How to edit password-protected MS Office files directly on Google Drive

To improve compatibility between Google Workspace and Microsoft Office , Google has added a new feature that allows users to edit password-protected Office files directly in Google Drive , without any additional cumbersome steps.

 

This feature applies to password-protected Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files , as long as they are stored in Google Drive. This allows users to open and edit documents directly within the Google ecosystem, instead of having to download the file and then use third-party software to remove the password or make edits as before.

According to Google, when you open a password-protected Office file in Google Drive, the system will prompt you for the password and offer two options: View or Edit . If you don't have the password, you can still select Preview to open the file in read-only mode.

 

If you select Edit and enter the correct password, the file will open in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides , depending on its original format. Notably, during this process, the file's password protection will be removed , allowing you to edit the content like a regular Google document.

Google says the feature is being rolled out gradually to users and will take about a week to complete. Once finished, it will be available to all Google Workspace customers , paying individual users, as well as free Google accounts .

Recently, Google has been continuously stepping up its efforts to make its services work more smoothly with third-party platforms . Previously, the company allowed data migration from Dropbox to Google Drive, and also made Google Chat compatible with Microsoft Teams .

Additionally, Google has just launched Personal Intelligence for Google Drive – one of the most requested features by users. Personal Intelligence allows Gemini to connect with Google Drive and other applications, thereby providing more personalized responses based on user data.