Apply Changes to Multiple Outlook Contacts

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How's Your Outlook?
                 How’s Your Outlook?

Change Multiple Contacts with Drag and Drop

You have several Outlook contacts for the same company and their company name (or address or some other detail) is being changed. Updating that change in all contacts one at a time would be annoying to say the least. Not to fret! Although there is no find and replace for this, you can still make it happen pretty quickly.

The steps are very similar in all versions of Outlook:

  1. Click on View tab, Current View group, Change View dropdown arrow
  2. Choose List
  3. In Arrangement group, click Arrange By drop down arrow
  4. Choose Company and ensure that Show in Groups has a checkmark. If not, click arrow again and choose it
  5. In the desired Company name group, open any contact and edit the name
  6. Click Save and Close icon. This will automatically create and display a new group with the edited Company name
  7. Highlight all the contacts in the previous Company group. (Just click on first one and SHIFT click on last)
  8. Click, hold and drag them into the new Company name group. All of your contacts are updated!

Create Custom Views

Now, create your own custom view so you can return to your grouped list with a mouse click:

  • Click Change View in the Current View group
  • Select Save Current View as a New View
  • Give it a name such as Contact List by Company
  • Click OK and it is added to your Change View drop down list:

 

 

Display by Category

Don’t stop with quickly updating changes in Contact content. If you are a user of categories and want add or edit a category or color, you can apply the same process as above to change or add contacts to an existing or new category.

Replace Company in Step #4 above with Categories in the Arrange By dropdown list and rest is the same. Also, always remember to check what’s available on the right click menu as you can often save several mouse clicks. Right click on a contact and choose Categories from the shortcut list and add or edit there.

Categories are very powerful because they can be used to identify items all across Outlook, including types of calendar appointments, email messages, tasks and notes. Customize your own categories and colors and create a great organizational tool!

How are you using Categories to streamline your Outlook?

10 Reasons to Organize with OneNote

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Organize with OneNote

If you’re not using OneNote to capture notes, pictures, web clippings, audio and video, and just plain organize all types of information, you might want to give it a look. Free is a great draw, especially when it applies to a valuable tool that just might save your sanity.

Here’s Why You Want to Organize with OneNote:

  1. Available free on all platforms and devices.
  2. Create your own notebooks and color coded categories and reorganize with drag and drop.Multiple Content Oval photo 5 inch
  3. Type or insert text, audio, images, video anywhere on a page.
  4. Grab web pages or screen portions with Web Clipper from any browser.
  5. Insert PDF’s or file attachments.
  6. Format with MS Word built-in Styles for headings.
  7. Automatic date and time stamps for all entries.
  8. Share or link Notebooks, and export Sections or Pages and password protect Sections of a Notebook.
  9. Touchscreen and stylus friendly.
  10. Auto save and sync across all devices.

These are just a few of the features in OneNote. You can even insert equations; no need to find a calculator or fire up Excel at that meeting!

The Many Versions of OneNote

There are several varieties of OneNote and they are all free, including the full, desktop version. You can download it from Microsoft and, of course, it is included in the Office Apps available from any Microsoft account. Also, if you have purchased any version of Office, it is part of that suite. A subscription to Office 365 has it and will have automatically been upgraded to the latest version (currently 2016).

OneNote is available for all platforms and devices and the mobile app is integrated with Windows 10. It is designed for use with touch screens, tablets and phones but you can also download the full desktop version for free at www.onenote.com. Notebooks created in the app version automatically save to OneDrive, not to your computer. Those created in the desktop version can be saved anywhere. There are differences in the features of the two so you might want to test and see which one suits your needs and use it if you don’t want to be switching back and forth. Keep in mind that the online app does not have all the features of the Desktop version.

Not Your Daddy’s Notebook

OneNote’s structure is a digital version of the traditional multi-tabbed binder but before you stifle a yawn, it is no boring note-taking or storage device although it does both extremely well. Arrangement is divided into three levels and is organized much like the file and folder hierarchy you are used to on the computer. Allows for flexibility of organizing your way:

Top level: Notebooks. The big overall subject. You can create as many as you want and assign different colors. Keep it simple with one or two, or go crazy and create a gaggle. You control it. The list of created Notebooks displays at left.

Second level: Sections. Sub-categories. Are also color-categorized. These display as tabs on the top bar in the current Notebook..

Third level: Pages. Individual pages that display within the Section. The page names display at right.

Make OneNote Fantastic with OneTastic

Really make OneNote pop with this free Add-in to OneNote 2010 and above Desktop versions. This was a garage project by a Microsoft employee who used his bus time to create these great extra features to expand on OneNote’s already ample offerings.

You can create a monthly calendar of all your notes; resize and crop images and create a Table of Contents for a notebook, to name a few. If you want a sampling of what it can do, scope out this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rveq0S9mFH0.

If you like what you see and want to download Onetastic, go here: Download at website: https://getonetastic.com/

Evernote into OneNote

If you are an Evernote user and want to try out OneNote, Microsoft has an app for that! You can import your Evernote entries into OneNote here:

https://www.onenote.com/import-evernote-to-onenote

Most of us are always looking for a better and faster way to organize so let me know how OneNote is working for you!

AutoFill with a Custom List in Excel

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Create your Own Lists to Work with AutoFill

You may already use some of Excel’s AutoFill capabilities to complete names of months, days and years and/or to copy formulas, so you know it is an amazing time saver. Before we explore creating your own custom lists, here are a few tricks to tame the AutoFill feature:

Excel just needs to see a pattern to fill out the remaining cells. Common sequences only require one entry, such as Monday or Friday, to have the following days of the week automatically fill as you drag the icon down or across. (The Fill handle is on the bottom-right corner of the cell border – a small, black plus sign). The same is true of months or quarters. Excel automatically inserts the next entry and repeats the pattern if you continue to drag past the ending entry.

Trick: If you have data in the cells to the left of the column where you want to use the Fill handle, just double-click on the Fill symbol in the cell that you want copied, and results will fill in down through that number of rows.

Sometimes, AutoFill hiccups when you ask it to repeat a pattern, as in a numbering sequence. For instance, if you type a “1” in a cell and try to AutoFill, you will get only 1’s in the copied cells. You must put in a second number, select both cells, and then AutoFill for Excel to get the pattern. You can enter “1” in a cell and then “2” in a cell below or to the right, and you are off and running. This also works for step-numbering, i.e., enter “1” in first cell and then “5” in second cell, select both and AutoFill. (Same is true for years).


Trick: Save yourself some typing and mouse action:

  • Enter the first number
  • Hold down CTRL key, point at Fill Handle and drag down (or across)
  • Presto, you have sequential numbers (or years). For step-numbering, you still have to type and select at least two entries.

Define your own series that AutoFill can use:

You can enter any list of entries in an Excel worksheet, select the cells and drag down or across and that pattern will be repeated but if the series is one that you want to use in other worksheets or workbooks, create your own custom list:

  • Click File tab on the ribbon and click Options at the bottom of the category list.
  • Click Advanced and then scroll down near the bottom to the General area.


  • Click the button Edit Custom Lists… Excel displays the Custom Lists dialog box.


  • Select NEW LIST in the Custom Lists list.
  • In the List Entries box, start typing the items in your fill series, in the order they should appear. This could be products or department names or list of employees in alphabetical order. Press Enter after each entry.
  • When finished click the Add button.
  • Click OK to close the dialog box.
  • Click OK to close the Excel Options dialog box.

Your custom list is now set up for AutoFill. Just type an entry from that list that you want to start with, select the cell, and then drag the Fill handle. Excel fills the selected cells with the items from your custom list in the same order created.

Create as many custom lists as you like and you now have your own personal quick entries!


Word Styles Make Formatting Easy Peasy!

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Why Format with Word Styles?

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Why care about using Word Styles? Because you want to work smarter, not harder. You might already know about Format Painter, that magic icon in the Clipboard group that copies complicated formatting from one place to another with a mouse click. It is awesome for a shorter document but would be crazy-making for formatting that humongous report!

Want to:

  • Create a formatted, professional document in a flash?
  • Create a fast Table of Contents in Word?
  • Use one-click navigation through that long document?

Do this and more with Word Styles!

You can use the built-in styles in Word or modify them to get the results you want and Styles are saved with your document. By default, Word applies Normal Style to all text (in Word 2007 and above, it is Calibri (Body Font), 11. In earlier versions, it is Times New Roman, 12.

Heading Styles

Any text can be changed to a built in style. Styles live on the Home tab, Styles group. You will see a limited number of styles displayed (depending on your screen size and resolution).

Click the More button at the bottom right of the group to see a bigger list and roll your mouse over each to see the effects. As you select Heading (or other) styles, they will move to the front of the list on the Ribbon.

The Title and Heading Styles are Paragraph, not Character Styles, so you don’t need to select all of the text to apply a style. Just click anywhere in the paragraph (or heading), and click on the style desired.

Modify a Style with One Click

Let’s say you applied Heading 2 to multiple areas of the document but then decide you want a different font size and color for that heading level:

  • Choose and format any Heading 2 the way you would like it to look
  • Select it and right click over that heading name in the Styles group. The icon will have a border showing it is the selected style.
  • Choose Update (style name) to Match Selection, and Yahtzee, every style with that name is automatically updated and that formatting will be applied from now on to that heading level.

Design Sets – Professional Formatting with a Click

You finished your document and then wonder if you could have a little fancier look to the whole thing without re-inventing the wheel. Again, yes you can! After applying Styles, you can change the overall look and fonts of all the styles in your document with a single click using Design Sets.

  • Click in a heading in your document.
  • Click the Design tab and the More button in the Document Formatting
  • Mouse over all the options in the group to see the effects how each of your heading styles would look in that set.
  • Click on desired Style and it is set for your whole document, and so are you!

Use the Navigation Pane to whip through a long document

Another benefit of Styles is fast navigation and drag and drop rearranging of headings and paragraphs:

  • Display Navigation Pane by clicking View tab/Show group/Navigation Pane (See below for shortcut).
  • The Navigation Pane displays at left of your document and you can click on headings to jump there.
  • Collapse and expand heading levels by clicking the arrows at left of heading names.

Change the order or paragraphs or sections by just dragging the heading in the Navigation Pane to desired location and your document is changed accordingly, i.e., You need a heading on Page 6 to be on Page 4, collapse headings and drag it there, or need your headings in alpha order…Drag and drop to the rescue!

Styles for Bullets and Numbering Lists

Don’t stop with your headings and paragraph styles, You can also create customized multiple level number or bullet styles using the drop down arrow on those icons in the Paragraph group on the Home tab and choosing Define New…, customize as desired and they will be added to the Styles Gallery.

Smart Status Bar tricks for Navigation:

In Word 2013 and above, click the Page number on the Status Bar and Navigation Pane instantly displays!

If you have Section numbers displayed on the Status Bar, clicking that displays the Find and Replace dialog box at the Go To tab. (Word versions prior to 2013, display this also when clicking the Page number).

Remove Style Formatting

There may become a time when you want to totally remove all those styles from your document (or from the one that you inherited from a style-crazy person), and return it to Word’s default font and size:

  • Press CTRL A to select the entire document.
  • Click on the Normal icon in the Styles group on the Home tab and all your text will now be Calibri (Body text), 11.

Note:  if you have formatted text without Styles,  just press CTRL + SPACEBAR to convert to default text.

See, I told, you easy-peasy. Now go out and take control over that Word document!

P.S. All that being said, be aware that Styles are very powerful but also complex. Keep it simple if Styles are new to you because a lot of playing can produce some confusing results as Word tracks every change you make to a style as an additional style. Start with using the built in Styles and using the various benefits as outlined in this post. That might be all you ever want or need.

 

 

The Magic of Excel Tables

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Table Benefits

This terrific Excel feature does many things automatically including formatting, formulas and much more. It is very easy to convert worksheet data to a table and convert back to a worksheet range with one mouse click, if needed. (Note, prior to the 2007 version, Tables were called Lists). 

Here’s some treasures you get by Inserting a table:

  • Creates a sophisticated worksheet in a flash. Inserting a table auto formats your data with the built-in style and applies filtering to each column for easy data analysis.
  • Auto selects all the data for the table range. (Make sure you have column headings and don’t have blank rows or columns in your data. Insert a blank row if you don’t want all data in the table).
  • Instant access to a Total Row function where columns can be summed, averaged, counted and more.
  • Insert Table Rows and not affect data cell referencing in columns outside of the table.
  • Easy to select entire data or column or row no matter how large the table.
  • You can name a table and use it in a formula.
  • Change the table style with one mouse click. Live Preview displays how your table would look as you point at each style.

Create a Table in a Flash

You have checked the worksheet and removed any unwanted blank columns and rows:

  • Click anywhere in your data
  • Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
  • Click the Table icon in the Tables group (Excel will display the Create Table dialog box and auto insert the cell range but be sure there is a checkmark in My Table has headers)

Presto! Excel has applied its default Table format and inserted filters for each column.

When you really want to impress or in a hurry, just click anywhere in your data and press CTRL T to auto insert your table!

Select the Table

Tables make it a snap to select all the data with or without the column headers:

  • Point your mouse to the very upper left of the very first table cell (column header).
  • When mouse pointer changes to a small, black down-angled arrow, single click for data only, or double-click for entire table. (If you double-clicked too slowly and only highlighted data, just single click and now column headers are included).

Customize the Table

Add a column to the table or click below the last row and enter data, and the table is automatically expanded along with the formatting to include the new cells.

Add the Total Row feature. Click in any cell in the table and then, on the Ribbon, under the Table Tools / Design tab in the Table Style Options group, click in the Total Row box to automatically add a Total Row and sum to bottom of the table. Click in any cell in that new row to display a drop down arrow and choose a function, i.e., average, count, etc.

Table Restrictions

A couple of things to be aware of in the table:

  • You cannot create Groups and Outlining within a table. The SUBTOTAL function that is used at the bottom of each column allows selection of function formulas such as SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, etc., that apply to the entire column.
  • You cannot share a spreadsheet that contains a table.

Convert a Table Back to a Range

In a hurry to share or need to group your data? The good news is you can use the one click method to convert to a data range:

  • The Design contextual tab for the Table is displayed on the Ribbon.
  • Click Convert to Range in the Tools group. (Excel asks if you really mean it).
  • Click Yes, and you are back to the data range but the table formatting style and the column filtering is still applied. This can be handy because it still has those table benefits but you can now group and outline and/or share the worksheet.

Remove Table Formatting

If you want to be back to Square 1 so the table formatting and filters are completely removed, you have  some choices depending on whether you apply before or after Convert to Range, and if you want to retain your font and numerical formatting.

After converting table back to a range: The table style and filters are still applied.

  • Ensure all relevant data is selected.
  • Click the Home tab, and then click the Cell Styles arrow in the Styles group, and choose None.
  • Another option is to click the Clear arrow in the Editing group and choose Clear Formats.

Be aware that both these methods remove the table formatting style but you may have to reformat font and numerical formatting.

Want to have all the formatting back to its state before you inserted the table? Apply these steps to remove all formatting before you Convert to Range.

Before converting table back to range:

  • In the Design tab on Table Tools, click the More drop down arrow button in Table Styles group.
  • Choose the first icon under Light which is None.
  • Click in the Filter button icon in the Table Styles Options group to remove the filtering icons from the columns.
  • Click Convert to Range in the Tools group and confirm.

You now have your spreadsheet back just as you left it. Experiment with tables. I think they will save you time and frustration, especially in those humongous worksheets!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Navigation in Excel Worksheets

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Go There in a Flash in Excel

You inherited the biggest spreadsheet on the planet and have to scroll and troll to ranges miles away from your current screen! Don’t despair, Excel has several tools to get you there quickly…

The Go To Dialog Box

You can jump to any area of your worksheet with this handy command. Using the Ribbon, Home tab, Editing group, Find & Select drop down arrow, and select Go To… Just type in a cell reference, click OK or press ENTER, and you are there!

OK, that might beat scrolling but not by much, so here’s the corresponding shortcut:

Press CTRL G or F5 function key to auto display the Go To Dialog Box and it is ready for your entry. It also remembers your previous cell location(s).

The Name Box

Want the quick mouse navigation trick? The Name Box is your ticket! Just click in the box and type the cell reference (such as T44456); press ENTER and you are there. (Unfortunately, there is no keyboard shortcut for the actual Name Box but you could use F5 to display the Go To box, type the cell reference and press ENTER).

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Where did I put that?

Range Names

The amazing Name Box is multi-talented. We saw we can highlight large ranges of cells and also jump to a faraway cell location just by typing the cell reference(s) in the Name Box. But what if you are short on sleep and can’t remember the cell reference(s)? No problem. There is a reason it is called the “Name Box”. All you have to do is find that cell once, select it and give it a name that makes sense to you, like Sales or Profit, etc.

Steps:

  • Navigate to desired location
  • Click on desired cell (or range of cells)
  • Click in the Name Box and type a name, i.e., Sales
  • Press ENTER

To return to that location any time, just click the drop-down arrow on the Name Box and select the name you gave it, and you are magically transported there!

Important things to know when naming a cell:

  • Range Names must start with a letter but can contain numbers.
  • You can use more than one word to name a range but it cannot contain spaces.
  • Capitalize the separate words, like TotalSales, or the underscore can be used to represent the space, i.e., Total_Sales.

Range Names are ABSOLUTE by default, meaning the name will always refer to the cell even if the content is moved. And, even more impressive, Range Names can also be used in formulas instead of cell references. That Excel is one smart cookie!

Share Your PowerPoints with Office Mix

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It’s Alive…It’s Interactive…It’s PowerPoint Mix!

There’s a new PowerPoint in town! There are so many great enhancements to PowerPoint 2013 and above. One of these is Office Mix, a free solution for PowerPoint that makes it easy to create and share online, interactive presentations, or “mixes”. Mixes play like web videos, but with support for animations, live links, and more.

Office Mix was primarily created for the learning environment but it isn’t just for the classroom. Here’s some other ways you can put it into action:

  • Create interactive training tools, build courses or use for marketing or demonstrations.
  • Combine screen recordings with slides and narration or just narrate over your existing slides.
  • Distribute the results to anyone as you save to the cloud. If they have a browser, they can access it. You’re not limited to delivering Mixes to Windows PCs: the video content can be viewed on Mac OS, iOS and Android devices, with appropriate versions for each platform.

To get Office Mix, download and install the free add-in. When you open PowerPoint 2013, you’ll see the new Mix tab at the end of the Ribbon. (Download link at end of this post).


Make it Sizzle

  • No stopping you now! Add zip to your mix:
  • Record audio or video speaker notes for each slide in your presentation.
  • Insert quizzes, curated videos, and more.
  • Easily record what’s on your screen, while you annotate with audio.

Preview your mix when you’re done, then upload it to OfficeMix.com to share. The portal also offers analytics so you can see audience statistics and quiz results if you are using for marketing or teaching.

Share it

Once your Mix is uploaded to the Office Mix service, you can then share it from your personal gallery to students and/or colleagues. (Uploading can take some time, especially if you’re saving your Mix as a video for offline viewing). You can make the Mix shareable and distribute its URL. Mixes can be restricted to users in your company or made public. Public Mixes are open to the entire internet. Shareable Mixes can be accessed by anyone with the Mix URL, although they do need to log in to view the Mix.

Make a Movie

Completed mixes can be played back online or downloaded as movies. In the MP4 format, you won’t get access to the interactive features, such as links to other videos, files or websites, but can be played on any device that supports that format.

You must have 2013 or above for Office Mix. Check it out. You will look like a hero!

You can download Mix from Microsoft here: https://mix.office.com/en-us/Home

Update: Office Mix is being retired but will integrate directly into PowerPoint 365. Check out the details in this blog that has all the Microsoft links: https://gaylelarson.com/office-mix-integrates-powerpoint-365/

Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar

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Office 2013 and above has a cleaner, leaner look and it carries over to the Ribbon and Quick Access toolbar (QAT) but the layout is mostly the same as the previous two versions of Office except that the Ribbon has a couple of changes.

Collapse or Expand the Ribbon

Office 2013 has additional options for the Ribbon display, controlled by a small arrow icon at upper right of window (next to the Help ? icon).

Autohide Ribbon

The new Auto–hide command totally hides the Ribbon so you can work in a full screen. You click the ellipsis (three dots) at the top right of the screen to temporarily activate. To return the Ribbon to full display, click the Ribbon arrow at upper right and click Auto–hide Ribbon again to toggle off. The other two choices toggle between displaying tab names only or full Ribbon of tabs and commands, the same as previous versions.

Additional Ways to Collapse and Expand the Ribbon

Right click anywhere in the Ribbon and choose Collapse the Ribbon to hide it from view. The tab names remain at the top so you can display and select the Ribbon groups for that tab. The Ribbon disappears again after you choose a command. To return to permanent display, right click on the Ribbon and click Collapse the Ribbon again.

Another method is to double click on any tab name to expand or collapse the Ribbon. That will toggle it off and on. My favorite method doesn’t even need the mouse. Sometimes keyboard shortcuts rule the day. If you quickly want some more real estate to work on that long document or big spreadsheet, just press CTRL F1 to toggle between expand and collapse.

Don’t forget that right clicking in the Ribbon is also a quick way to access Customize the Ribbon…and Customize the Quick Access Toolbar…, as well as moving the QAT from the default location of the upper left of your screen to below the Ribbon where it is much closer to where you actually work.

Notice another option is that any icon you right click over on the Ribbon can be added to the Quick Access Toolbar – a great time saver for those often used commands!

 

 

 

The New Start Screens

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2013 Office applications sport a new color-coded start screen:

  • blue for Word,
  • green for Excel
  • orange for PowerPoint
  • green for Publisher
  • burgundy for Access

They all look and behave the same way as this example for Word. Launching the program displays a list of recent documents. A blank document is the default option or instead you can select a template, search online for templates by clicking the Category links or typing key words in the Search Box.

Click Open Other Documents to search for a document on your computer or in a OneDrive folder. The top right of the screen shows details of the OneDrive account that you are currently logged in to use and you can Switch User or access Account Settings with the drop down arrow next to the login name. This is accessible in the same area in all your Office programs, and inside of each of your files.

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Start screens help new users find their way around more easily, and experienced users may like having all of their options in one place at startup but not everyone is doing the Snoopy dance here. Turning off the Start Screen will display a blank document when you open the program (just like the old days)!

How to turn off the Start Screen

Word is open:

  1. Click File tab, then Options at the bottom of the category list on the left
  2. The General tab will display
  3. Scroll down to the Start up options section
  4. Remove the check mark from Show the Start screen when this application starts
  5. Click OK and you are good to go.

Test by closing Word and re-opening. The blank document awaits!

Restore Direct Response to Open and Save As

Several 2013 programs display the Backstage when you open or save a file. If you want to bypass it for direct access to the Open and Save As dialog boxes, you’ll be glad to know you can get that control back also. (This applies to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher).

  1. Back to File tab, Options
  2. Click the Save category at left
  3. Click in the checkbox so that the Backstage does not display
  4. Click OK

Test your Open or Save As commands and you have instant dialog box.

Make this process even faster

Press F12 function key for instant Save As (all Office programs except Publisher)

Use CTRL O for Open (all Windows programs)

If this was helpful to you, please leave a comment!