Posts Tagged ‘Office 2010’

Office 2010 Favorite Features & Fixes

January 9th, 2012 - by Angela

favoritesFrom time to time, I like to include a post with some of my favorite features or fixes from different applications.  This time I want to include Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2010.  I use these applications all the time!  So anything that is a new feature that helps me every day is worth sharing, at least in my book. 

Recent Places

I use several of the same documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the course of a month.  I usually try to keep them all organized but it never hurts to have another tool to find a recently used file.  Sometimes I open files from websites, which can be more difficult to remember locations. The Recent Places feature in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is just what I have wanted!  When you click on the File tab and choose Recent, you will see a list of places and files.  You can right-click any of these and “pin” them.  That way, they will stay put in the list and not get moved out as most recent items show up. I love not have to browse to find my frequently used files every time!

Word Line Spacing

I am one of the folks who does not like the change in line spacing to 1.5 for Word 2007 and 2010.  I understand that they changed it to make it more readable, but it just does not work when I am designing a training handout or manual.  If you prefer the spacing from Word 2003, you can change it simply and quickly.  Just look for the “Change Styles” button the Home tab. (It is over to the right.)  From the menu that appears after clicking that button, choose Style Set and select Word 2003. It changes the line spacing 1.0 and the “spacing after” amount to 0 point.  Yay!  Problem solved!

SmartArt

When I am creating a manual or report, I turn into this ultra word-efficient, table/diagram crazy person.  I love trying to minimize all of the text because most people will not read it anyway.  So, I LOVE the new diagrams available in Office 2010 for SmartArt.  If you have not used these, you need to!  In Word, Excel or PowerPoint 2010, just click on the Insert tab and choose SmartArt. There are so many designs to choose from.  I’m sure you will find one that you like or that you can start with and then customize.  One you have picked your diagram, you can type in text in the text pane or in many of the shapes themselves.  There are two contextual tabs that will appear at the top of your screen that contain all the SmartArt tools you will need. 

Hope you will find these tips useful!  Enjoy!

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Should You Upgrade to Office 2010?

October 10th, 2011 - by Angela

decisionsAre you still trying to decide whether to switch to the Microsoft Office 2010?  Here is a brief overview of features new to Microsoft’s newest Office version.

One of the most popular changes in the Office 2010 software is the replacement of the Office Button with the File tab (located to the left of the Home tab).  Under the File tab, you will find the common file management tasks related to creating, storing, printing, opening and closing your files.  When using the file tab, you are using what Microsoft now refers to as the Backstage View.

 The following is a brief look at some of the new features offered in the most common application programs in Office 2010-Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access:

 Word 2010

  –  Edit and apply effects to photos without additional software.

  –  Organize your documents and navigate easily with the new navigation pane.

  –  Add powerful special effects to words with new text effects.

 Excel 2010

  — Highlight important data trends in seconds using Sparklines.

  — Clarify information with color schemes and data bars in Conditional Formatting.

  — Spend less time sifting through data with new PowerPivot features.

 PowerPoint 2010

  — Embed, trim, add bookmarks and special effects to videos right in PowerPoint.

  — Apply sophisticated effects to pictures, like color saturation and artistic filters.

  — Broadcast presentation instantly by creating a link for real-time, online viewing.

 Access 2010

  — Make exploring your data easy using Access drag-and-drop navigation forms.

  — Create insightful reports with new design, layout, and data analysis tools.

  — More easily automate common tasks using the revamped Macro Designer.

If you or your organization could use these great new features, you should definitely look at upgrading to Office 2010.  If not, you may be exactly where you need to be with Office 2007.  If you need any help with either of these versions, let me know!

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Microsoft Office 2010: Security Features

June 28th, 2011 - by Angela

big-lockMicrosoft Office is the most popular office suite available right now.  Because of this, hackers love to try to attack it in any way possible.  Over the years, Microsoft has worked hard to find and fix problems with the different applications.  However, in Office 2010, they tried hard to be more pro-active to make all of their programs less exposed to a vicious assault by hackers. 

I am pleased that they tried to build in some of this security in the File Open process.  That way, detection of any problems can happen before the file is even exposed on your computer.  Word, Excel, and PowerPoint applications now use a File Validation process that looks closely at all files, especially those from prior versions of the Office suite.  When the questionable files (or files from a 2007 or previous version) are opened, they open in Protected View.  This keeps the file contained as a Read-Only view that does not expose your computer. 

Other files that contain macros, are downloaded from the Internet, or use active content will also open in the Protect View.  You have the option of converting them into editable form if you trust the file by clicking a single button.  You do not have to click this button every time, just the first time.  I appreciate that I do not have lots of pop-ups asking for my permission to open or trust the file.  All I have to do it to click the “Enable Editing” button.

If you open a file and see a red bar across the top, you may have received an error that “Office has detected a problem with this file.”  If you receive this warning, you will not have access to the “Enable Editing” button.  If you choose to convert the document out of Read Only format, you will have to go to File tab and click “Edit Anyway” in the backstage view.   I did run into an instance where the “Edit Anyway” button was disabled by the administrator.  He said that any file that received the red warning was not to be opened on the network to help prevent network problems.  If you encounter that same issue, you will need to contact your administrator to find out if there are specific restrictions.

Another security feature in Office 2010 helps with problems resulting from code that does not meet certain specifications when you have installed add-ins in your software applications.  The Data Execution Prevention will check and the code from an add-in if it suspects any difficulties from poorly written or malicious code.  It will halt the code when a problem is detected.

I really like that Microsoft is looking to prevent more problems instead of fixing them when they occur.  I look forward to seeing what other improvements they can come up with in future versions!

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Extreme Makeover: Document Edition

April 18th, 2011 - by Angela

chartMany of us have seen the television shows about making over a room or home.  We have seen them tear out the old, boring furnishings and install new, updated items.  At the end, there is a huge difference in the before and after photos. 

I was thinking that we could apply that same concept to our old, boring looking documents.  Many times, we get stuck using the same format and look for our periodic reports and presentation items.  It is hard to find time to revamp those files on our own.

For those of you who have updated to the Office 2010 edition, you may have already discovered the great new templates, themes and formatting tools.  I thought I would share a few of those tools so that you could update your documents and presentations, too!

The Business Report templates are available by clicking on the following link:  http://bit.ly/hJPwQS.  I am impressed with the quality look of these templates.  You will find Word documents, for the most part, in the Business Reports section.  However, they have included some Excel spreadsheets that coordinate well with many of the reports.  The files include great looking coverpages, too.  Do not forget how important those coverpages are.  That is the “first impression” for your report before the reader even gets to the content.

If you are working on a project presentation, there are some nice PowerPoint templates available at: http://bit.ly/euaBLG.  You can download one of several presentations here.  I downloaded several of them and then combined the features that I liked from each one.  You can easily copy and paste slides to get the customized look that suites your goals.

Needing a budget or expense worksheet but do not want to start from scratch?  Or, have an out-dated worksheet that needs sprucing up?  You can find some very good Excel templates here:  http://bit.ly/ic3ukB.  On this webpage, you will see budgets for all different kinds of business uses.  I even found one for a startup budget and cashflow statement, for those of you who are wanting to get your own business going.  These might not do every last thing you need, but you can get a very good start to build on easily.

I know that looking at these websites has made me want to fix up several documents and presentations that I use frequently.  I will need to carve out a little time to get a more up-to-date and eye-catching look for my Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files!

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Back to School

August 30th, 2010 - by Angela

back-to-schoolWell, it is that time of year again…Back To School!  We have been getting geared up for that around my house.  My husband is going back to school for a Biology degree and is taking two classes this Fall.  My son is going to be going to day school two days a week, too. 

One of the items that we are considering purchasing is a new computer.  If it has all the specs that I’d like, we will have Windows 7 and Office 2010. Or, I’d take a Mac, too. (No, I’m not die-hard for Mac or PC.) I can’t wait to have a NEW computer with everything running perfectly!  Because I am a technology trainer by profession I can usually just sit and play with a program for a while and figure it out. 

My husband is not as excited as I am, though, because he doesn’t want to have to learn all the new software. He is perfectly happy with the previous versions of the software.  I told him about some of the new features and explained to him how he could benefit from the new elements in the software.  I told him that we could just sit down and go over the new features and show him the fun things he could do with it. He did not realize all the cool new elements that were in the new version of the software.

I realized that my husband was voicing the opinion of others, too.  I’m sure that there are some people who get a new computer and then get frustrated because they don’t have the time to try to figure out everything on their own. So, if you are one of those people, give us a call and we’ll set up a “new features” class to get you up to speed.  Think of all the interesting and fun things you could be doing with your new software!!

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Presentation Tips

February 22nd, 2010 - by Angela

11949839821041465662inservice_presentation_01_svg_medLast week, I was doing some research for a workshop on PowerPoint and presentation tips. I thought that I would share the tips and information that I found. There may be some tips that you already know. Hopefully, you’ll come away with a few new worthwhile nuggets after reading this post. I know I sure did!

I found an article in Business Week about PowerPoint. The authors were reminding the reader that just having a great PowerPoint presentation is not enough. You need to have a great presentation to go along with the PowerPoint presentation. The ideas the author gave were to bring an expert on stage with you to explain and/or demonstrate, to pass around samples of the product that you are discussing, and to pause and ask questions of your audience during the presentation. I really liked the idea of passing around samples. We are taught that the more senses there are involved with learning, the more likely the content will be remembered.

On a Microsoft Office users blog, I found some other great tips. The author suggested starting and ending a slide show with a blank slide with a dark background (no text, etc.). You would start your show before the audience arrived but would have the dark blank slide up on screen. I thought this would work well if you didn’t want your opening information up on the screen right away but also didn’t want to show everyone your desktop.

The blog author also discussed the reasons for using a dark versus light background. She suggested you used a dark background (with light font color) if you are in a large room with artificial lighting. If you are in a small room or one with mostly natural lighting you should go with a lighter background and darker font.

Another writer mentioned some tips about converting a PowerPoint for uploading to a web page. He noted that since you are not actually giving the presentation in person that you would want to include voice narration or extensive notes in the speaker notes area. One disadvantage to the presentation on the web is that in one view, the viewer doesn’t see the animations. If the user switches to see the animations, the notes are not visible. Fortunately, Office 2010 is addressing this issue and should improve how PowerPoint works on a web page.

There are also a couple of excellent books to consider as you prep for your next PowerPoint presentation.  Presentation Zen, by Garr Reynolds and slide:ology by Nancy Duarte are two books that can help take your presentations to the next level.

My favorite tip that I ran across in researching presentations is a fantastic video. The author is Jennifer Austin and the presentation was at the University at Buffalo (part of SUNY). It is a very simple but pointed 22 slide presentation on the do’s and don’ts involved in presenting. Check it out here: http://www.slideshare.net/jhaustin/presentation-tips.

I hope these tips help you on your next presentation! I know that I will be editing and updating several of my PowerPoints and adjusting how I give my presentations.

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Your 2010 Learning List

January 18th, 2010 - by Angela

windowslivewriterthetodolistmeme-117feto-do-list-2This week has been busier than usual so I only had a chance to read one article.  That one article was a very thought-provoking gem, though.  I’m so glad that I had that five minutes while waiting on a meeting to start!  (Yes, I actually have been following my time management ideas and had reading materials handy when I was stuck waiting on a meeting to begin. Yay!)

The article was about the author’s reflections over her learning in 2009.  She noted that life has been so busy most days that 2009 just flew by for her.  I think that is probably true for all of us!  She wanted to review and evaluate  what she had learned in 2009 and intentionally decide what she wanted to learn in 2010.  She didn’t want 2010 to pass by like 2009 did without attempting to achieve her learning goals for the year.

The article inspired me to look back at what I had learned in 2009.  The author suggested making a list instead of just going over it in your head.  As I made the list, I saw the usefulness in that task.  Actually seeing your list on paper makes it more real than just rehearsing it in your mind.

After completing my list, I was pleasantly surprised by the length of it.  I had given myself a bit of a “pass” in 2009, since we had just had our first child in December of 2008.  I assumed my learning curve was going to happen on the child-front and not in the areas of technology or business. 

Seeing my learning list from 2009 made me really think about what I wanted to learn in 2010. So, I made that list, too.  With Office 2010 coming out this year, I have quite a bit to learn.  It should be a lot of fun, too.

I want to encourage you to evaluate your 2009 learning and make your 2010 learning list. In what areas of business or technology do you want to advance your knowledge?  Develop an intentional plan so that 2010 becomes a productive year for you!

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