When you open a file in Microsoft Office, you have several options for how the file opens. You can open the original file for editing, open a copy, or open the file as read-only, which prevents you from saving the file unless you save it by using another name.
What do you want to do?
Open a file
- Click the Microsoft Office Button
, and then click Open.
Important If you don't see the Microsoft Office Button, click Open on the File menu.
Keyboard shortcut To display the Open dialog box, press CTRL+O.
- In the Look in list or Navigation pane, click the folder, drive, removable media (such as flash drive, CD, or DVD), or Internet location that contains the file that you want to open.
Note By default, the files that you see in the Open dialog box are only those files that are created by the program that you are using. For example, if you are using Microsoft Office Excel, you do not see files that are created by using Microsoft Office Word unless you click All Files in the Files of type box.
- Click the file, and then click Open.
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Open a file as a copy
When you open a file as a copy, the program creates a duplicate of the file, and you look at the duplicate. Any changes that you make are saved to the copy. The program gives the copy a new name. The default is to add Copy (1) of to the beginning of the file name.
- Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Open.
Important If you don't see the Microsoft Office Button, click Open on the File menu.
Keyboard shortcut To display the Open dialog box, press CTRL+O.
- In the Look in list or Navigation pane, click the folder, drive, removable media (such as flash drive, CD, or DVD), or Internet location that contains the file that you want to open.
- Click the file that you want to open a copy of.
- Click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open as Copy.
Note When you open a file as a copy, a new copy of the file is created in the folder that contains the original file.
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Open a file as read-only
When you open a file as read-only, you are looking at the original file, but you cannot save changes to it.
- Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Open.
Keyboard shortcut To display the Open dialog box, press CTRL+O.
- In the Look in list or Navigation pane, click the folder, drive, removable media (such as flash drive, CD, or DVD), or Internet location that contains the file that you want to open.
- Click the file that you want to open as read-only.
- Click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open Read-Only.
Notes
- Using Microsoft Windows XP, to create a shortcut to a folder on a network file server, Web server, or removable media (such as flash drive, CD, or DVD), use My Network Places on the My Places bar in the Open dialog box.
- Using Windows Vista, to create a shortcut to a folder on a network file server, Web server, or removable media removable media (such as flash drive, CD, or DVD), use Navigation pane in the Open dialog box.
- The Recently used files list on the File menu or the Recent Documents list available when you click the Microsoft Office Button displays a list of the last few files that you opened. Click the file name to open the file.
- The My Recent Documents folder in the Open dialog box lists the previous files and folders that you have opened.
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