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.
PowerPoint Placeholders: Smarter, Sleeker, Simpler
Discover PowerPoint placeholders — designed to make slide creation faster, easier, and more visually compelling. With smarter prompts, broader media support, and customizable layouts via Slide Master view, placeholders help you create polished, professional presentations with minimal effort. In PowerPoint, placeholders are those built-in boxes that make adding stuff like text, pictures, charts, or videos, […]
How to turn Copilot on or off for each Microsoft 365 app
Take control of Microsoft 365 by learning how to enable or disable Copilot in each app—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. This guide provides step-by-step instructions to customize Copilot settings per application and explains why sometimes you can’t turn it off. Copilot integration into Microsoft 365 is a mess. Microsoft is focused on adding more […]
Don’t like Word’s Resume suggestions? Turn it off!
Instead of complaining about Word’s Resume style suggestions. Turn it off! It’s easy to do, here’s how. I often see social media posts bitching about a Grammar or Style suggestion given by Word. There are plenty of problems with Word’s Grammar and Refinements feature, but this one is an easy fix and it’s right there […]
How many Copilot AI Credits do I have?
Some Microsoft 365 consumer plans come with a monthly allowance of “AI credits” but it’s hard to find out how many are left. The AI credit balance does not show up in the Microsoft 365 apps nor Windows 11 account information. It should be there and maybe Microsoft will eventually get around to it but […]
Copilot chooses Excel data a bit smarter
Microsoft has given Copilot in Excel 365 some smarts to choose the table or cells to work on. Previously, Copilot relied on the user’s selected cell to determine context, often defaulting to the nearest structured table. We explain how it works in the real world and the important limitation. Enter the new context inference capabilities. […]
Outlook Crashing When You Try to Email? Of Course It Is.
So you fired up Classic Outlook for Windows, clicked “New Email,” and… boom. Instant crash. Because apparently, asking your email client to do email things is just too much these days. The Smoking Gun: FORMS2 Folder Turns out Outlook can’t find its precious Forms Library — that’s the thing it needs to open new emails […]
How to buy a cheaper Microsoft 365 plan
Here’s how I saved $55 on a year of Microsoft 365 Family, in the search for a cheaper Microsoft 365 plan for a friend. It’s easy, legal, anyone can do it and there’s often bonus software to use or ignore. We searched online for a reputable online retailer who sold Microsoft 365 Family below the […]
Adding a cheaper Microsoft 365 to your account
Ever since Microsoft 365 consumer plans have existed, you’ve been able to buy them cheaper from other retailers to extend your subscription. Here’s the simple steps to extend your subscription with a product key bought for less money, When you buy from another retailer, you should get a product key which is a 25 character […]
Save on Microsoft 365 at Costco
Costco members in the USA and Canada can save on Microsoft 365 and Office 2021 with discounts up to 28% on what Microsoft charges. Microsoft 365 discounts The Costco US deals involve an egift Visa card rebate and sometimes extra months too. Microsoft 365 Family (six users) at Costco sells for the standard yearly price […]
Can You Use Microsoft 365 from a Different Country?
Buying Microsoft 365 from another country might seem like a money-saver, but Microsoft’s region locks often block activation. Learn why it fails—and smart, legal ways to make it work. That might be tempting because of exchange rate and price differences but Microsoft won’t let you do it. A little currency arbitrage isn’t allowed. For example […]
Critical Office security bug fixes for June
Among Microsoft’s June security bug fixes there are some that directly affect Microsoft Office users. These three caught our eye. Two are rated as High risk while another is Critical, though we’d suggest ‘Unforgivable’ is a better word. Power Automate Privilege Escalation Vulnerability CVE-2025-47966 CVSS score: Critical 9.8 out of 10. Via a leakage of […]
Stop Using Old Office Document Formats Now
Still using .doc, .xls, or .ppt files? These outdated Microsoft Office formats are not just relics—they’re major security risks and should be banned. Hackers exploit these older files to spread malware, ransomware, and steal data, as they often bypass modern antivirus protections. After our suggestion to ignore old style Office documents, it’s clear some folks […]
Are RTF Files Safe? Hidden Security Risks You Need to Know
RTF files may seem safe, but they can carry hidden risks. Hackers use RTFs to exploit Microsoft Word and even infect systems through email previews. Learn why RTF isn’t as harmless as it looks—and how to stay protected. The confusion is understandable. After all .RTF (Rich Text Format) files aren’t designed to carry any computer […]
PowerPoint Placeholders: New with a Fresh Coat of Pixels
Microsoft has given PowerPoint’s placeholders a stylish revamp, making them not only more visually appealing but also smarter in guiding you on what content to insert. Placeholders in PowerPoint are the little icons on new slide with buttons to insert various content. What’s New? How to use the new Placeholders The new placeholders look much […]
Android Users Rejoice: View Shared Office Files Without Logging In
Microsoft has extended a nifty new feature to include Android users: the ability to view shared Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files without needing to sign in with a Microsoft account. Previously, this was an exclusive perk for iPhone/iPad users—but Android’s finally been invited to the party. That said, if users want to leave their mark—via […]
Outlook Calendar sharing goes off the rails
Microsoft has ‘improved’ calendar sharing for all their Microsoft hosted accounts but Outlook (classic) has been left behind with too many bugs with some still outstanding. The changed Shared Calendars is a good move that’s been poorly implemented for many customers. The Shared Calendar changes are an attempt to standardize the mix of different technologies […]