Office 2021 is the personal and small business ‘perpetual licence’, non-subscription version of Microsoft Office. For Windows and Mac.
Office LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) is the volume licence ‘perpetual licence’, non-subscription version of Microsoft Office for organizations, companies and governments. Also for Windows and Mac.
The features in Office 2021 and Office LTSC are very similar, if not the same.
New Outlook Is Slow and a Memory Hog: More Reasons to Avoid It
New Outlook is slower and far hungrier for memory than classic Outlook, and new testing shows just how bad the gap is. Click a new email notification in Windows 11 and new Outlook can take around 10 seconds to show that message, while classic Outlook opens it almost instantly. New Outlook can also chew through […]
Excel SUMIF Function: Add Up Only the Numbers You Want
The Excel SUMIF function adds up only the numbers you choose, not everything in a range. Plain SUM() totals every cell with no filter, which is fine until you need the sales for one person, one month or one product. SUMIF fixes that by letting you set a condition first, then adding only the matching […]
Save Reusable Email Snippets in Outlook: 5 Real Workarounds
Outlook gives you two built in ways to save reusable email text, and both are frustratingly limited. My Templates only stores plain text, with no bold, links, images or tables. The other way works for new messages but not replies. So if you send the same content over and over, you need a better way […]
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to Add Matches to Your Outlook Calendar
The FIFA World Cup 2026 runs from June 11 to July 19, spanning 16 host cities across the US, Canada, and Mexico with 104 matches spread across four time zones. Keeping track of every kickoff time is a perfect job for Outlook’s calendar, which automatically converts match times to your local time zone so you […]
Why Word Layouts Break: Section Breaks Explained
Section breaks are the hidden cause behind some of Word’s most frustrating layout problems: random extra pages, headers that change unexpectedly, and pages that refuse to switch from portrait to landscape. Most Word users have never heard of section breaks, let alone seen one, because Word keeps them invisible by default. This guide explains exactly […]
Why Excel Formulas Always Work When You Share Files Across Language
Excel formulas translate automatically when you share a workbook across languages, and most users never know it’s happening. Whether a colleague opens your file in French, German, Spanish, or Italian, they see the formula names in their own language. This quiet translation system is why an Excel workbook built in one country opens without errors […]
What’s Really Inside a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint File (And How to See It)
Every Word, Excel, and PowerPoint file you save is actually a ZIP archive packed with small XML files. That means you can crack open any .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx file using nothing more than Windows Explorer or a free compression tool, no special software required. Whether you want to see which fonts are embedded in […]
Does Microsoft Word Know “Zillion”? Testing Big Number Slang in Word’s Dictionary
Microsoft Word knows more slang than you might expect. Words like zillion, jillion, squillion, gazillion, bazillion, and oodles are all recognized as correct spellings in Word’s US English dictionary, so you won’t get the dreaded red squiggly line if you drop one into a document. Word’s thesaurus even offers alternatives for “zillion,” though some of […]
2026 Spelling Bee vs Microsoft Word: Word Scores Its Worst Ever
Every year after the Scripps National Spelling Bee, we test the winning and finalist words against Microsoft Word’s spell checker to see how many get the dreaded red squiggly line. In 2026, Word had its worst performance ever, recognizing just 4 out of 21 words correctly for US, UK, and Australian English. A group of […]
Microsoft Word ‘Woke’ Settings Explained: Old, Optional, and Easy to Ignore
Microsoft Word has not gone ‘woke’. Despite press stories claiming Word enforces ‘politically correct’ language, the truth is far less dramatic. The Inclusiveness grammar checks behind the headlines are optional, off by default, and have been part of Word since before 2020. They flag words like mankind, postman and showgirl with a purple squiggly line […]
How to Buy an Older Version of Microsoft Office: What Actually Works
If you need an older version of Microsoft Office, like Office 2016, 2019 or 2021, your options have narrowed but they have not disappeared. Microsoft doesn’t sell perpetual licenses for past releases, but you may already own a transferable license, qualify for downgrade rights through a volume agreement, or find a legitimate retail copy still […]
Is “Lifetime” Microsoft Office Real? The Truth Buyers Need to Know
If you see “Lifetime Microsoft Office” advertised for $20 or $40, ignore the word “Lifetime” entirely. Microsoft does not sell anything called “Lifetime Office”. That word is a marketing trick used by third party resellers, and it’s often a flag that the license is dubious or outright illegal. “Lifetime” Office is NOT a word that […]
KeyTips Explained: The Fastest Microsoft Office Keyboard Shortcuts You Already Have
Wanna be a better, faster Office user? Impress your friends? Be the envy of women and men for miles around? Use simple keyboard shortcuts, called KeyTips, that you don’t have to memorize because they are on the screen. Instantly access Ribbon commands in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook for Windows or Mac. Save time and […]
Write Office VBA with ChatGPT or any AI Real Examples That Work in 2026
ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude and Gemini can all write Microsoft Office VBA code for you, and they have improved dramatically. Ask any modern AI to write a Word macro, an Excel automation, a PowerPoint slide builder or an Outlook search routine and you will get working code in seconds. We tested the same four prompts we […]
7 Ways to Convert Markdown to a Word Document
If you have a Markdown (.md) file and need it in Microsoft Word, you have more options than you might think. From pasting text directly into Word Online to letting an AI do the heavy lifting in seconds, each method has its strengths and sweet spots. This Office Watch guide covers seven practical ways to […]
3 Easy Ways to Overlay an X Over Text in Word and PowerPoint
Need a bolder alternative to strikethrough? An overlaid X works far better than a thin line when you have large headings, signs, or slide text to cross out. This guide walks you through three reliable ways to overlay an X on text in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint: a quick image overlay, a smart table border […]
