Box for Office Integrations

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Box strives to increase your productivity by leveraging our cloud content platform in the applications you work in every day. With this in mind, we have built Box for Office to help you create, edit, and share your documents more effectively.

Box for Office includes Box functionality for key Office products—Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook—in a single app. 

 

Introducing Box for Office

We have integrated essential Box functions into the Backstage view of the most popular Office applications. Now, from within Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on desktop and mobile, you can:

  • Open files from Box, with easy access to recently accessed files and folders
  • Save files to Box, even with documents from your desktop
  • Access Box options directly from the ribbon in Office apps 
  • Generate Box shared links and control their permissions

In addition, from Outlook you can:

  • Save attachments to Box from incoming email
  • Easily send links to files already stored in Box
  • Convert outgoing attachments to Box shared links

 

Installing the Box for Office Integration (DESKTOP)

Note: Integration with Office desktop applications is only available for computers running Windows.

For Individuals

Prerequisites

  • Windows 7 or higher
  • Microsoft Office 2010 or higher
  • .NET 4.x or higher (will be installed by setup package)
  • Visual Studio Tools for Office (will be installed by setup package)
  • Administrative rights

Note: The installation package requires admin rights to include an auto-updater service so Box for Office can seamlessly be upgraded in the background in the future.

Installation

  1. Download the setup package for individuals.
  2. Run the setup package, providing administrative rights as needed.
  3. Open Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint and navigate to the full Open menu. (May need to use the Open Other Documents link from the initial screen.)
  4. Choose Box as a source to open files from, and sign in with your Box account credentials.
  5. Once logged in, you can log out from any of the Open/Save/Share pages as well.

Uninstallation

You can uninstall Box for Office via Programs & Features in Windows, or by running the installer again and choosing the Uninstall option. 

 

For Admins

We support pushing Box for Office as an unattended installation using an MSI.

  1. Ensure that prerequisites are installed separately, prior to running the MSI:
  2. Download the Box for Office MSI and deploy it in your environment. There are no configuration options for this installer.

Box also provides two different scripts for system administrators to remove Box for Office installations. One script removes any outdated versions of Box for Office as well as the most recent version (https://app.box.com/s/9053q4mml05f43y7dwmd). The other script also removes any outdated versions of Box for Office but leaves the current version installed (https://app.box.com/s/4nxq3b94rd6beaag769p). The following procedure can be used to uninstall Box for Office installations: 

  1. Open the Group Policy Management Console.
  2. Expand Forest, Domains, and the domain. Right-click Group Policy Objects, and then click New.
  3. In the New GPO dialog, in the Script Name field, type "Box for Office Uninstallation". Click OK.
  4. Right-click Box for Office Uninstallation under Group Policy Objects, and then click Edit.
  5. In the Group Policy Management Editor window, expand Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings, and click Scripts (Startup/Shutdown).
  6. In the right pane, right-click Startup, and then click Properties.
  7. In the Startup Properties window, click Show Files...
  8. Download the uninstallation script, and save it to the folder that Show Files... opened. The script requires administrator privileges. To remove both current and outdated versions of Box for Office: https://app.box.com/s/9053q4mml05f43y7dwmd. To remove only outdated versions of Box for Office: https://app.box.com/s/4nxq3b94rd6beaag769p.
  9. Close Windows Explorer, and return to the Startup Properties window. Click Add...
  10. In the Add a Script dialog, in Script Name, click Browse..., and select the script you saved in the previous step. Click OK.
  11. In the Startup Properties window, click Apply, and then OK. Close the Group Policy Management Editor window.
  12. In the Group Policy Management Console, link the GPO to the domain or any organizational unit. 

 

Using Box with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

 

Opening Files from Box

Office 2013

Office 2010

Once in the Open menu, you can open a file from Box in one of two ways:

  1. Click on a recently accessed file
  2. Choose a recently opened folder to navigate or open a file browser directly to pick a file.
  3. From the file picker, users have the following options:
    • Navigate up and down the folder hierarchy
    • Search for files anywhere in your Box account
    • Open the file from Box (triggering a download)

 

Saving Files to Box

Office 2013

Office 2010

If you previously opened a file from Box or previously saved a file as a Box file, you can use Control-s, or the normal Save menu to save a new version of that file. See the Creating and Editing section for more information on saving files to Box.

If you opened a file from the local desktop or other non-Box source, you can always save it to Box by using the Save As menu, which provides options to browse to a Box folder and save your file.

Note: When you save a file to Box, future saves go straight to Box as new versions of that file.

 

Generating Box Shared Links

Office 2013

Office 2010

The Share menu option is only available when there is an open and active file. When on this page, you have the following options:

  • Share a Link: Create a shared link for the file and copy it for use elsewhere. If the file was not already stored on Box, you are prompted to upload the file to Box on the spot.
  • Change the shared link access level.
  • Advanced:
    • Set an expiration date for a link (enterprise accounts only)
    • Allow downloading
  • Email link: Send the link using your system default e-mail client.

See the Collaboration and Sharing section for more information on Box shared links.

Ribbon Options
 
Right from the ribbon at the top of your Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, you'll see the following additional options to Share your file using Box, Upload your file to Box, Lock or Unlock your file in Box, or View on Box.
 

Box and Office Online

For Individuals
 
Box is seamlessly integrated with Microsoft Office Online. This integration lets you create Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel files in Box, edit them using the Office Online web applications, then save them directly back to Box without downloading additional programs or applications.
 
Note: This integration only incorporates Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel web applications. If you are an enterprise Box user, you need to have a business Office 365 account to use this integration. If you are a free Box user, you can use the integration without a Microsoft Office Online account. 

  

Creating Microsoft Files through Box and Office Online
 
To create a new Microsoft file in Box using Office Online:
  1. Navigate to the Box folder you want to contain the new file.
  2. Click New from the Box menu and select the type of Microsoft file you want to create.
  3. When prompted, name your file. 
  4. If you do not have Box Edit installed, Box will create your file and automatically open it in Microsoft Office Online. If you do have Box Edit, your file will open in your default desktop application. 
 
Note: Office Online auto-saves any changes you make in your documents so you don't need to manually save anything. 

  

Editing Microsoft Files through Box and Office Online
 
There are two ways you can edit Microsoft files in Box using the Office Online editor: through a file's context menu or through a file's preview page.
 
Note: Office Online supports editing for .xlsx, .pptx, and .docx files. Any 97-2003 files (.xls, .ppt, .doc) cannot be edited with Office Online.
 
To edit a Microsoft file through its preview page: 
  1. Navigate to the folder containing the Microsoft file you wish to edit.
  2. Click on your Microsoft file to open its preview page.
  3. Click on the Open button and select the option to open the file with Office Online editor.
 
 
Any edits you make will automatically be saved back to Box. 
 
Note: Microsoft Office files lock by default when you open them in the Office Online editor. In desktop applications, you have a choice whether to lock or unlock the file. 
 
 
To edit a Microsoft file through its context menu:
  1. Navigate to the folder containing the Microsoft file you wish to edit.
  2. Hover over your Microsoft file and click the More Options drop-down menu in the file's right-hand icon list or right-click on the file.
  3. Select Open with... followed by PowerPoint Online, Word Online or Excel Online, depending on the type of file you are editing.

For Admins
 
The Microsoft Office Online integration will be turned on by default in the Admin Console. To turn it off, follow these steps:
  1. In the Admin Console, click on the Settings icon.
  2. Select Enterprise Settings from the Settings drop-down menu.
  3. In the top banner, click on the Apps button. 
  4. Navigate to the Productivity Integrations section and uncheck Enable Box for Office Online.
     
Note: This application is considered a published application. If Disable apps by default is turned on in Application Settings, then Box for Office Online will not be enabled by default.

 

Using Box with Microsoft Outlook

 
 
Upload to Box and Attach to Your Email in One Step
 
If you're working on a local Microsoft Office file and want to share it with others, you can use Microsoft Outlook to simultaneously upload the file to Box and email it out to collaborators.
 
To upload and attach your files:
  1. Click Upload and Attach from the Outlook Box ribbon menu. This will open a file picker.
  2. Use the file picker to select which file you want to upload to Box as well as email to others and click Open.
  3. Once you've selected a file, use the Upload to folder pop-up to select where you want the file to live in Box.
  4. Choose an access level for this file from the Access drop-down menu and click Upload.
  5. Once the file is in Box, a shared link will appear in your email draft. 

 

Send Links to Files on Box
 
When you are composing an email, you can insert shared links to files or folders stored in Box, and you can customize the link access levels.
 
To send a shared link:
  1. Click Attach from Box from the Outlook Box ribbon menu.
  2. Use the Attach from Box pop-up to select the file you want to share.
  3. Choose an access level for this file from the Access drop-down menu and click Insert.
  4. The chosen file will appear as a shared link in your email draft. 
 
Note: With the Box for Office integration, when you try to attach a file that is not in Box, you will be given the option of uploading the file to Box and sending as a shared link. You can simply dismiss the pop-up prompt and proceed with your local attachment if you don't want to upload that file to Box.

 

Save Incoming Attachments to Box
 
When you receive an email (or multiple emails) with attachments, you can save the attachments directly to Box.
 
To save an email attachment to Box:
  1. Open the email either in the Outlook preview pane or in an individual email window.
  2. Click Save Attachments from the Outlook Box ribbon menu.
  3. In the Save to folder pop-up, choose where you want to save the attachments from your selected email. Please note, you cannot save individual attachments to different locations, they all need to be saved to the same location.
  4. Click Save to save all the attachments to your selected location in Box.
Note: To save attachments from multiple emails, multi-select the emails you wish to download attachments from and follow the steps above using the Outlook preview pane.

 

MOBILE

 

Setting up Box for Office on iOS

Office 365 subscribers can download and use the Office for iOS apps (there are separate apps for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) and add Box as a storage provider location. Users without an Office 365 subscription will have view-only access to Box content. This integration is available for iPhone and iPad. 

To set up Box as a Content Provider in the Office apps:

Before you try to add Box as a Content Provider in your Microsoft Office apps, be sure your device meets the following criteria: 

  • You must be running iOS 8
  • Your Office for iOS apps must be v1.6.1 or above
  • An Office 365 subscription is required
  • The Box app must be installed on your iOS device before it can be enabled as a Content Provider

If you meet all of the above criteria, you are ready to set up Box as a Content Provider. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Download the Office apps from the Apple App Store.
  2. When you open the app, tap Open in the left-hand menu.
  3. Tap More.
  4. Select Locations, and then tap More again. 

  5. Toggle the Box option to the On position, and then click Done.

 

Using Box for Office on iOS

After you've enabled Box as a storage provider, you can open, edit, and save Office files currently stored in Box. 

Opening Files From Box

To open a file from Box in an Office app, tap Open in the left-hand menu, then select More and tap Locations. Box will appear as an option, and, when you select it, you will see your Box folder structure. Select a file to view or edit.

Saving Files Back to Box 

By default, auto-save is enabled and any changes you make to Office files will automatically save back to Box as new versions. If you turn off auto-save, a new version will be created when you manually save your file. 

Creating Files and Saving Back to Box

To save a new file back to Box after you've created it:

  1. Tap the File icon in the upper left-hand corner of your Microsoft Office file.
  2. In the File pop-out menu, select the Name field and name your document.
  3. Tap ...More to open the Box doc picker.
  4. Select the location to which you want to save your file and tap Choose.

Note: If you have iCloud Drive enabled, your content will automatically be saved to iCloud Drive. To save to Box, you need to select ...More > Locations > Box.

 

Using Box for Office on Android

Office 365 subscribers can download and use Office for Android apps (there are separate apps for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) and add Box as a storage provider location. Users without an Office 365 subscription will have view-only access to Box content. This integration is available for all Android devices. 
 
Before you try to use Box in your Microsoft Office apps, be sure your device meets the following criteria: 
  • Your Android device must be running KitKat (v4.4) or above
  • Your Office for Android apps must be v16.0.4223.1000 or above
  • An Office 365 subscription is required
  • The Box app (v 3.7.2 or above) must be installed on your Android device 
If you meet all of the above criteria, you are ready to use Box within your Office apps.
 
 To use Box for Office on Android:
  1. Download the Office apps from the Google Play Store.
  2. After opening the app, select Open.
  3. Select Other cloud storage
  4. If you have downloaded the Box android app and are logged in, Box will be listed in this menu. Tap Box.
  5. After choosing Box, you will be brought to the Box file picker. From here you can open any files in your Box account. 
Once you've accessed Box from your Office app, you can open, edit, and save Office files currently stored in Box. 
 
Opening Files From Box
 
To open a file from Box in an Office app, click Open in the top menu, select Other cloud storage, and then choose Box. You will see your Box folder structure. Select a file to view or edit.
 
Saving Files Back to Box
 
Note: In order to save changes back to Box, you must be a paid Office 365 subscriber. Non-subscribers will only be able to save files locally or to OneDrive.
 
Auto-save is not supported in Office for Android apps, so remember to save early and often. To save your file back to Box, simply tap the Save icon in the top right corner of the document screen. A new version will be created in Box when you manually save your file.
 

Creating Files and Saving Back to Box
 
To create a new file and save it into Box:
  1. Create a new file by selecting "New" from the main menu
  2. Tap the Save icon in the upper right-hand corner of your Microsoft Office file.
  3. In the pop-out menu, select Other cloud storage, then tap Box.
  4. Office will open into the Box file picker.
  5. Select the location to which you want to save your file, then tap Save.

 

Feedback

If you have any feedback or issues with this release, please use this form: https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

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