Microsoft Office 2015 Mac wont open unless connected to internet 31 October 2015 at 1:14AM in Techie Stuff 10 replies 1.2K views

wallofbeans

Hello,

I've been given Microsoft Office for my Mac computer as part of my job. I have been using Word quite a bit, and even though it's very slow to open, it's working okay... At home.

Yesterday, I tried to open a Word doc on the train on the way to work and I could read the document but couldn't make any changes. It said something about me needing to be logged in or something.

It seemed like it was an internet issue but annoyingly I've tried to get it to do it again - by just turning the wifi off at home - but I've not been able to get the same problem back, and am guessing at the specific wording that told me I couldn't adjust the document.

Does anyone know what is going on with this? Is it something to do with it being free software from work? I know that if I leave my job, I can no longer use it but don't get this not being able to use it on the train thing.. If I can't do some work that way then I'll dump Office for something else...

Googling didn't find me any answers so I hoped there might be someone clever here that could point me in the right direction...
Any ideas?

System

it sounds like it has been set up to use the cloud for all its storage, hence the need to connect to the internet to save.

Big_Graeme

!!!!!! wrote: »

it sounds like it has been set up to use the cloud for all its storage, hence the need to connect to the internet to save.

Yup, Sharepoint or OneDrive are the biggest culprits.

wallofbeans

Hmm. I don't remember setting up anything like that. And I certainly don't want it if it means I can't use the software when not online.

How do I find out if that is indeed the issue?
And if it is, how do I change that then?

Big_Graeme

Just change where the documents are stored, I'd say that it was stored in something like OneDrive where the file is not on your machine but stored in the cloud.

Either configure OneDrive to store full copies of the documents on your machine or just save in another place.

The fault is not with Office.

wallofbeans

Big_Graeme wrote: »

Just change where the documents are stored, I'd say that it was stored in something like OneDrive where the file is not on your machine but stored in the cloud.

Either configure OneDrive to store full copies of the documents on your machine or just save in another place.

The fault is not with Office.

I don't have One Drive. I have Dropbox but have not configured it with Office, I'm not sure you can. My word files are in a normal folder on my desktop.

It must be something to do with the way I have been given Office. If I leave my current job, Office goes away with it.

Word always asks me to log in and wants to connect everything to Outlook and my employers network so everyone knows where everyone else is. I'm not doing that.

It all worked fine until I tried to work on an existing Word document on the train and it would only let me read it and not alter it.

I've since tried turning off wifi at home but don't have the same problem. Very strange.

marty2be2000

it sounds like the office is a streamed app or RDS or citrix hosted virtual app, these requires an internet connection because Office is not actually running on your laptop. Instead you are connected to a server and the app runs from that, this would also explain the slowness as any file on your desktop would need to be sent across the internet to open on the remote server copy.

wallofbeans

marty2be2000 wrote: »

it sounds like the office is a streamed app or RDS or citrix hosted virtual app, these requires an internet connection because Office is not actually running on your laptop. Instead you are connected to a server and the app runs from that, this would also explain the slowness as any file on your desktop would need to be sent across the internet to open on the remote server copy.

That sound like it could be right. Would that explain why it seems to be fine working when at home, even if I turn the wifi off though?

I'll ask the IT department and see if it is that, ask if I can have a copy of the software that doesn't do that. Or is that the only way you can get Office 2015?

Thanks for the help.

wongataa

wallofbeans wrote: »

Hello,

I've been given Microsoft Office for my Mac computer as part of my job. I have been using Word quite a bit, and even though it's very slow to open, it's working okay... At home.

Yesterday, I tried to open a Word doc on the train on the way to work and I could read the document but couldn't make any changes. It said something about me needing to be logged in or something.

It seemed like it was an internet issue but annoyingly I've tried to get it to do it again - by just turning the wifi off at home - but I've not been able to get the same problem back, and am guessing at the specific wording that told me I couldn't adjust the document.

Does anyone know what is going on with this? Is it something to do with it being free software from work? I know that if I leave my job, I can no longer use it but don't get this not being able to use it on the train thing.. If I can't do some work that way then I'll dump Office for something else...

Googling didn't find me any answers so I hoped there might be someone clever here that could point me in the right direction...
Any ideas?

You are probably using Office 365 - this is a subscription version. On you computer at home there is a net connection so it has verified that you are allowed to use it. It will check every month or so. You probably haven't used it before on the laptop so it limits what can be done until it phones home and verifies that you are allowed to use it. Try using Office on the laptop when you have a net connection so it can verify its status. It should most likely work then and work offline until it next needs to phone home.

EssexExile

I think the op has probably sorted it by now.

ColinFishwick

This is a old post bumped up by a newbie with a Australian company name