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
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
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
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
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 These outdated Microsoft Office formats are not just relics—they’re major security risks and should be banned.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
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
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
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
Struggling with a sea of worksheet tabs at the bottom of your Excel window? Whether you’re managing dozens of tabs or juggling shared workbooks with tight screen space, discover how to fit more visible tabs across your Excel workbook can transform your workflow. In this guide, we walk through both
OneNote Quick Notes is the fast way to add a short ‘jotting’, image or whatever. How a Quick Note is made varies a lot for each OneNote app; Windows, iPhone, iPad, Mac or Web. Windows Windows has shortcuts and a taskbar icon for Quick Notes In the OneNote app, go
OneNote offers an electronic equivalent to the ‘sticky note’ or side-note. Most OneNote demos show off the full-size pages with a full range of feature but Quick Notes is the smaller and faster part of OneNote for Windows. Let’s explore how to make a Quick Note, what they can do
Microsoft has rolled out a new Calendar app, because apparently, we all needed another way to be reminded we’re too busy. This latest tool is part of the “Microsoft 365 Companion” experience, a trio of apps aimed at helping users stay productive—or at least feel like they are. It joins
There are ten new or improved features in Outlook (new) for Windows. Some are welcome additions, others are ‘catch up’ from classic Outlook and one Microsoft is ‘thrilled’ about but we’re not sure why. Here’s Microsoft’s June 2025 announcements plus Office Watch extra info, screenshots and comments. As regular readers
Outlook (new) for Windows is finally getting a feature that should have been there from the start … the ability to move emails between mailboxes. It’s another case of paying customers having to be grateful that Microsoft has finally provided an important feature. In businesses, especially small ones, moving emails
Our annual look at the words that challenged the Scripps Spelling Bee champs to see how many are recognized by the spell check in Microsoft Word. Again in 2025 Word was beaten by some very clever 14 year olds. Here’s a selection of the last round words from the 2025
Whether you’re managing schedules, tracking deadlines, or analyzing time-based data, comparing dates in Excel is a critical skill. This guide walks you through how to use the powerful IF function to compare dates—such as determining if one date is before, after, or equal to another. Learn essential Excel formulas that
Be careful comparing text in Excel because it looks easy but there are traps when comparing exact text (including upper/lower case) or not. Whether you’re cleaning data or ensuring accuracy in sensitive fields like usernames or product codes, we’ll help you get the results you need every time. Case-insensitive IF
Microsoft Word makes too many mistakes with collective nouns because only a few are detected by the grammar and style checks. Only US English notices “Subject-verb agreement with collective nouns” with other dialects ignored for no obvious reason. Many English words have a collective noun to describe a group pf
Microsoft is replacing a feature in PowerPoint with something called either “Slide Starters” or “Design Suggestions” using Copilot AI. It offers pre-populated slide templates with structured content such as titles, placeholders, tables, and timelines, tailored to match the user’s chosen layout. “Design Suggestions” replaces “Designer” which has been in PowerPoint
Outlook might label some emails as ‘Unverified’ and the photo/initials is just a question ? mark. What does ‘unverified’ mean? Is the email safe to open and how to stop some messages showing as ‘Unverified’? Unverified can appear in mailboxes hosted by Microsoft directly (Microsoft 365, Outlook.com). It’s a feature
Microsoft is updating how administrators enable or disable the Outlook (new) experience for Windows and Outlook on the web. This change allows IT administrators to independently enable or disable each Outlook, at last addressing long-standing confusion. Originally set for rollout in late January 2025, the change is now scheduled to
Navigating the evolving landscape of Microsoft 365 and Copilot AI can be challenging amid frequent update, varying features and so much hype. Our independent guide breaks down what Copilot is, its capabilities within Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Onenote and Outlook, and the distinctions between different Microsoft 365 plans. Microsoft has changed
In Excel there are various options for making sure a text label singular (e.g. person) or plural (people) matches the quantity. There’s the standard answer (IF() functions) or clever cell formatting tricks. For example if the cell has 1 item you want the singular label: 1 cookie But if the
Use Excel with visual indicators to make lists easier to understand. Use IF function together with Conditional Formatting to display icons, text based on specific conditions There are so many possibilities available using Conditional Formatting or simple IF statements like these. Use IF Formula to show icons First, decide the
