. and fix the shortcuts. Here are the commands you need to replace within the Text file for various shortcuts.

So that is how you can install Microsoft Office on a Chromebook. On my i5-powered Chromebook, the Office experience has been flawless, especially while using the 2007 version of the MS Office. You just need to follow the instructions step-by-step and you will be able to run all your favorite Office apps on your Chromebook.

In case, MS Office didn’t work for you then take a look at Libre Office from our list ofbest Linux apps for Chromebooks. It’s free, installs in just one command and compatible with all MS Office documents. Anyway, that is all from us. If you are facing any kind of issue then do comment down below and let us know. We will surely try to help you out.

Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.