Google-drive – Google Drive PC synchronization for a Word document

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I have a shared MS Word document on Google Drive, say mydoc.docx, and I am collaborating with some others on this document. Someone updated it using the Google Drive Web rather than MS Word, and the name of the document was changed to mydoc.docx.gdoc, and I can no longer open and update it on my computer using MS Word. So I have 2 questions:

  1. Is it possible that the name of the file is not changed (no .gdoc extension is added to the file name) when someone updates the file using the Google Drive Web, so that I use Word, she uses Web and we can still collaborate?

  2. When both of us make updates on mydoc.docx using Google Drive PC (not Web) at the same time, are the changes merged?

Best Answer

Regarding 1.

Yes, it's possible. Ask to the document owner that don't change the file format of the file you are collaborating.

Regarding 2.

No, Google Drive for PC doesn't merge versions automatically of files from Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. Instead it stores a new version each time a file is reviewed. It's worth to say that Google recently launched a Google Drive add-in for MS Office files.

From Open, save, and share Drive files from Microsoft Office programs - Drive Help

Automatic revision control

When you revise an Office file stored on Drive, a new version of the file is automatically created. You can track previous versions of an Office file, or retrieve an older version. See View and manage file versions.

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