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Microsoft Office
Mark Kaelin
TechRepublic Staff
Mark Kaelin

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Reset Outlook's default reminder time
Setting Outlook's default reminder time can save you a few clicks; if you do this often, you'll definitely want to reset this default.
Posted by Susan Harkins | March 6, 2012, 10:20 AM PST | Latest comment by ssharkins@...
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Demystify Excel's PivotTable feature with this simple method
If you can see your data as groups, values, and filters, you can create a useful pivot table in just a couple of minutes.
Posted by Susan Harkins | March 5, 2012, 7:51 AM PST | Latest comment by spofcher
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Two favorite keyboard shortcuts for keeping email organized
Here are two Microsoft Outlook keyboard shortcuts you can use to keep your email organized and under control.
Posted by Susan Harkins | March 1, 2012, 11:55 AM PST | Latest comment by Colin Pernet
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Office challenge: help this user quickly rearrange slides in a PowerPoint presentation
This week, test your PowerPoint skills by helping a PowerPoint user rearrange slides quickly.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 29, 2012, 8:00 AM PST | Latest comment by ssharkins@...
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Office solution: Replacing spaces with hyphens to create a hyphenated phrase
This week, learn the solution to last week's challenge: How would you add hyphens to create a hyphenated phrase?
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 29, 2012, 7:58 AM PST | Latest comment by stephenlyn@...
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Quick Tip: Print a single envelope in Word
Printing a single envelope in Word is an easy task but there are lots of options, so make sure you get exactly what you expect.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 28, 2012, 8:46 AM PST | Latest comment by ssharkins@...
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Replace default Excel chart legend with meaningful and dynamic messages
With just a bit of work, you can replace Excel's default chart legends with messages that are meaningful and dynamic.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 27, 2012, 8:00 AM PST | Latest comment by ppg
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The Show Margins feature in Excel 2010 is revealed
Moving margins in Excel 2003 is easy using Show Margins. Many users can't find it in the ribbon versions, but it's still there.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 24, 2012, 7:53 AM PST | Latest comment by sjmaerz
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Office challenge: How would you add hyphens to create a hyphenated phrase?
This week, test your Word skills by helping a user that needs to insert hyphens between several words to create a hyphenated phrase.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 23, 2012, 9:01 AM PST | Latest comment by Rick_from_BC
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Office solution: How to sum every other value in a column
This week, learn the solution to last week's challenge: How would you sum every other value in a column?
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 23, 2012, 8:59 AM PST
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Two ways to add checkbox controls to a Word document
Use a customized bulleted list or a content control to insert checkboxes into a Word document, depending on how you are going to use it.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 22, 2012, 8:16 AM PST | Latest comment by ian@...
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Simple steps to convert a list into a formatted Word table
Lists are great, but sometimes, a table is better. Learn how to quickly convert a list in Word into a formatted table.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 21, 2012, 11:53 AM PST
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Track accrued work hours or mileage using Outlook Tasks
Outlook tasks can help you track hours for specific projects and mileage for travel to see clients.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 17, 2012, 10:39 AM PST
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Squash an odd Excel charting bug that could drive you crazy
If Excel fails to recognize a series, check the heading rows in the data range before reaching for a hammer.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 17, 2012, 10:32 AM PST | Latest comment by Ray Baker
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Office challenge: How would you sum every other value in a column?
This week, test your Excel skills with this unusual problem. Can you help this user sum every other value?
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 17, 2012, 10:30 AM PST | Latest comment by sk.tomar@...
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Convert Office 2007 files to a 2003 readable format
This quick tip is still one of the most popular Microsoft Office Blog posts, which begs the question: Are you still using Office 2003?
Posted by Mark Kaelin | February 16, 2012, 12:29 AM PST | Latest comment by steinar@...
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Office solution: Getting Outlook contacts into an address book
This week, learn the solution to last week's challenge: How to get Outlook contacts into an address book.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 15, 2012, 8:45 AM PST
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Office solution: You can't change Outlook's default Contact folder-at least, not the way you might think
This week learn the partial solution to last week's challenge: How can I change Outlook's default contact folder?
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 14, 2012, 10:52 AM PST | Latest comment by gscott@...
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Use conditional formatting in Access forms and reports
Access' conditional formatting feature is just as comprehensive, flexible, and powerful as Excel's, but many users aren't aware it exists.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 9, 2012, 11:45 AM PST | Latest comment by rw2000
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Office challenge: How to get Outlook contacts into an address book
This week, prove your Outlook prowess by solving this missing address book mystery.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 8, 2012, 7:47 AM PST | Latest comment by gksrivastava.india
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Two ways to add checkbox controls to a Word document
Use a customized bulleted list or a content control to insert checkboxes into a Word document, depending on how you are going to use it.
Posted by Susan Harkins | February 22, 2012, 8:16 AM PST | Latest comment by ian@...
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How to add a drop-down list to an Excel cell
Drop-down lists can greatly facilitate data entry. Here's a look at how to use Excel's data validation feature to create handy lists within your worksheets.
Posted by Susan Harkins | June 12, 2008, 12:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by dhivya.vasu01@...
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Transpose Excel data from rows to columns, or vice versa
When you need to flip-flop data in an Excel worksheet, don't waste time doing it manually. Excel offers a handy Transpose option that will quickly take care of the task.
Posted by Jeff Davis | June 23, 2009, 12:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by excelinexcel
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Use SUMIFS() to sum by multiple conditions in Excel
Excel's SUMIF() lets you sum values, conditionally. It's new sibling, SUMIFS() lets you sum values by multiple conditions.
Posted by Susan Harkins | November 14, 2011, 11:25 AM PST | Latest comment by peter.r7
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How to use Excel 2010's new conditional formatting with references
Excel 2010's new referencing option makes conditional formatting more powerful than ever before!
Posted by Susan Harkins | August 30, 2010, 8:40 AM PDT | Latest comment by manishdhir
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Add horizontal lines to a Word document
Susan Harkins shows you two easy ways to insert a horizontal line into a Word document.
Posted by Susan Harkins | September 29, 2010, 12:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Shrike49
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How to Alphabetize Lists In Word
I learned something new the other day—Word can alphabetize a list. I’m sure many users already know this, but it’s brand new to me. Years ago, I could do this with WordPerfect, but I’ve...
Posted by Susan Harkins | May 29, 2007, 12:13 PM PDT
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Four ways to insert an em dash in a Word document
When you need an em dash, you can let Word enter it for you the easy way. If that approach doesn't suit your needs, try one of three manual methods.
Posted by Susan Harkins | March 1, 2010, 12:00 AM PST | Latest comment by Marshwiggle
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Use Word's Vertical Alignment settings to center a page
Centering text vertically isn't difficult; you just have to know where to look!
Posted by Susan Harkins | July 28, 2010, 6:30 PM PDT
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Use COUNTIFS() to evaluate multiple count and criteria ranges
Excel's COUNTIFS() function is flexible enough to handle different ranges and data types.
Posted by Susan Harkins | May 21, 2012, 10:37 AM PDT | Latest comment by jbenton@...
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The secret to unhiding column A in an Excel worksheet
After you hide column A, it might seem like it's gone forever. Fortunately, there are two simple tricks for unhiding it.
Posted by Susan Harkins | March 16, 2009, 12:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by fallon.stuart@...
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Quickly fill blank cells in Excel
Blank cells can spell trouble. Here's an easy way to fill in those blanks and protect the validity of your data.
Posted by Susan Harkins | April 26, 2010, 10:50 AM PDT | Latest comment by Midhunmj
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Convert your Word documents into PowerPoint 2007 presentations
If you need to make a PowerPoint presentation from a Word document, don't worry about endless cutting and pasting. Mary Ann Richardson shows how you can use Word's built-in formatting to make an...
Posted by Mary Ann Richardson | April 1, 2008, 12:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by nor12345
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A quick and dirty way to compare columns of Excel data
Using this little-known feature in Excel, you can quickly compare one column of data to another.
Posted by Susan Harkins | April 6, 2012, 11:41 AM PDT | Latest comment by HAL 9000
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Delete a stubborn page break in Word
Sometimes, Word won't let you delete a page break. The fix is usually simple -- although the cause might surprise you.
Posted by Susan Harkins | January 8, 2010, 7:13 AM PST | Latest comment by kramer22
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Build a simple timesheet in Excel
Excel makes it easy to set up a system for tracking time. Follow these steps to create your own or download our sample timesheet template and customize it to fit your needs.
Posted by Susan Harkins | January 26, 2010, 9:43 AM PST | Latest comment by raj_as
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Create an Excel data entry form that includes check boxes
You can keep a lot of information on an Excel data entry form, but you can make it easier for your users -- and yourself -- to create tables by adding check boxes. Here's how to set up check boxes...
Posted by Mary Ann Richardson | July 31, 2007, 12:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Corbybhoy
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Use a formula to trigger Excel's Conditional Formatting feature
If you need a visual clue to hype a worksheet, use Excel's Conditional Formatting feature to help values stand out.
Posted by Susan Harkins | January 5, 2009, 1:07 PM PST | Latest comment by JNirvaha
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10 things you can do to give your PowerPoint presentations a heartbeat
This information is also available as a PDF download. Imagine this: You've just returned to your seat for this afternoon's training seminar. The morning session was pretty interesting, providing...
Posted by Katherine Murray | July 10, 2007, 2:44 PM PDT
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Use a custom format in Excel to display easier to read millions
Use a custom format in Microsoft Excel to reduce the number of digits in a large number without losing its scale.
Posted by Susan Harkins | March 14, 2012, 11:16 AM PDT | Latest comment by jeng02@...

































