How to Install Microsoft Office on a Chromebook?

Laptops running on Chrome OS are perfect for students who don’t game much but are looking to get school stuff done. But without the full-fledged Microsoft Office programs, it is not enough to become a student laptop. Even people who are not students but have some work require the Microsoft programs in their computer running on Chrome OS. Now, there are secondary apps in the Android environment that does work as Office programs. But they do not provide the same features as the Office programs.

So if you are using a computer with Chrome OS and want to use all the programs from Microsoft Office, then this guide will be helpful to you. Luckily, there is a way to install Windows programs in a system running Chrome OS and we will guide you through it here. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

How to install Microsoft Office on a Chromebook?

Installing the Office in Chrome OS is not as simple as installing it in Windows OS. There are a few steps involved with it, so make sure to follow each of them carefully as a single mistake will result in an error during the installation.

Download the Microsoft Office:

Due to some reason, only Microsoft Office 2007 is well compatible with Chrome OS. You can try the new versions too, but for some reason, there is a chance they might not work well. So just go for the 2007 edition of Microsoft Office directly. You can try buying one from Amazon or even eBay to get it at a cheaper rate. If you get a ZIP or ISO file of Microsoft Office 2007, then extract that file into a folder and then move the folder to your Chromebook. For convenience set the name of the folder as Office for now.

Install Office on the Chromebook:

There are two things that you need to do with your Chromebook to enable installation of Microsoft Office. Firstly, you need to a=enable Linux on your Chromebook and you also need to set up Wine in your Chromebook. To set up Wine on your Chromebook, follow this guide. And when it comes to ebaling Linux, there are a few things that need to be done.

• Open Settings on your Chromebook.
• Click on the gear icon in the top right corner of your screen in the Quick settings menu.
• Then click on the “Linux(Beta)” tab in the left pane and on the right pane then click on “Turn On”.
• In the next page, you will get a setup page. Click on the Install button here.
• After the installation is done, you can then use the Terminal app in your Linux just like any other application.

Now coming to installation on hand, that is Microsoft Office installation. Once you have enabled the Wine and the Linux, you are now ready for the installation.

• Move the office folder with your Microsoft Office files to the Linux files section in the Files app of your Chromebook.
• Now run the Linux terminal and enter the following command:

cd office

• Press Enter and you will enter the office directory.
• Now enter the following command and press the Enter key:

wine setup.exe

• It will initiate the Office Installer setup. Follow the on-screen instructions like you usually do for installing office.
• Once the installation is done, close the window and then you will be able to use Microsoft Office on your Chromebook like you usually do with Windows.

Just to test things out, enter the following command in your Linux terminal to open up Microsoft Word:

wine “/home/username/.wine/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Office/Office12/WINWORD.EXE”

Here in the username, enter the username you see on the top of the terminal window. You will be asked for a name and initials. Enter them and the Microsoft Word should show up on your screen.

So that is how you install Microsoft Office on your Chromebook. If you have any questions or queries about this guide, then comment down below, and we will get back to you. Also, be sure to check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more useful information.