How to Open Word Doc Link in Word: A Comprehensive Guide
Opening a Word document link in Microsoft Word can sometimes be a bit tricky, especially if you’re not familiar with the process. Whether you’re receiving a link via email, a chat app, or a website, here’s a detailed guide to help you navigate through the process seamlessly.
Understanding the Link
Before you attempt to open the link, it’s important to understand what you’re dealing with. A Word document link is typically a URL that points to a location where the document is stored. This could be on a cloud storage service like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, or it could be on a personal or shared network drive.
Here’s how you can identify the type of link you’re dealing with:
Type of Link | Example |
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Google Drive | https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzP5Z5rZM2w … /view |
Dropbox | https://www.dropbox.com/s/0BzP5Z5rZM2w … ?dl=0 |
OneDrive | https://1drv.ms/u/s!0BzP5Z5rZM2w … |
Personal or Shared Network Drive | serversharepathtodocument.docx |
Opening the Link in Microsoft Word
Once you’ve identified the type of link, follow these steps to open the Word document:
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Right-click on the link and select “Open Link” from the context menu. If the link is in an email, you can also click on the link and choose “Open” from the email’s menu.
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When prompted, choose “Microsoft Word” as the program to open the link with. If Word is not listed, you may need to change the default program for opening links in your web browser.
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Word will then attempt to open the document. If the document is stored on a cloud service, you may be prompted to sign in to your account to access the file.
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Once the document is open, you can view, edit, or save it as needed.
Opening the Link from a Cloud Service
Opening a link to a Word document stored on a cloud service like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive is slightly different from opening a link to a document on your local machine or a shared network drive.
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Click on the link to open it in your web browser.
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When prompted, sign in to your account if you’re not already signed in.
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Once signed in, you should see the document in your browser. Click on the “Open” button to open the document in Word.
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Follow the steps outlined in the previous section to open the document in Word.
Opening the Link from a Personal or Shared Network Drive
Opening a link to a Word document stored on a personal or shared network drive is similar to opening a link to a document on your local machine.
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Right-click on the link and select “Open Link” from the context menu.
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When prompted, choose “Microsoft Word” as the program to open the link with.
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Word will attempt to open the document. If the document is located on a network drive, you may be prompted to enter your network credentials to access the file.
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Once the document is open, you can view, edit, or save it as needed.
Additional Tips
Here are a few additional tips to help you open Word document links more efficiently:
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Make sure you have the latest version of Microsoft Word installed