Much better lists with Office SmartArt
SmartArt is available in all Office desktop programs for Windows and Mac. They let you turn a plain boring text list into something more compelling and understandable. SmartArt works and options do vary between the programs, especially PowerPoint. Office for Mac menus look a little different but the primary features are there. This article is […]
How to open a mystery file with no extension
What can you do with a file attachment that has no file extension? Sometimes you get a file, probably an email attachment, that has no file extension. Without something after the dot/period (.doc .docx .xlsx .pptx etc.) Windows doesn’t know what program to use. This is most likely to happen with files sent from Mac […]
Changing text and icons on Office Quick Access Toolbar
Improve your Word, Excel, Outlook or PowerPoint Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) beyond the small changes allowed by Microsoft directly. This works in all modern Office for Windows including Microsoft 365, Office 2016/2019/2021/LTSC. You’ll be able to shorten the overly long text labels or change icons (because too many are the same) with a short list […]
New look for Microsoft 365 and Office 2021
From Tuesday 5 October 2021, a new look is be available to Microsoft 365 and Office 2021. Don’t worry, it’s not a major change. Everything on the tabs, ribbon and dialogs remains exactly where they are. Microsoft grandly calls it a ‘visual update’ we call the changes ‘a new coat of paint’. 5 October is […]
Office 2021 prices now revealed plus ‘generous’ extras
Microsoft has confirmed the prices for Office 2021 to consumers and announced some ‘extras’ which aren’t really anything new and, in one case, self-serving for Microsoft. Office 2021 prices Office 2021 is the new perpetual license, single payment or non-subscription version of Microsoft Office. The replacement for Office 2019. It has fixed features compared to […]
New and better features in Office 2021 and Office LTSC
Here’s the new and improved features in Office 2021 and Office LTSC which apply across all the major apps; Word 2021, Excel 2021, PowerPoint 2021 and Outlook 2021. We’ve checked Microsoft’s list of new Office 2021 features against the actual software. See all about Office 2021 for Windows & Mac plus The good and bad in Office LTSC There are stock images, icons […]
New Features in PowerPoint 2021
In addition to the general Office 2021/LTSC features there are some useful additions to PowerPoint 2021/LTSC including recording presenter videos and changing the reading order for accessibility. See all about Office 2021 for Windows & Mac plus The good and bad in Office LTSC Here’s what’s new/changed in PowerPoint 2021 in addition to the overall […]
Shared editing of encrypted docs now possible but not for everyone
Microsoft has announced that Office desktop apps (Windows and Mac) can now co-author encrypted documents. Until now, encrypted docs could only have shared editing using Office on the web. What’s in the fine print is often overlooked, this feature isn’t for everyone. The announcement in bold from Microsoft has got all the media attention, as […]
Get the patch now for the latest Office security hole
Microsoft has released a patch for the MSHTML security bug that’s being used with Office documents to infect computers. The bug is in MSHTML, the browser rendering engine used by Microsoft Office. If someone is tricked into opening a hacked Office document with ActiveX control, they could infect their computer with some virus, ransomware or […]
There are two official document standards – why?
Here’s what you need to know about the two official international document formats, Microsoft’s OpenXML (.docx .xlsx etc) and Open Document Format (.odt .ods etc) both supported in Microsoft Office and most other office suite software. Each format has been recognized by international bodies so there are two ‘official’ document standards for Planet Earth. Both […]
Bumper month for new features in Office 365
The September 2021 release preview has a lot more than usual new and updated features in Office 365 for Windows. Almost as if Microsoft has been saving them up for a bumper surprise! It’s all in the ‘Current Channel (Preview)’ release v2109 build 14430.20088 that’s out now. This is the last stage before the updates […]
Get Microsoft 365 free in 4.5 different ways
If you’re not willing or able to spend the money, there are several ways you can access Microsoft Office for free. These tips are just good for saving money. Some are useful standby’s to keep in mind if you can’t use the full Microsoft 365 desktop programs. Maybe your computer is playing up or you’re […]
Free ways to convert WAV and other formats to MP3 audio for PowerPoint
Simple, easy and free ways to convert audio files like WAV, FLAC and many others into a format that PowerPoint or your smartphone prefers such as MP3, MP4 or AAC. The BBC Sound effect downloads are in WAV format. That’s a good, high-fidelity and uncompressed format that works in PowerPoint for Windows but it also […]
Office now supports ODF version 1.3 documents
Microsoft has updated the Office programs to support the OpenDocument format (ODF) to version 1.3. Most people use Office Open XML format (OOXML) which is the official name for what is usually called the ‘new’ Microsoft Office formats, .docx .xlsx .pptx etc. OpenDocument files .odt .ods .odp etc are also supported in Office 365 and […]
Office apps for Chromebook to be stopped
The Office for Android apps won’t be supported on Chromebook devices from mid-September. That admission was finally dragged out of a reluctant Microsoft. That leaves Chromebook users with Office on the web and Outlook.com in the Chrome browser. See Two ways to use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook Microsoft reluctantly admitted their plans after these […]
Document collaboration with Office in a browser
Here’s how to collaborate on a ‘live’ file (Word document, Excel workbook, PowerPoint deck or OneNote notebook) saved on OneDrive or other cloud service. It’s part of our series on accept a sharing request and collaborating on a ‘live’ document saved online. Microsoft spends a lot of energy getting people to share documents, but little […]
