How to Open DOCX File – A file with the DOCX file extension is the Microsoft Word Open XML Document Format file.
DOCX files are used for everything from resumes and cover letters to reports, leaflets, documentation, invitations, newsletters, and more. These files usually contain text but can also include objects, styles, rich formats, and images.
Microsoft began using DOCX files in Microsoft Word starting in Word 2007, while earlier versions of Word used the DOC file extension.
DOCX files are smaller and easier to support than DOC files because the format is XML based and all content is stored as separate files, and finally compressed in one single file, ZIP-compressed file.
Tips: Microsoft Word also uses the DOCM format, but there are other similar file extensions that have nothing to do with this Microsoft format, such as DDOC and ADOC.
Read more: How to Upload Word Documents to Google Docs
How to open a DOCX file
Microsoft Word (versions 2007 and above) is the main software program used to open and edit DOCX files. If you have an older version of Microsoft Word, you can download the free Microsoft Office Compatibility Package to open, edit and save DOCX files in your older version of MS Word.
Actually, you do not need to open a DOCX file with Word; because Microsoft has free Word Viewer program, which allows you to open Word documents like DOCX files without needing to install MS Office first.
What’s more, you don’t even need every program related to Microsoft Office on your computer to open this type of file because there are several free word processing programs that open and edit DOCX files. Kingsoft Writer, OpenOffice Writer, and ONLYOFFICE are some of the ones we regularly recommend.
The free Google Docs tool is an online word processor that can also open / edit DOCX files and, as a web-based tool, does not require any software downloads. This also means, of course, all DOCX files that you want to use with Google Docs must be uploaded to this tool before they can be viewed and edited.
To upload your DOCX file (or any file, for that matter) to Google Docs, you must first upload it to your Google Drive account.
MS.Word Online is another you can use to view and edit DOCX files online. The service is from Microsoft, so it’s somewhat similar to the desktop version of Microsoft Word, but it’s completely free.
Google also has this free Chrome extension that allows you to view and edit DOCX files right in your browser. It supports dragging local DOCX files to the Chrome browser as well as opening DOCX files directly from the internet without having to download them first.
The now dead Microsoft Works opens DOCX files too. While it’s not free, Corel WordPerfect Office is another option, which you can take on Amazon.
How to Convert DOCX Files
Most people like to convert DOCX files into PDF or DOC. But the programs, and services supporting a number of additional file formats as well.
The fastest, easiest, and most effective way to convert a DOCX file is to open it in one of the word processing programs mentioned above and then save it to your computer as the file format you want. Most applications do this through the File menu> Save As, or something similar.
If that doesn’t seem to work for you, you can use a special converter from our list of converter software programs and free online services, such as Zamzar. This is a good example of an online DOCX converter that can save files not only document formats such as DOC, PDF, ODT, and TXT but also eBook and image formats such as MOBI, LIT, JPG, and PNG.
To convert the docx file to Google Docs format to edit the file there, first upload the file to your Google Drive account as we mentioned above, via the New> Upload file menu. Then, right-click the file in your account and select the Open menu with> Google Docs to make a copy of the DOCX file and save it to a new format that can be read and used by Google Docs.
Caliber is a very popular free program that converts DOCX to eBook format too, such as EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, PDB, PDF, and several others. We recommend reading their instructions on converting Word documents to help create eBooks from your DOCX file.