Microsoft Excel is a great program but there are drawbacks:
- Files can only be accessed from the machine that houses them.
- Because files need to be stored locally I.e., internal/external hard drive or thumbdrive, they’re at risk of being lost, stolen, or corrupted (damaged).
For this exercise, we’re going to discuss how you can minimize risk and enhance accessibility of your files.
First we’re going to upload an existing Excel file to Google Drive, then we’re going to change the format of the file from Excel to Google Sheet. Here’s how to do this:
- Log into Google Drive at https://www.google.com/drive/. Google Drive and Gmail login credentials are the same.
- Locate an existing location or create a new folder into which your Excel file will be uploaded.
- To create a new folder, go to New > Folder.
- Select a name and click, Create.
- Click into the new folder, and drag your Excel file into it to be uploaded.
- After the upload is complete, right click on the file within the folder and go to Open With > Google Sheets.
You will now have two separate files within your folder: your original Excel file, which you can now delete, and your new Google Sheet. All formatting that existed on your Excel file will remain on your Google Sheet.
With your Google Sheet, you can access and edit it from any device. You can also share it with others to view or edit. Another draw here is that your file is now protected in the cloud, which means that no matter what happens to your computer, you will always be able to access your file in Google Drive.
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