Is the bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc extension a virus?

No. That ID belongs to Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides (internally called QuickOffice), a component built into Chrome and ChromeOS by Google. It opens Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. It is legitimate Google software, not malware, even though the random-looking ID string makes people assume the worst.

Why did this extension suddenly appear on my Chromebook?

It did not get installed. It was already there. You only see the chrome-extension://bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc/views/app.html address when you open an Office file (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) on a Chromebook, because that built-in viewer is what handles the file. Opening the document is what surfaces the URL.

What is the difference between this and Google Docs?

Office Editing opens a Microsoft file in place and saves it back in its original .docx/.xlsx/.pptx format without converting it. Google Docs converts the file into Google's own format, which unlocks real-time collaboration, comments and version history but changes the file type. Use Office Editing to keep the Office format; use Google Docs to collaborate.

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Updated June 2026

What Is the bpmcpld… Chrome Extension?

Q: Can I uninstall the Office Editing extension?

On a Chromebook you cannot fully uninstall it, because it is a component extension shipped with ChromeOS. You can change which app opens Office files so you never see it. On desktop Chrome, the public Chrome Web Store version (a separate ID, gbkeegbaiigmenfmjfclcdgdpimamgkj) can be removed from chrome://extensions like any other extension.

You opened a Word or Excel file and Chrome jumped to a scary-looking chrome-extension://bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc/views/app.html address. Here's exactly what that is, why it showed up, and whether you need to do anything about it.

Plain-English explainerChromebook & desktop steps

Short answer: That URL is Google's built-in Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides tool (internally known as QuickOffice). It opens Word, Excel and PowerPoint files on Chromebooks and in Chrome. It is legitimate Google software, not a virus. You saw the address because you opened an Office file, the random-looking ID is just how Chrome names every extension.

Why this URL scares people

The string bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc looks like malware. It is 32 random letters, it appeared without you installing anything, and it took over the tab the moment you double-clicked a document. Every instinct says "I've been hacked."

You haven't. Chrome gives every extension a 32-character ID like that, including the ones Google ships itself. The trustworthy extensions you use every day have the same kind of address; you just never see it because you don't normally type it into the address bar. This one surfaced because the file you opened was handed to a viewer that happens to live at that address.

What it actually is

The extension is Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides, published by Google. Under the hood it is the descendant of QuickOffice, a company Google bought in 2013 and folded into ChromeOS so Chromebooks could open Microsoft files without Microsoft Office installed. The standalone QuickOffice apps were retired in 2014, but the engine lives on as the default Office viewer baked into Chrome.

It handles the common Microsoft formats: .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt and .pptx. When you open one of those files on a Chromebook, or drag it into Chrome, this viewer is what renders it and lets you make basic edits. You can save back to the original Office format, or convert the file to Google Docs/Sheets/Slides if you want to collaborate.

One detail that causes most of the confusion: there are two different versions of this tool with two different IDs. The one built into ChromeOS uses the ID bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc (the one you're worried about). The one anyone can install from the Chrome Web Store has a completely different ID, gbkeegbaiigmenfmjfclcdgdpimamgkj. Same purpose, same publisher (Google), different package. If you search the first ID and find nothing in the store, that's why, the built-in component isn't listed there.

Why it suddenly appeared

It didn't get installed today. On a Chromebook it was there from the day you unboxed the device. It is a component extension, meaning it ships as part of ChromeOS the same way Notepad ships with Windows. You only ever notice it when a document needs it.

So the trigger is almost always the same: you (or a website, or an email attachment) opened a .docx, .xlsx or .pptx file. Chrome routed that file to its built-in Office viewer, and the viewer's address showed up in the tab. Close the document and the URL goes with it.

Is it a virus? How to be sure

It is not a virus, and you can confirm that yourself rather than taking anyone's word for it:

Check the publisher. Go to chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode (top-right toggle), and find the entry. The built-in viewer is listed as a Google component you cannot remove, that "cannot remove" status is itself the tell that it's part of the system.
Match the behaviour. A real Office viewer opens when you open Office files and does nothing otherwise. If instead you're seeing redirected searches, injected ads, a changed homepage, or new tabs opening on their own, that's a different problem, and our guide to removing malicious extensions covers it.
Run a sanity check. If you want a second opinion on any extension before trusting it, paste its details into our free Extension Safety Checker. It weighs publisher, permissions and install signals so you don't have to guess.

The one real risk to watch for: scammers know people panic-search this exact ID. Some fake "download" and "fix" sites publish a copycat .crx file claiming to be Office Editing. Never install this tool from a third-party site or a downloaded .crx, the genuine versions come only from ChromeOS itself or the official Chrome Web Store link above.

Can you remove or disable it?

It depends on which version you have.

Where you see it	Which version	Can you remove it?
Chromebook / ChromeOS	Built-in component (`bpmcpld…`)	No, but you can stop it opening files
Desktop Chrome (Win/Mac/Linux)	Web Store version (`gbkeegba…`)	Yes, remove from chrome://extensions

On a Chromebook

You can't uninstall a component extension, it's load-bearing for ChromeOS. What you can do is change what opens your Office files so you never land on that viewer again:

Open Files

Launch the Files app on your Chromebook and find the Office document you want to change the default for.

Right-click and choose "Open with"

Right-click the file, hover "Open with", and pick "Change default".

Set Google Docs/Sheets/Slides as default

Choose the matching Google app. From now on Office files open in Google Docs, Sheets or Slides instead of the built-in viewer, with cleaner formatting and full collaboration.

On desktop Chrome

If you're on Windows, Mac or Linux and you see this in chrome://extensions, it's the Web Store version, and you installed it (or it came bundled with something). Click Remove on its card and it's gone. Chrome will fall back to downloading Office files normally, and you can open them in whatever you prefer.

Why it won't open some files properly

The built-in viewer was designed for quick, basic edits, not as a full Office replacement. Complex documents expose its limits: advanced Excel formulas, macros, custom fonts, and heavy formatting frequently break or get stripped on the way in. If a spreadsheet looks wrong or a deck loses its layout, that's the tool, not your file.

For anything more than light editing, upload the file to Google Drive and open it directly in Google Docs, Sheets or Slides. The conversion is more reliable, and you keep a clean copy you can export back to .docx or .xlsx later.

Office Editing vs Google Docs, the difference

	Office Editing (this tool)	Google Docs
Keeps .docx/.xlsx format	Yes	Converts to Google format
Real-time collaboration	No	Yes
Comments & version history	Limited	Full
Handles complex formatting	Patchy	Better

Use Office Editing when you need to keep a file in its Microsoft format and just make a quick change. Use Google Docs when you want to collaborate, comment, or rescue a file the viewer mangled.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. That ID belongs to Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides (internally QuickOffice), a component built into Chrome and ChromeOS by Google for opening Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. It's legitimate Google software. The random-looking ID is just how Chrome names every extension, trustworthy ones included.

It didn't get installed, it was already there. You only see the chrome-extension://bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc/views/app.html address when you open an Office file on a Chromebook, because that built-in viewer handles the file. Opening the document is what surfaces the URL.

On a Chromebook you can't fully uninstall it, because it's a component extension shipped with ChromeOS. You can change which app opens Office files so you never see it. On desktop Chrome, the public Chrome Web Store version (a separate ID, gbkeegbaiigmenfmjfclcdgdpimamgkj) removes from chrome://extensions like any other extension.

The viewer struggles with complex files. Advanced macros, intricate Excel formulas, custom fonts and heavy formatting often break or get dropped. For anything beyond basic editing, upload the file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs, Sheets or Slides, which handles conversion more reliably.

Office Editing opens a Microsoft file in place and saves it back in its original .docx/.xlsx/.pptx format without converting it. Google Docs converts the file into Google's own format, unlocking real-time collaboration, comments and version history but changing the file type. Use Office Editing to keep the Office format; use Google Docs to collaborate.

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