I'm sure you like to know handy little things that make your life easier or let you get things done just that little bit quicker. So here are 6 features of Microsoft Office that you should know about and use.
AutoCorrect
This is a handy little feature and can be used in more than one way.
I seem to have one hand faster than the other, and I often mis-type the same word over and over. As an example, when I'm typing at full speed I almost always type exchnage instead of exchange. Autocorrect is configured to correct this mis-spelling for me and you can configure yours to do the same.
Autocorrect can also be configured to complete or expand a short code into a phrase you use often. For example, I often type Microsoft Office Online Training, but I can abbreviate that to moot. So every time I type moot, Autocorrect changes that to Microsoft Office Online Training. Cool. I just saved myself about 2 seconds 🙂
Spell Checker
You can turn this on so it automatically checks the spelling of words as you type. Or if you turn it off, you can press F7 and start a manual spell check.
Its quick and easy to do, it makes your writing easier to read, and you look like you know how to spell 🙂
Templates
A template is a document that you create with specific colors, fonts, images, backgrounds and lots more. You can use the template every time you use Word or Excel so that each of your documents and spreadsheets have the same look and feel. This is very useful for companies who want to apply their branding to the documents and spreadsheets they create.
AutoArchive
Lets' admit it, most of us aren't great at tidying up our Inbox. We leave emails sitting in our Inbox for months or even years, and we rarely, if ever, clear out our Sent or Deleted Items. This is where AutoArchive is your friend.
AutoArchive moves old emails to a separate archive folder and tidies up your Outlook mailbox so its more manageable and easier to use. You can still go and search through your archive if you really need to find an email you sent 3 years ago, I know I've had to do this.
Format Painter
You've got a text heading that you've made bold, 24 point, and blue. Now you create another heading, do you go and click on bold, click on the font size and select 24, and then click on the text colour icon to choose blue? If you do then you need to use the format painter.
Format Painter copies the formatting of an item like the colour, borders, size, shading etc, and applies it to another item (like some text) that you select. I love things that speed up my work like this.
BCC:
Blind Carbon Copy, its where you send an email to someone, but their email address is not displayed. You'll be familiar with the To: field and also the CC: field in Outlook, BCC: is useful if you send the same email to lots of people but want to keep everyone's email private. I'd recommend you use BCC: if you are emailing, for example, a newsletter to your customers.
How to Round Numbers in Excel Using 3 Rounding Functions
Ruthie A. Ward
Hi. Very useful information. Somewhat distracting with all the autocorrected spelling and grammar errors.
Thanks for reminding me about format painter! I’m always learning new techniques for doing things faster, easier, or more acccurately. Your newsletter is a great help for that!
Mynda Treacy
Thanks, Ruthie. Glad you’re enjoying the newsletter 🙂
Glenn
Auto correct. Eh, so what do you do now when you want to tell someone their comment (such as mine) “is moot because …” – and instead you say “your comment is Microsoft Office Online Training” 🙂
Spell checker – I would be the laughing stock of the nation without it – it’s not that I cant spell but that I can’t type!
AutoArchive. Hmmm, There are other schools of thought on this one. I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole! Do you know exactly WHERE the archive file is? Does it get backed up? Recipe for disaster as far as I am concerned (and from experience in IT support for 20+ years). WHY archive anyway? Make subfolders – even just “2010”,”2011″,”2012″ etc and dump all ya emails in there (you can make one in Inbox and one in Sent for each year) or any other way you want to do it. Seriously if you computer doesn’t have enough storage space with the size of modern Hard Disk drives to keep you emails without having to Archive them and compress them (and loose them) there is something wrong. You other tips are fine but I had to reply to this one – I definitely don’t recommend it; it’s a good way to loose all your emails 🙂
Frederick Denny
Carbon Copy is an old expression and we do not use carbon paper for copies any more.
The current expression is ‘courtesy copy’ or Blind Courtesy copy.
Surprised that you do not know this…or maybe carbon is still used in Oz?
Mynda Treacy
Hi Frederick,
Carbon Copy and Blind Carbon Copy are still terms used not only in Oz, but also by Microsoft.
I agree a more modern expression is ‘courtesy’ instead of ‘carbon’ but I think the majority of people still use ‘carbon’.
Thanks for your input.
Kind regards,
Mynda.
Glenn
First I’ve heard of it. What politically correct nincompoop came up with “courtesy copy”? (hope it wasn’t you Fredrick). But seriously. “Courtesy copy”? I can see that going down a charm here in the Outback (OK, I’m in Sydney, not the Outback … whatever). Carbon copy it was and Carbon copy it shall be – if you don’t know what carbon (paper) is then look it up on Wikipedia 🙂
Robin
Love these tips! Just wish I could remember them all! Thanks.
Mynda Treacy
🙂 Cheers, Robin.
TMT
Hi mynda, i am using office from many years and really never concentrated on AutoArchive, i just checked some online videos after reading this and thanks a ton for the share and making me get my old emails back. @bose
bill
I didn’t know auto-correct coudl expand phrases liek that, very useful to know, thanks
Andrew
A colleague told me about your site and I can’t believe how much great content is available for nothing.
neat tip on the format painter, I been using Office for years and never knew that.
AC
Craig Forrester
lol, I thought I’d check for spelling mistakes but can’t find any, you must have used the spell check yourself 🙂