Microsoft 365 – the subscription / annual fee plan for Microsoft Office on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android.
Includes Word 365, Excel 365, PowerPoint 365, Outlook 365 and many other ‘365’ programs, apps and services.
Pinned Save folders in Microsoft 365
Word, Excel and PowerPoint 365 for Windows are getting better control over what appears on the new-style Save dialog. Folders can be ‘pinned’ to always be show up in the list and a quick way to share a document. But a major annoyance remains unchanged. On the ‘Save this file’ dialog under Choose a location […]
It’s getting closer … shared signatures in Outlook
The promise of shared Outlook signatures is a little closer. Microsoft has announced that signatures in Outlook for Windows will be saved to the cloud from June 2020. At the moment, customers have to manually copy email signatures between Outlook’s or use a folder sync method to share the signature folders between computers. Customers have […]
Coronavirus global statistics, Excel workbook update
A friend of Office Watch has enhanced our latest COVID-19 global statistics workbook and offered to share it with all our readers Phil Y from Sydney is interested in the number of active Coronavirus cases and how many new cases. That data was in the external connection so he made a different worksheet with the […]
Outlook’s ‘Permanent’ delete but doesn’t – how we tested it.
When Outlook displays a ‘This will be permanently deleted’ it’s not really deleted. For anyone interested in the gory details or testing themselves, here’s how we checked that out. It’s standard database procedure for a deleted record simply to be flagged ‘deleted’ rather than fully erased or overwritten. Tagging as ‘deleted’ and hiding from the […]
Social Distancing signs in Microsoft Word
Now we’re allowed out again, social distancing signs are popping up all over the place. They are simple to make in Microsoft Word using a few lesser known tricks. Here’s five examples that use some of the latest features in Word 365 like Cutout People plus some Word tricks learnt over many years. Text Boxes […]
Combined Drawing Tools in Word 365 and other Office programs
The Drawing Tools in Word 365 is now larger with separate tools like Lasso and Eraser now in a single combined gallery. There are other changes and new limitations on the Drawing Tools gallery, some of them undocumented. Compare that to the old Draw tab where the Lasso, Eraser and Add Pen were separate from […]
Changing your display name in Zoom, Meet, Skype and Teams calls
It’s sometimes helpful to change your displayed name for an online call, here’s how to do it in Zoom and the limitations of Skype, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. The displayed name can be helpful in both casual and business calls. For a business call, you might prefer to add your team or position to […]
Look better in an online call – simple, easy and low-tech
There’s a really simple way to look better and more professional in a video call. No apps or extras to buy .. it’s easy and incredibly low-tech. Compare how professionals appear in a video call With how too many people really appear in calls. That ‘looking up a nose’ view isn’t polite and hardly makes […]
Pan across a still image in PowerPoint – Ken Burns effect part 2
Give a still image some interest and movement by adding a simple ‘pan’ animation across the photo. This continuing our look at making the Ken Burns or ‘pan and zoom’ effect in PowerPoint. We’ve already shown how to add a Zoom to a still photo – PowerPoint calls it ‘Grow/Shrink’. Now let’s look at the […]
Great OPEN signs in Word for any business
Businesses are reopening, which is great. Here’s some suggestions for big signs to let customers know you’re open, with some Word tips to make the letters as big as possible. What’s needed is a BIG sign that catches the eye from a distance or when passing in a bus. Getting a special oversize sign is […]
Ken Burns Effect in PowerPoint
The ‘moving picture’ or Ken Burns effect can be done in PowerPoint for Windows or Mac. It converts a still image into a slowly moving ‘pan and zoom’ over the photo.. There are several ways to apply a ‘Ken Burns effect’ which we’ll explain starting with a very simple option which only takes a few […]
PowerPoint Background Animation or Ken Burns Effect in Mac only!
PowerPoint 365 for Mac has a background animation or ‘Ken Burns effect’ feature that’s not available in other PowerPoint’s. We have hidden tricks to improve Animate as Background beyond the simple defaults. Animate as Background adds a slow ‘zoom and pan’ effect to a still image, making it a moving ‘Ken Burns’ effect. We’ll show […]
Get in line for Money in Excel
Microsoft is testing a new feature or template, Money in Excel. You can apply to be one of the first to try it. Money in Excel is a separate Excel ‘premium’ template that will connect with bank accounts, import transaction information and display as charts and lists. Transactions Bank accounts can be linked into Excel […]
Reply All Storm Protection comes to Office 365 hosted
Office 365 hosted organizations will soon get protection from Reply All email storms. Reply All storms happen with large distributions lists (e.g. whole company or division). Too many people hit ‘Reply All’ sending thousands of messages to already cluttered mailboxes. Now, if there’s too much ‘Reply All’ activity in a list, Exchange Server will block […]
Open multiple docs in Word or PowerPoint for iPad
It’s now possible to open two Word docs or PowerPoint decks side-by-side on an iPad. iOS has multiple window or side-by-side support already, but Word and PowerPoint didn’t allow more than one document open at a time. That meant you could have a Word document open alongside another app but not another Word doc. Now […]
X Æ A-12 in Microsoft Word and Office
Elon Musk and partner have named their child X Æ A-12 (no kidding) how do you type Æ in Microsoft Word and Office generally. The child’s name doesn’t trigger any spelling or grammar errors in Word. No squiggly lines. What is Æ ? Æ or æ is a a-e ligature that was used in English […]
