MS Office 365 not launching on my 3 devices (1 year old Windows 11 laptop, Samsung tablet and Samsung 23 smartphone).

glen teske 20 Reputation points
2026-08-16T18:47:41.11+00:00

MS 365 copilot is not working for me... i try to open a word or excel document and I get the message "uploading from device and will send a copy to OneDrive for Consumer"... i cannot find the document to open... its very confusing... so i try to open the attachment with some other software that sometimes works. How do I get the most value for my $10 per month subscription for these three devices ? Right now it clearly not working as I expected. Thank you, Glen

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Android
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Answer accepted by question author
Kai-H 26,135 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-08-17T08:53:12.6633333+00:00

Hi, glen teske

This appears to be two separate issues: incorrect file handling on the Windows laptop, and recent changes to how the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app opens documents. The “uploading from device” message means the app is trying to create a OneDrive copy rather than opening the original attachment directly.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

On the Windows laptop, save the attachment to Downloads first. Right-click the saved file, choose Open with, select Word or Excel, then enable Always use this app. This prevents another program or browser from intercepting Office files.

On both Samsung devices, install the separate Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and OneDrive apps from Google Play. The Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app now redirects document editing to these dedicated apps, while the complete file list is managed through OneDrive.

When receiving an attachment, select Download or Save to device, open Word or Excel, then choose Open > This device > Downloads. If you want a cloud copy afterward, use Save As and choose either This device or your personal OneDrive.

This should let you open attachments normally while still using OneDrive when you actually want cross-device access.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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  1. glen teske 20 Reputation points
    2026-08-18T01:04:39.7266667+00:00

    great advice... i am now making progress using MS365 M365copilot and one drive. i installed Word and Excel on each device and this really helped.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-16T18:47:58.48+00:00

    For the Windows 11 laptop, use this order:

    1. Update Microsoft 365.
      • Open an Office app such as Word.
      • Go to File > Account.
      • Under Product Information, select Update Options > Update Now.
      • If Update Now is not shown, select Enable Updates first.
    2. Refresh the Microsoft 365 license.
      • In any Microsoft 365 app, go to File > Account.
      • Select Update License.
      • Close and restart all Microsoft 365 apps.
    3. Repair Office on Windows 11.
      • Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
      • Find the Microsoft Office product.
      • Select Modify.
      • In the repair window, try Quick Repair first.
      • If that does not fix it, use Online Repair. This repairs the entire Office suite.
    4. Update Windows 11.
      • Select Start.
      • Type settings.
      • Open Windows Update.
      • Select Check for updates and install available updates.
    5. If Office still shows a “stopped working” type problem, check add-ins.
      • Older add-ins can cause Office apps not to start.
      • If the app opens after disabling an add-in, leave that add-in disabled or update it from the add-in vendor.
    6. If the problem continues, uninstall and reinstall Office using the Microsoft uninstall troubleshooter. Restart the PC when prompted.

    For the Samsung tablet and Samsung S23 phone:

    • Basic editing is available on most mobile devices.
    • Extra features in the Office apps require a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription.
    • If documents still do not open correctly in the mobile apps, use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on the web as an alternative.
    • A Microsoft Q&A answer in the provided material also points to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app for iOS or Android as the current mobile app path.

    For Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps:

    1. Make sure the apps are signed in with the account that has the Copilot license.
    2. On Windows, make sure the apps are on the latest build.
    3. In any Microsoft 365 app, go to File > Account > Update License.
    4. Restart the apps.

    Based on the symptoms, the best value path is:

    • On the laptop, first update Office, refresh the license, and run Online Repair if needed.
    • On Android devices, confirm the signed-in account is the subscription account and use the current Microsoft 365/Copilot mobile app or the web apps if opening attachments in-app is unreliable.
    • Keep files in OneDrive and use the same account across devices so documents stay in sync.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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