Office for Mere Mortals
From our famous newsletter for Microsoft Office beginners.
Word’s ‘New from Existing …’ feature
A common way to make a new Word document is to use an old document at the starting point. Word has a few ways to do that quickly.
Why do it? Often you want to make a letter, proposal or other document that’s similar to one you’ve made before. Or perhaps the document has formatting that you want to use again. Whatever the reason, making a new document from an existing document happens all the time.
Sadly Microsoft has never really considered this a ‘good’ way to make a new document so the options to do it are hidden. Microsoft thinks that all new documents should be made from templates but in the real world we need other methods.
New from Existing …
This handy feature was in Word 2007 and Word 2010 only.
Word 2010
On the Word 2010 New menu at the end of the template list is ‘New from existing ….’
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New from existing document .. the alternatives
There’s more than one way to get a similar result as ‘New from Existing…’ that are worth keeping in mind. They apply across all recent versions of Word as well as Excel and Powerpoint too.
You can just open the source document then 'Save As...' to the new name, that takes a few steps. There's a risk that the user will forget the important 'Save As...' step and accidently overwrite the source document.
Mature programs like Word should provide a more elegant and safe solution that gives the user a clone of the selected document with the ability to choose a new document name of their choice. 'New from Existing ...' did all that nicely.
New choice in Explorer
This alternative only works from Windows Explorer, not from the File New or File Open dialog boxes in Office.
In Explorer, go to the document you want to use as the source, right-click on it and choose 'New'
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Simple and free email signatures for Outlook
Email digital signatures aren’t used a lot which is a shame because they are very useful. Signed emails are verified to come from you while it’s possible to encrypt your messages (to prevent anyone else reading them) when both you and other party share the public key in your certificate.
We go into all this in step-by-step detail in Privacy and Security in Microsoft Office .
Office-Watch.com has been trying another free provider of email certificates - StartSSL They offer one year S.MIME certificates with either 128 or 256-bit encryption.
The certificates are easy to get. It’s easiest to get the certificate on the computer where you have Outlook installed. However you can do it on any computer because there’s a Windows option to export certificates and import them onto another computer.
Go to https://www.startssl.com/?app=12 – choose ‘Sign-up’ and follow the prompts.
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Markup View quick switch in Word 2013
Word 2013 has a new ‘Simple’ markup view that’s intended to make it easier to read a document without the screen clutter of every change being fully shown.
You can change the Markup view from the Review tab | Track Changes.
An easier way to switch between Simple and All Markup views is to double click on the vertical line on the left side of the document (red in Simple Markup view and gray in All Markup view).
This bar marks that a change has been made on that line of the document. There’s no tooltip or cursor change when you hover over it but the double-click trick works.
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Adding a background image to a Word page
You can add a background image to any page in a Word document instead of a solid color or pattern.
Most of the time you’ll find a background image to be distracting to the main document text or you can use the Watermark feature. But there are times in more creative work where you want the page fully or partly backgrounded.
The advantage of using a background image in a Word document is that, once setup and locked ‘behind text’, the image won’t conflict with any text, shape or images you put in the document.
Firstly we’ll show you the Microsoft approved method for putting an image in the page background, then we’ll show you the way that works.
The Approved Method
For a long time, Microsoft Word has the ability to put in a picture as the background to a page. It’s mostly used for a small repeating pattern image like this:
To make a page background over an entire page like this:
As we’ll see, this method is quite limited and there’s better, more flexible ways to insert a page background.
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Big numbers rounded in Excel
Excel and really large numbers – they don’t play nice together.
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Dynamic Date Charts
How to make an Excel chart that changes as you add more cells.
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Office 2013: the real startup guide
Our famous guide to Office, saving money, install and new features. Now for Office 2013.
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Date formatted charts in Excel
The secret to a timeline chart in Excel is the data.
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Keep Calm with Microsoft Office
Make the famous WW2 poster yourself, and countless variations, in Microsoft Office.
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Simple image overlays in Word
Adding some text, an arrow or graphic to an image should be an easy task in Word … and it is … once you know the trick.
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Some letters don't need AutoCorrect
Some common characters don't need help from Autocorrect in Word.
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AutoCorrect for larger blocks of text and more
How to use AutoCorrect for more than a word or character.
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AutoCorrect memorable shortcuts
Tips for making Autocorrect shortcuts that are easy to remember.
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Micron or mu in Word
How to type the micron/micrometer symbol in Word.
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Type a tick with Autocorrect
A quick way to type a tick character in Word.
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Autocorrect tips by degrees
Readers suggestions for using Autocorrect with the degree sign and temperature
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Quickly adding special characters
Insert special characters into Office documents quickly.
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Use Gmail even when it’s broken
How to keep getting your Gmail even when it’s not working
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What’s the use of Outlook’s Journal?
Is Journal in Outlook of any use to you?
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Windows 8 for Microsoft Office users
A new ebook from Office Watch, more detail, less hype.
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Outlook's flipping image problem
Why does the same picture appear sideways in Outlook but right side up elsewhere?
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Word document recovery
Office lets you recover documents lost but it can be hard to choose the right one.
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Replying to emails with colored backgrounds
Outlook reply with visible text to a colored background message
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Benford’s Law and Excel
Benford’s Law is an amazing tool that is simple to use in Excel.
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Side-by-Side Translation in Word
How to show original text and translation side by side in Word.
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Singular / Plural text in Excel
There are various options for making sure a text label matches the quantity.
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Interrobang
What is an interrobang and how to use it in Microsoft Word.
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Changing the look of Comment balloons in Word
How to change the font and font size of Comment balloons in Word
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Hard Drive in slow-mo
Watch a hard drive at work, in slow motion and soaking wet.
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How big is your Outlook?
Find the size of your Outlook data files, then don’t worry about it.
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One person Comments in Word
Adding comments to documents isn’t just for groups, use them yourself.
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Reply or Forward messages with image links
Is there a security risk when you forward or reply to a message?
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Image Privacy in Outlook
‘Click here to download images’ in Outlook may seem like a nuisance but it’s there for a good reason
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About the Hidden Outlook info image
About the special 'Hidden info' image included in Office for Mere Mortals.
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Put cloud files into Windows 7 Libraries
Merge your cloud documents into your regular computer folders.
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Delayed Sending in Outlook and the bug
You can delay sending an email in Outlook – here’s how, why and a long standing Outlook bug.
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Moving a PST to Gmail
How to copy an Outlook PST into Gmail or other online email storage.
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Outlook reminders for ebay and other online purchases
Use Outlook to track delivery of online orders from Ebay, Amazon or other retailers.
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Ctrl + Enter shortcut in Outlook
What does Ctrl+Enter do in Outlook and why doesn’t it always work?
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Piers and Larry and Excel
Who is better? Larry King or Piers Morgan – do your own analysis in Excel.
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CONVERT() could be better
Excel's method of converting measurements is good but could be so much better.
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Excel's CONVERT function for metric and more
How to convert metric to imperial and other measure conversions in Excel.
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Getting data from Internet into Excel
How to get table or other information from the net into Excel (or Word).
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Stephen Fry and Comic Sans
The Comic Sans haters have risen again as a TV show is plastered with the hated Comic Sans font
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Font Embedding in Microsoft Office
Inside the Office feature of embedding fonts within documents.
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Chalkboard effect in Word
How to get a ‘chalkboard’ or ‘Whiteboard’ effect in Microsoft Word.
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Office documents on your ebook reader
How to copy your Office documents onto ebook readers like the Kindle, Nook etc.
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Accent characters in Office
How to enter accented characters, grave, circumflex, umlaut etc when they aren't on the keyboard.
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Changing Text Box backgrounds
How to make a Word, Excel or PowerPoint Text Box transparent - the option that should be obvious but isn't
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Text Box in Excel, PowerPoint and Word
Word 2007/2010 Text Box is also in Excel and PowerPoint.
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Changing the Text Box Gallery to suit you.
The Word 2007 / 2010 Text Box Gallery gives you a head start on nice document effects.
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Word's Text Box Gallery revealed
The full list of Word 2010 Text Box Gallery items
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Finding Select All
Where is the Select All command and why you don’t need to find it.
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Outlook settings NOT to use: Spam
Some anti-spam settings to avoid in Outlook
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Outlook 2010 email zoom options
Outlook 2010 has several options for reading a message without opening it but it could be better.
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Free Opener
An alternative way to view Office documents and many other file formats.
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How to ‘refuse’ emails in Outlook
Outlook has a few options for refusing messages from certain email senders.
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Outlook – see more with New Window
One important but hidden feature in Outlook will let you see more and faster.
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Outlook – see more with the Folder List
Put more useful navigation options on the Outlook screen.
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Navigation Buttons: Outlook settings NOT to use
Navigation Buttons take up valuable space you can better use in Outlook - here's how.
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Excel data form
Another way to enter lists in Excel, why Microsoft's effort sucks and an alternative.
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Percentages in Word Mail Merge
How can you put percentages into a Word mail merge.
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Clear formatting in Word
How can you get rid of extra text formatting?
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Adding repeating words or phrases to the custom dictionary
Why can’t you add repeating words or phrases to the Microsoft Word custom dictionary?
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How to convert Excel tables to HTML tables
It’s easy to make an Excel list into an HTML table.
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Formatting Mail Merge fields
How to change the look of mail merge data like dates and dollar amounts.
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Record Narration and Timings to PowerPoint
In PowerPoint you can record narration and comments during or after a slideshow.
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Available on Kindle: Office 2010: the Real Startup Guide
Office 2010: the real startup guide, second edition is available on the Kindle.
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Kama Sutra presentation is malware
It promises a raunchy PowerPoint presentation, but gives you a malware Trojan instead.
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Free manuals for Microsoft Office
Free training manuals for Office 2007 and before plus Quick References for Office 2010.
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Avoid the black slide at the end of a slideshow
The blank black slide which appears usually at the end of a slideshow is a default setting in PowerPoint. But it can be changed.
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Change default slide number in PowerPoint
How to change the PowerPoint slide numbering to a different start number.
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Word 2010: For all of your Revolutionary Ideas
And you thought Word 2010 was new?
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Turn your Mouse Pointer to a Laser Pointer
One of the eye-catching features introduced in PowerPoint 2010 is to turn your mouse into a laser pointer.
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The Ampersand mystery in Microsoft Office
Word's spell checker has some peculiar ideas about where an & symbol belongs.
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Persistent spell check missing an error
Why is an obviously incorrect word not picked up by Word’s spell checker?
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Change Default Font Settings in Word
Changing the font for all documents is remarkably easy.
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Why long subject lines aren’t a good idea
Yes, you can type a long subject to an email, but it’s not much help to the reader.
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Compress Video/Audio Files in PowerPoint 2010
PowerPoint 2010 adds some features to reduce the bulk from embedded video and audio files.
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Making PowerPoint files smaller
Trim down those enormous PPT/PPTX files.
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Office 2010 - the real startup guide - Second Edition out now
The second edition of "Office 2010: the real startup guide" is now available for new and past purchasers.
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LinkedIn fake messages
What to do about the latest email pest that Outlook isn’t detecting.
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OneNote 2010 Heading styles
OneNote 2010 has introduced Heading styles the same as in Word.
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Shortcuts for Word heading styles
How to add shortcuts to more Word heading styles
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Print pane in Office 2010
An overview of the Print options in the new Backstage view.
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Undo a Sent message in Outlook
Two options for recalling a message sent from Outlook – one if you’re quick and another if you wait.
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Two scam emails to avoid and why
Two ‘free’ update emails are scams but not detected by Outlook. We check out the ‘red flags’ you should look for in any suspicious or unexpected email.
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Outlook’s alternative to Gmail’s Priority Inbox
Some options for making a Gmail like ‘Priority Inbox’ in Outlook.
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Office Web Apps - dive in and try 'em
The free browser version of Office is worth trying out.
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Blue Beauty - a nice PowerPoint presentation
A nice and informative PowerPoint presentation we made a little smaller and safer.
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Office for Mac non-existent price cuts
Microsoft isn’t really cutting the prices of Office for Mac - it just looks that way.
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Manage Audio Clips in PowerPoint 2010
Improved features related to inserting audio clips in PowerPoint 2010.
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‘Summary of Payments’ infected ‘Excel’ email
A new spam email, ignored by Outlook’s spam filter, is supposed to have a spreadsheet file for Excel.
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How we made the ‘Adjust your monitor’ sign
Some comments on re-creating the " Don't be a Spock " sign.
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Don't be a Spock - Adjust your monitor height
A great sign about positioning your monitor - now available for download.
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Versions in Word 2010
In Word 2010 there is a ‘version’ feature but it’s quite different from the feature of the same name in Word 97 to Word 2007.
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Office Watch on the Kindle
Office-Watch.com titles are now available on the Kindle
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Live Sync for Office users
Live Sync is a useful tool for sharing files and Office settings between different computers.
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More Text Effects in Word 2010
Text effects in Word 2010 have wide range of options like applying shadow, reflection or glow to transform the appearance of text and give it an altogether new look.
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