Microsoft 365 users can't edit an Office document directly from an email message in Outlook Web App

Original KB number:   3003659

Problem

A Microsoft 365 user cannot edit a Microsoft Office document that's attached to an email message directly in Outlook Web App. The Edit a copy option is missing when the user opens the attachment directly from the email message.

Cause

This problem occurs if the user has an earlier version of Office installed. The document collaboration experience in Outlook Web App for Microsoft 365 supports the ability to view and edit attachments only for Microsoft Office 2010 and later versions.

Workaround

To work around this problem if you have the 2007 Microsoft Office system or an earlier version of Office installed, follow these steps:

• Download the attachment.
• Edit the file locally.
• Reattach the file to the email message.

More information

The document collaboration experience provides View only support for the following:

• Any 2007 Office system or Microsoft Office 2003 file
• The following Office file types:
  • Word: .docm, .dotm, .dotx, .dot, .mht, .mhtml, .htm, .html, .odt, .rtf, .txt, .xml, .wps, .wpd
  • Excel: xlsm, xltx, .xltm, .xlam, .xlm, .xla, .xlt, .xml, .xll, .xlw, .ods, .prn, .txt, .csv, .mdb, .mde, .accdb, .accde, .dbc, .igy, .dqy, .rqy, .oqy, .cub, .uxdc, .dbf, .slk, .dif, .xlk, .bak, .xlb
  • PowerPoint: pptm, .potm, .ppam, .potx, .ppsm, .pot, .htm, .html, .mht, .mhtml, .txt, .rtf, .wpd, .wps, .ppa, .odp, .thmx
• PDF files
• picture files

Still need help? Go to Microsoft Community.