Forum Discussion
Don't understand different file options in MS Teams
when I try to open a file in MS Teams I get all these different options - Download, Open in Sharepoint, Open in (Excel), open in (Excel Online), Edit in Teams. I don't understand all these different ...
Download = download a copy of the file to your machine
This is good if you want to make changes on a copy of the file, without affecting the original. Bear in mind you would then need to upload your changed copy when your'e done - otherwise the copy only exists on your machine, and nobody else can access it.
Edit in Teams = Opens the file in Excel Online in your Teams app
This option is good for editing the file whilst staying in the Teams app, so you can see any conversations going on regarding that file, keep an eye on other things going on inside of Teams - all in a single window.
Open in Excel = Opens the file in your Excel desktop app
This is good if it's a really large or complex file, maybe one with lots of complex formulae, macros, etc. some of which may not be supported in the Teams or browser versions.
Open in Excel Online = Opens the file in Excel Online in your web browser
This is good for a quick look, or to make simple changes to the file, and you want to have it in a different window (compared to the Edit in Teams option)
Open in SharePoint = Opens the current folder directly in SharePoint in your web browser, so you see the same list of files as you did in the Teams Files tab.
This is good if you want to make changes on a copy of the file, without affecting the original. Bear in mind you would then need to upload your changed copy when your'e done - otherwise the copy only exists on your machine, and nobody else can access it.
Edit in Teams = Opens the file in Excel Online in your Teams app
This option is good for editing the file whilst staying in the Teams app, so you can see any conversations going on regarding that file, keep an eye on other things going on inside of Teams - all in a single window.
Open in Excel = Opens the file in your Excel desktop app
This is good if it's a really large or complex file, maybe one with lots of complex formulae, macros, etc. some of which may not be supported in the Teams or browser versions.
Open in Excel Online = Opens the file in Excel Online in your web browser
This is good for a quick look, or to make simple changes to the file, and you want to have it in a different window (compared to the Edit in Teams option)
Open in SharePoint = Opens the current folder directly in SharePoint in your web browser, so you see the same list of files as you did in the Teams Files tab.
