How to Edit in Excel without a License

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Many people use Microsoft Excel to open and edit Excel files. But the full version of Excel is not free. Most of these applications can open files with the XLS or XLSX extension, among other extensions.

Excel Online

Excel is available in a web-based version of the Office suite from Microsoft. The basic functions of Excel are available in Excel Online, but it lacks some of the more sophisticated features found in the paid version, like macro support. You can access Excel Online with most browsers. It allows you to make new workbooks and edit existing XLS and XLSX files.

Standalone Excel App

The features of the standalone Excel app differ based on the device and are accessible for both iOS and Android. On an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, you can create, edit, save, and view Excel documents for free using the Excel standalone iOS app or as part of the Microsoft 365 iOS app. However, access to advanced features will need a Microsoft 365 subscription.

The features available are restricted by Microsoft’s free offerings, which include the Excel app and the browser-based Office suite. For those who need access to Excel’s advanced features but do not wish to purchase the program, Microsoft 365’s trial version might provide a temporary workaround.

Opening Excel Files without a License

Now let’s get started on opening an Excel file without a license.

  1. Using the Office Editing for Docs, Sheets, & Slides Chrome extension is the first free method of opening XLS and XLSX files. It’s very simple to use the Office Editing extension itself. To open an XLS or XLSX file in your browser, simply drag and drop it.

  2. Google Sheets is the company’s response to Microsoft Excel. It is a fully cloud-based application that lets you create, modify, and enter data into spreadsheets right from your web browser. To begin, simply select the FILE heading menu and choose between the OPEN and IMPORT options.

  3. Microsoft Excel can be directly substituted with LibreOffice Calc. The application works very similarly to Excel.

  4. Another free option to the Microsoft Office suite is Apache OpenOffice. An alternative to Excel for this set of tools is OpenOffice Calc.

  5. With the help of the online tool Aspose Excel Viewer, you can open a wide range of Excel files, including XLS and XLSX files, directly from your web browser.

Opening a Locked Excel File for Editing

Let’s get started on how to open Excel that is locked for editing.

I ran into an issue. A message stating that my Excel file is locked to other users’ editing appeared when I attempted to open it. The _I got this error; why? I’ve looked up a lot of answers online, but I’m stuck, so maybe someone can help.

If you understand why an Excel file is locked for editing, you can easily resolve this issue. This kind of error can be caused by numerous factors:

  • A file in use or locked for editing error happens when Excel doesn’t close correctly, which prevents the file from being saved correctly.

  • If the file is open on a shared network, it may be accessed by another user. In this instance, the file can only be opened in read-only mode; you will be notified when it is ready for editing.

  • Microsoft Office may occasionally generate a temporary Excel file for you that ends in "~$" and contains the name of your Excel file. The error "filename.xlsx is locked for editing by "username"" will also be triggered by this.

There is an easy way to fix this error. Please make sure the Excel file is closed on all devices before following the instructions below. If the error continues, try closing the file for a while and opening it again to unlock the lock. As an alternative, you can wait for the other user to close the file or request edit rights on it.

This is a brief tutorial on opening an Excel file that is locked for editing. After disconnecting the user who had the excel file open, you can now edit it. Close Excel and reopen the file to make changes.