With software, these types of changes also need to occur; not seasonally, but by task. We have gathered some tips to help you get your software application windows to behave the way you want so you can quickly switch gears.

Tips compiled by PC Helps staff.

What Is the Windows Key Used For?

Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7

Have you ever wondered about that strange key between the Ctrl and Alt keys on the left side of your keyboard? It is commonly known as the Windows key, and can be used in conjunction with other keys to perform a variety of useful tasks.

First and foremost, it will open the Start menu; all you have to do is press it. Press it a second time to close the Start menu. Here are a few of its other uses:

• Windows Key+D – Show/hide desktop
• Windows Key+M – Minimize all open windows
• Windows Key+Shift+M – Undo minimize all open windows
• Windows Key+Tab – Cycle through taskbar program buttons
• Windows Key+L – Lock your computer

For more Windows 7 shortcuts, check out Lifehacker’s “master list.”

Switch Windows Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows XP, Vista, 7

You are a multitasker extraordinaire. Single-handedly mouse-clicking back and forth between application windows, accessing just the right window for the task, you are an unstoppable, clicking machine. And yet, you may find that your mouse just does not click fast enough for you, or you may just want to improve your speed. We are about to unveil a new weapon for you; a weapon so fast and accurate, you may never want to click again.

Clicking the icons on the Taskbar to switch applications is a time-honored tradition among multitaskers, but our method may make you even more efficient. Give this a try:

Windows XP:

Hold down the Alt key and do not let go. Next, tap the Tab key, but do not let go of that Alt key. Notice that a bar appears on your screen with small thumbnails that represent each of the application windows that you have open. While still holding the Alt key, each time you press the Tab key, the gray selection box moves from left to right, highlighting each application. When you get to the application of choice, let go of both keys, and the selected window is in front and active.

The Shift key works with the Alt+Tab combination to reverse the order you go through the windows.

Windows Vista, 7:

Hold down the Windows key and do not let go. Next, tap the Tab key, but do not let go of that Windows key. All of your windows appear as large thumbnails and you can cycle through them as you continue pressing the Tab key. Release the keys when you reach the window you want, and that will be window in front of everything with the cursor active.

The Alt and Tab key combination also works without using the Aero feature. Notice that a bar appears on your screen with small thumbnails that represent each of the application windows that you have open. While still holding the Alt key, each time you press the Tab key, the gray selection box moves from left to right, highlighting each application. When you get to the application of choice, let go of both keys, and the selected window is in front and active.

The Shift key works with both combinations and reverses the order you go through the windows.

How to Open and Work with a Second Window of Your Spreadsheet

Microsoft Excel 2003, 2007, 2010

Sometimes you need to see file in two (or more) windows. In Excel, you might have to view data from multiple worksheets in the same workbook at the same time. You may not have enough screen space to view different areas of the file all at once. By viewing the same file in multiple windows, you can easily see different parts of it all at once, even if they are nowhere near each other on the worksheet.

Follow the steps below for your version of Excel.

Excel 2003:

1. Click the Window menu.
2. Click on New Window.
3. You will see the title in the title bar change to “Filename: 2″ (where “Filename” is the name of your file. You now have two windows showing the same file. Any changes you make in either window will show in the other window). Depending on your configuration, you may also notice that a second instance of Excel has appeared in your taskbar, containing the second copy of your workbook.
4. To properly close the extra window(s), click the small “x” icon in the upper-right corner of the workbook. Be sure not to click the red “x” to close Excel, but the small black “x” to close just the active workbook.

NOTE: If you save the file with multiple windows open, the next time you open it, both windows will open. You will have to close one of the windows and re-save the file.

Excel 2007:

1. Click the View tab on the Ribbon.
2. Click on the New Window icon.
3. You will see the title in the title bar change to “Filename: 2″ (where “Filename” is the name of your file. You now have two windows showing the same file. Any changes you make in either window will show in the other window). Depending on your configuration, you may also notice that a second instance of Excel has appeared in your taskbar, containing the second copy of your workbook.
4. To properly close the extra window(s), click the small “x” icon in the upper-right corner of the workbook. Be sure not to click the larger “x” icon to close Excel, but the smaller “x” icon to close just the active workbook.

NOTE: If you save the file with multiple windows open, the next time you open it, both windows will open. You will have to close one of the windows and re-save the file.

Excel 2010:

1. Click the View tab on the Ribbon.
2. Click on the New Window icon.
3. You will see the title in the title bar change to “Filename: 2″ (where “Filename” is the name of your file. You now have two windows showing the same file. Any changes you make in either window will show in the other window). Depending on your configuration, you may also notice that a second instance of Excel has appeared in your taskbar, containing the second copy of your workbook.
4. To properly close the extra window(s), click the small “x” icon in the upper-right corner of the workbook. Be sure not to click the larger “x” icon to close Excel, but the smaller “x” icon to close just the active workbook.

NOTE: If you save the file with multiple windows open, the next time you open it, both windows will open. You will have to close one of the windows and re-save the file.

How to View Two Workbooks Side by Side

Microsoft Excel 2003, 2007, 2010

In this age of advanced technology and multi-tasking, it is often necessary to work with more than one file at a time. Excel has a built-in feature that is easy to use, and more importantly, very useful, that lets you view two workbooks side by side. You can even scroll through both files simultaneously, so that you do not have to keep switching windows and scrolling through both separately.

To enable Side by Side view, follow the steps for your version of Excel below.

Excel 2003:

1. Open at least two Excel workbooks.
2. Click the Window menu.
3. Click the option for “Compare Side by Side with…” If you only have one other file open, that file’s name will display. If you have more than two files open, a dialog box will open that will let you choose the second file to view. Just click on the file to select it and click the OK button.
4. Excel should arrange the windows horizontally or vertically. You should notice a small toolbar pop up called Compare Side by Side. If the windows did not arrange properly, press the Reset Window Position button, which looks like two pieces of paper with arrows pointing towards each other. If you only have two documents open in Excel, you can also modify the arrangement by going to the Window menu, and then Arrange. Choose horizontal or vertical, then click the OK button.
5. When you scroll through one worksheet, the other worksheet will scroll as well. This is referred to as “synchronous scrolling.”
6. To disable synchronous scrolling, click on the synchronous scrolling icon on the Compare Side by Side toolbar. It is on the left side of the toolbar. Notice that it is no longer illuminated. Click it again to reactivate.
7. To close Side by Side view, click the Window menu and then click on Close Side by Side. You can also click on the same option from the Compare Side by Side toolbar.

Excel 2007:

1. Open at least two Excel workbooks.
2. Click the View tab.
3. In the Window group, click on the option for View Side by Side. The icon looks like two pieces of paper next to each other. If you have more than two files open, this will open a dialog box that will let you choose the file you want to view side by side with. Just click on the file to select it and click the OK button.
4. Excel should arrange the windows horizontally or vertically. If the windows did not arrange properly, press the Reset Window Position button, which is located on the View tab in the Window group and looks like two pieces of paper with arrows pointing towards each other. If you only have two documents open in Excel, you can also modify the arrangement by going to the View tab, and then Arrange All. Choose horizontal or vertical and then click the OK button.
5. When you scroll through a worksheet the other worksheet will scroll as well. This is referred to as “synchronous scrolling.”
6. To disable synchronous scrolling, click to deselect the synchronous scrolling icon on the View tab, in the Window group.
7. To close Side by Side view, click the View tab, and in the Window group, click to deselect the View Side by Side option.

Excel 2010:

1. Open at least two Excel workbooks.
2. Click the View tab.
3. In the Window group, click on the option for View Side by Side. The icon looks like two pieces of paper next to each other. If you have more than two files open, this will open a dialog box that will let you choose the file you want to view side by side with. Just click on the file to select it and click the OK button.
4. Excel should arrange the windows horizontally or vertically. If the windows did not arrange properly, press the Reset Window Position button, which is located on the View tab in the Window group and looks like two pieces of paper with arrows pointing towards each other. If you only have two documents open in Excel, you can also modify the arrangement by going to the View tab, and then Arrange All. Choose horizontal or vertical and then click the ok button.
5. When you scroll through a worksheet the other worksheet will scroll as well. This is referred to as “synchronous scrolling.”
6. To disable synchronous scrolling, click to deselect the synchronous scrolling icon on the View tab, in the Window group.
7. To close Side by Side view, click the View tab, and in the Window group, click to deselect the View Side by Side option.

How to View Two Documents Side by Side

Microsoft Word 2003, 2007, 2010

When examining changes between documents or when working with two at the same time, it would be nice to be able to see them both at once. In Word you can view two documents side by side, and even scroll through them at the same time. The Compare Side by Side feature places two documents on screen, right next to each other, so that you can easily work with both.

Follow the steps for your version of Word below.

Word 2003:

1. Ensure that you have more than one document open.
2. Click the Window menu.
3. Click the option for “Compare Side by Side with…”. If you only have one other file open, that file’s name will display. If you have more than two files open, this will open a dialog box that will let you choose the file you want to view side by side with. Just click on the file to select it and click the OK button.
4. Word will arrange the windows vertically.
5. When you scroll through a document the other document will scroll as well. This is referred to as “synchronous scrolling.”
6. To disable synchronous scrolling, click on the synchronous scrolling icon on the Compare Side by Side toolbar that appears when in Side by Side mode. It is the icon on the left side of the toolbar.
7. To close Side by Side view, click the Window menu and then click on Close Side by Side. You can also click on the same option from the Compare Side by Side toolbar.

Word 2007:

1. Ensure that you have more than one document open.
2. Click the View tab.
3. In the Window group, click on the option for View Side by Side. If you have more than two files open, this will open a dialog box that will let you choose the file you want to view side by side with. Just click on the file to select it and click the OK button.
4. Word will arrange the windows horizontally.
5. When you scroll through a document the other document will scroll as well. This is referred to as “synchronous scrolling.”
6. To disable synchronous scrolling, click to deselect the synchronous scrolling icon on the View tab, in the Window group.
7. To close Side by Side view, click the View tab, and in the Window group, click to deselect the View Side by Side option.

Word 2010:

1. Ensure that you have more than one document open.
2. Click the View tab.
3. In the Window group, click on the option for View Side by Side. If you have more than two files open, this will open a dialog box that will let you choose the file you want to view side by side with. Just click on the file to select it and click the OK button.
4. Word will arrange the windows horizontally.
5. When you scroll through a document the other document will scroll as well. This is referred to as “synchronous scrolling.”
6. To disable synchronous scrolling, click to deselect the synchronous scrolling icon on the View tab, in the Window group.
7. To close Side by Side view, click the View tab, and in the Window group, click to deselect the View Side by Side option.

How to View Two Presentations at the Same Time

Microsoft PowerPoint 2003, 2007, 2010

When creating a new presentation, it is often necessary to review a previous presentation to make sure that formatting and styles conform. With two presentations on screen at the same time, you can easily see differences between them, and make changes to both at once. The Arrange All feature does this quickly and easily. This will save you time and effort so that you do not have to continually switch back and forth between windows.

Follow the steps below for your version of PowerPoint.

PowerPoint 2003:

1. Ensure that you have more than one PowerPoint presentation open.
2. Click the Window menu.
3. Click on Arrange All.
4. The presentations will be arranged vertically, with each presentation taking up an equal amount of the screen. They will share the same main PowerPoint application window.
5. To close a single presentation, click the “x” icon in the upper-right corner of its window.
6. To maximize an individual presentation, click the maximize icon in the upper-right corner of its window.

PowerPoint 2007:

1. Ensure that you have more than one PowerPoint presentation open.
2. Click the View tab.
3. Click on Arrange All.
4. The presentations will be arranged vertically, with each presentation taking up an equal amount of the screen. They will share the same main PowerPoint application window.
5. To close a single presentation, click the “x” icon in the upper-right corner of its window.
6. To maximize an individual presentation, click the maximize icon in the upper-right corner of its window.

PowerPoint 2010:

1. Ensure that you have more than one PowerPoint presentation open.
2. Click the View tab.
3. Click on Arrange All.
4. The presentations will be arranged vertically, with each presentation taking up an equal amount of the screen. Each presentation will be in its own PowerPoint application window.
5. To close a single presentation, click the “x” icon in the upper-right corner of its window.
6. To maximize an individual presentation, click the maximize icon in the upper-right corner of its window.

Here are some of the methods our tech support folks recommend before you retype:

They say March Madness is the great workplace productivity killer. There’s a worse one: corrupted files.

Using Open and Repair in Excel (2002, 2003, 2007, 2010)

If you open a file and notice something is amiss, or you simply cannot open the file at all, there might be a problem with the structure of the file itself. This is known as “corruption.” It is a generic term used to describe files that are no longer working correctly. If you think your file is shot, give the Open and Repair utility a try. It might save you from having to recreate the entire file.

Starting the process is slightly different depending on your version of Excel.

Excel 2002 and 2003:

1. With the file closed, click the File menu.
2. Click Open.
3. Navigate to the file and select it, but do not double-click to open it.
4. Notice the drop-down arrow on the extreme right-side of the Open button. Click it to reveal options.
5. Choose “Open and Repair” to attempt to repair the file.
6. Choose Repair.

Excel 2007:

1. With the file closed, click the Office Button.
2. Click Open.
3. Navigate to the file and select it, but do not double-click to open it.
4. Notice the drop-down arrow on the extreme right-side of the Open button. Click it to reveal options.
5. Choose “Open and Repair” to attempt to repair the file.
6. Choose Repair.

Excel 2010:

1. With the file closed, click the File tab.
2. Click Open.
3. Navigate to the file and select it, but do not double-click to open it.
4. Notice the drop-down arrow on the extreme right-side of the Open button. Click it to reveal options.
5. Choose “Open and Repair” to attempt to repair the file.
6. Choose Repair.

You will be given two options: repair or extract data. The repair option should be used first. Excel will attempt to automatically repair the file. If Excel finds corruption, it will let you know that it repaired what it could. If Excel could not find any corruption, then your file will open normally, and something else could be causing the trouble. Hopefully, after repairing, the file should work as expected. Save the file and continue your work.

The extract data option should be used if the repair option did not fix the corruption. This will strip all formatting from the file, removing many other elements as well. You are usually just left with the raw data and formulas. This is a last-resort option, as it often requires a lot of time reapplying formatting and other elements, such as charts, to get the file back to a satisfactory state. Sometimes this is the only way you can open certain files, unless you have a working backup copy.

For steps on how to use open and repair in Microsoft Word, click here.

How to Recover Data in a Damaged Excel File (2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010)

One of the most frustrating moments you can experience is having your computer freeze, causing you to lose work or a file to become damaged. If your file is misbehaving, try one of these methods.

METHOD ONE:

Excel 2003 and older:

1. Before starting, make sure you know the name and location of the problem file. Click on the File menu and select Open.
2. Click the folder that has the damaged workbook file. Make a note of the damaged workbook filename while you are here, then click the Cancel button.
3. Click the File menu, click New, and click on Blank workbook.
4. In cell A1, type an equals sign, then a single quotation mark, followed by the full path to the damaged file and then the name of the damaged workbook file in square brackets. Next, add the name of a worksheet in the damaged workbook (without brackets around it), then another single quote, and then an exclamation mark. Add the cell reference of the first cell you want to pull in, most likely A1. For example: =’C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\[filename.xls]worksheet’!A1
5. Click the fill handle of cell A1, and drag down to select the number of rows you want to recover. (The fill handle is the black square in the bottom right corner of a selected cell; your mouse cursor should appear as a black plus symbol when hovered over the fill handle.)
6. Click the fill handle again (with all the cells still selected), and drag to the right to select the number of columns you want to recover.
7. With all of the cells selected, press Ctrl+C to copy them.
8. Click the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, select Values, and click OK.

Note: This technique can be used in any version of Excel, but does not recover formulas, only formula results.

Excel 2007:

1. Before starting, make sure you know the name and location of the problem file. Click on the Office button and select Open.
2. Click the folder that has the damaged workbook file. Make a note of the damaged workbook filename while you are here, then click the Cancel button.
3. Click the Office button, click New, choose Blank Workbook, and click OK.
4. In cell A1, type an equals sign, then a single quotation mark, followed by the full path to the damaged file and then the name of the damaged workbook file in square brackets. Next, add the name of a worksheet in the damaged workbook (without brackets around it), then another single quote, and then an exclamation mark. Add the cell reference of the first cell you want to pull in, most likely A1. For example: =’C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\[filename.xls]worksheet’!A1
5. Click the fill handle of cell A1, and drag down to select the number of rows you want to recover. (The fill handle is the black square in the bottom right corner of a selected cell; your mouse cursor should appear as a black plus symbol when hovered over the fill handle.)
6. Click the fill handle again (with all the cells still selected), and drag to the right to select the number of columns you want to recover.
7. With all of the cells selected, press Ctrl+C to copy them.
8. Click the Home tab, select Paste Special from the Paste drop-down list, select Values, and click OK.

Note: This technique can be used in any version of Excel, but does not recover formulas, only formula results.

Excel 2010:

1. Before starting, make sure you know the name and location of the problem file. Click on the File tab and select Open.
2. Click the folder that has the damaged workbook file. Make a note of the damaged workbook filename while you are here, then click the Cancel button.
3. Click the File tab, click New, choose Blank Workbook, and then click Create.
4. In cell A1, type an equal sign, then a single quotation mark, followed by the full path to the damaged file and then the name of the damaged workbook file in square brackets. Next, add the name of a worksheet in the damaged workbook (without brackets around it), then another single quote, and then an exclamation mark. Add the cell reference of the first cell you want to pull in, most likely A1. For example: =’C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\[filename.xls]worksheet’!A1
5. Click the fill handle of cell A1, and drag down to select the number of rows you want to recover. (The fill handle is the black square in the bottom right corner of a selected cell; your mouse cursor should appear as a black plus symbol when hovered over the fill handle.)
6. Click the fill handle again (with all the cells still selected), and drag to the right to select the number of columns you want to recover.
7. With all of the cells selected, press Ctrl+C to copy them.
8. Click the Home tab, select Paste Special from the Paste drop-down list, select Values, and click OK.

Note: This technique can be used in any version of Excel, but does not recover formulas, only formula results.

METHOD TWO (Excel 2002 and 2003 only):

1. From the Windows Start menu, point to All Programs, select Microsoft Office 2003, choose Microsoft Office Tools, and click Microsoft Office Application Recovery.
2. In the Application list, click the document that is not responding.
3. To attempt to recover the files you are working on, click Recover Application.
4. To close the program and lose recent changes to the files, click End Application.
5. Click Cancel when done.

Note: Excel 2000, 2007, and 2010 do not have this feature.

(For an alternate method of salvaging corrupt Word docs, click here.)

Recover Slides from a Damaged PowerPoint (2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010)

Microsoft PowerPoint has a time-saving feature that allows you to effortlessly bring in slides from other presentations; it is called Insert Slides from Files. While it was designed for other purposes, this feature may be able to help you rescue a damaged presentation and save you hours of reconstruction work.

PowerPoint 2003 and older:

1. Use a new blank presentation as the starting point. You can even do this from the Slide Sorter view.
2. Click the Insert menu and choose Slides from Files.
3. In the Slide Finder dialog box, on the Find Presentation tab, click the Browse button to find the presentation containing the slides you want to bring in. When you have found it, double-click to open it or click once on the file and then click the Open button.
4. In the Slide Finder dialog box, you should now see thumbnails of all the slides in the presentation you chose. If you do not see the previews, click the Display button. In versions 2002 and 2003, you will also see a checkbox marked Keep Source Formatting. If you want the slides you are inserting to keep the formatting they have in the original presentation, put a checkmark in this box. Note: This may bring in corruption from a damaged file; if this happens, insert the slides in a new presentation again without the formatting.
5. To insert a slide right away, double-click on it. That slide is immediately put into the presentation. To insert several slides, click once on each slide you want to insert (you do not need to hold down any keys, just click once on each slide) then click Insert. To insert all the slides from the other presentation, simply click the Insert All button.
6. At this point, you can browse to another file or click the Close button to close the Slide Finder dialog box.
7. For damaged presentations, make sure you save your presentation with a new name.

PowerPoint 2007 and 2010:

1. Use a new blank presentation as the starting point. You can even do this from the Slide Sorter view.
2. Click the Home tab, click the New Slide drop-down arrow, and choose Reuse Slides.
3. In the Reuse Slides pane, click the Browse button and select Browse File to find the presentation containing the slides you want to bring in. When you have found it, double-click to open it or click once on the file and then click the Open button.
4. In the Reuse Slides pane, you should now see thumbnails of all the slides in the presentation you chose. You will also see a checkbox marked Keep Source Formatting. If you want the slides you are inserting to keep the formatting they have in the original presentation, put a checkmark in this box. Note: This may bring in corruption from a damaged file; if that happens, insert the slides in a new presentation again without the formatting.
5. To insert a slide right away, click on it. Repeat for each slide, or to insert all of the slides, right-click any thumbnail and choose Insert All Slides.
6. At this point, you can browse to another file or click the “X” button to close the Reuse Slides pane.
7. For damaged presentations, make sure you save your presentation with a new name.

Tips were researched and written by PC Helps staff. For other helpful methods of dealing with damaged files, click on the following:

• Recover text from any file.
• Repair an Access database.
• Recover data from a damaged Project file.

4 top tips for adding hyperlinks.

Creating a Hyperlink to Another Presentation or Web Page (Microsoft PowerPoint 2003, 2007, 2010)

During a slide show, you may find you need to either launch another presentation or access a web page. Here’s how you do it:

PowerPoint 2003 and older:

1. In your presentation, click an object or text that you want to use as the jumping off point or shortcut.
2. Click on the Insert menu and choose Hyperlink, or press Ctrl+K.
3. Enter the Web address or path and filename.
4. Click OK.

PowerPoint 2007 and 2010:

1. In your presentation, click an object or text that you want to use as the jumping off point or shortcut.
2. Click on the Insert tab and choose Hyperlink, or press Ctrl+K.
3. In the Address bar, enter the Web address or path and filename.
4. Click OK.

If you chose text to be used as the shortcut, you will notice that it is underlined. If you selected a graphic, you will not notice any difference.

Note: Although you created a hyperlink, it will not function as such until you are running the slide show.

Using Action Buttons to Navigate in a Slide Show (Microsoft PowerPoint 2003, 2007, 2010)

When you are presenting a slide show to an audience, you have several options on how to advance to a new slide. It is easy enough to click your way from slide to slide, but what do you do if you want to skip a slide, or move a few slides back in the sequence to emphasize a point?

PowerPoint lets you control navigation with action buttons. In this tip, we show you how to add buttons that let you navigate to wherever you want to go without having to disrupt your presentation. We also show you how to set up your show in kiosk mode so that others can control the presentation using the action buttons you have created.

First, creating action buttons:

PowerPoint 2003 and older:

1. Open your presentation.
2. Click on the Slide Show menu, select Action Button, and choose the blank button style, called “Custom.”
3. Click and drag your mouse to where you want the button to appear. The Action Settings dialog will appear once you stop dragging.
4. Click the “Hyperlink to” radio button.
5. In the “Hyperlink to” drop-down list, choose Slide; a dialog box will appear listing all the slides in the presentation. Choose the slide you want to link to, and then click OK twice to return to your current slide.
6. Now you will need to create a button to return to your original slide. Go to the slide you linked to in the previous step. Create an action button there. When the list of button designs appears, choose the one called “Return” (it looks like a U-shaped arrow). When you click on the slide to create the button, the “Hyperlink to” action automatically will be set to last slide viewed; if it is not, choose that action from the drop-down list. Click OK.

PowerPoint 2007 and 2010:

1. Open your presentation.
2. Click on the Home tab and click the Shapes button in the drawing section. At the bottom of the list of shapes, you will see action buttons; choose the blank button style, called “Custom.”
3. Click and drag your mouse to where you want the button to appear. The Action Settings dialog will appear once you stop dragging.
4. Click the “Hyperlink to” radio button.
5. In the “Hyperlink to” drop-down, choose Slide; a dialog box will appear listing all the slides in the presentation. Choose the slide you want to link to, and then click OK twice to return to your current slide.
6. Now you will need to create a button to return to your original slide. Go to the slide you linked to in the previous step. Create an action button there. When the list of button designs appears, choose the one called “Return” (it looks like a U-shaped arrow). When you click on the slide to create the button, the “Hyperlink to” action automatically will be set to Last Slide Viewed. If it is not, choose that action from the drop-down list. Click OK.

The “Return” button is not the only control that lets you quickly switch to a predefined slide. The list of preset action buttons includes buttons called “Beginning,” “End” and “Home.” “Beginning” and “Home” take you to the first slide in the presentation, and “End” takes you to the last. There are also “Next” and “Previous” buttons that will move you to the next or the previous slide.

You can also add text to the buttons if you want to make their operations clearer to people viewing the show. Simply right-click on the button, choose Add Text, and type your text.

Action buttons can make your presentation easy to follow if you set it up for other people to run. If you set your presentation to run at a kiosk, you do not have to run it yourself — you can let people run it on their own, and run it any way they wish. This is great if you are creating a presentation for a conference or a trade show. When the slide show is run, the viewers will have to make a series of choices. Depending on which buttons they click, they are taken to different areas of the presentation to receive the precise information that they are interested in.

To set your presentation to run in kiosk mode:

PowerPoint 2003:

1. Click on the Slide Show menu and select Set Up Show.
2. In the Set Up Show dialog box, click the “Browsed at a kiosk (full screen)” option.
3. In the Advance Slides area, select “Manually.”
4. Click OK.

PowerPoint 2007 and 2010:

1. Click on the Slide Show tab and select Set Up Show.
2. In the Set Up Show dialog box, click the “Browsed at a kiosk (full screen)” option.
3. In the Advance Slides area, select “Manually.”
4. Click OK.

Now run the slide show. Because you have chosen to manually advance the slides, your normal options for moving to a new slide, such as clicking on the slide’s background or using the page up and page down keys, will not work; in kiosk mode, you can only use action buttons to move between the slides. This makes the whole presentation truly interactive. If the user reaches the last slide, or if the presentation is inactive on a slide for longer than five minutes, PowerPoint returns to the first slide automatically.

How to Create a Hyperlink in Excel (Microsoft Excel 2003, 2007, 2010)

When you are working with data in a file you may need to refer to other information in another location. Hyperlinks make this a simple task.

Hyperlinks can take you to another location on the current worksheet, to a location on different worksheet, to a location in another Excel file, to another type of file, to an address on the Internet, or even an e-mail address.

Excel 2003:

1. Click in the cell where you want the hyperlink to appear.
2. Click on the Insert menu and choose Hyperlink.
3. Choose the type of place that you want to link to.
4. Enter the location and adjust the text to display, if you desire.
5. Click OK.

Excel 2007 and 2010:

1. Click in the cell where you want the hyperlink to appear.
2. Click on the Insert tab and choose Hyperlink.
3. Choose the type of place that you want to link to.
4. Enter the location and adjust the text to display, if you desire.
5. Click OK.

Note: You can also open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box by pressing Ctrl+K in any version of Excel. This would replace step two.

Handling Pesky Automatic Hyperlinks (Microsoft Word 2003, 2007, 2010)

A common nuisance when working with URLs and e-mail addresses is Office’s automatic creation of hyperlinks. For example, if you type a web or e-mail address in a document, you may notice that it is automatically colored blue and underlined, indicating that it is now a hyperlink. Sometimes this is helpful; but if you find it inconvenient, you can always disable the feature permanently or temporarily.

To make the change permanent:

Word 2003:

1. Click on the Tools menu and choose AutoCorrect.
2. Click on the AutoFormat As You Type tab and, in the Replace As You Type section, deselect the Internet and Network Paths with Hyperlinks setting.
3. Click OK.

Word 2007 and 2010:

1. Click on the File tab, select Options, and choose Proofing.
2. Click on the AutoCorrect Options button and click on the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
3. In the Replace As You Type section, deselect the Internet and Network Paths with Hyperlinks setting.
4. Click OK twice.

To make the change for a single instance:

All Versions:

To keep the option enabled but temporarily disable it for a newly created hyperlink, just press Ctrl+Z immediately after the link is generated.

Here are some tips:

Export Keynote for iPad presentations to your Mac or PC

1. Connect your iPad to your PC or Mac. In iTunes, select your iPad from the Devices list.
2. Select the Apps tab from your iPad Settings window.
3. Scroll down to the File Sharing section. Select Keynote from the apps list. You will now see a list of all the Keynote presentations on your iPad. Select the one you want to transfer to your computer, and click the Save To button.
4. Browse to the folder on your hard drive where you want to save the presentation. Select it and then click the Choose button.
5. Your file will be copied.

Import presentations to Keynote on iPad

1. Connect your iPad to your PC or Mac. In iTunes, select your iPad from the Devices list.
2. Select the Apps tab from your iPad Settings window.
3. Scroll down to the File Sharing section, and select Keynote from apps list. In the Keynote Documents section you’ll see a list of presentations available in Keynote on the iPad.
4. Select the Add button.
5. Navigate to the presentation you want to copy to your iPad to edit or view in Keynote for the iPad. Keep in mind that with Keynote for iPad, you can edit only Keynote 2009 or PowerPoint presentations.
6. Select your file and click Choose.
7. Your presentation will now appear in the Keynote Documents section.
8. Launch Keynote on your iPad and tap the icon that looks like a down-pointing arrow and a square bracket (it should be at the bottom of the screen in the center). Choose “Copy from iTunes.”
9. Select the PowerPoint presentation you just uploaded to your iPad.
10. Keynote will now import your uploaded presentation.
11. Depending on the presentation, you may get a warning about incompatible fonts or other features that will slightly change the look of the presentation. Click “Done” to get past the screen, and check your presentation to be sure.

Import documents to Pages on iPad

1. Connect your iPad to your PC or Mac. In iTunes, select your iPad from the Devices list.
2. Choose the Apps tab from the top.
3. Scroll down to the File Sharing section. From the Apps list in the File Sharing section, select Pages. In the Pages Documents section you’ll see a list of all the documents that Pages for the iPad has saved.
4. Click the Add button.
5. Navigate to the document you want to transfer, select it and click the Choose button. Keep in mind that with Pages for iPad, you can edit documents only with the following file formats: Pages 2009 for Mac, MS Word, Office Open XML and Office 97 (or later).
6. Your document will now be listed in the Pages Documents column.

(To export documents from your iPad to your Mac or PC, select the file from the Pages Documents column and click the Save To button. Browse to your destination folder and click Choose.)

Other useful iPad tips:

• Cut, paste, and more: To copy text on the iPad, simply double-tap a word. To copy an entire paragraph, tap a word four times.
• Hard reset: If the iPad freezes, press and hold the power and home buttons for a few seconds. To force quit a frozen app, press and hold the home button for a few.
• Mute: Hold the volume button down for two seconds will give you a quick-mute.
• Screenshots: Press and hold the power and home buttons for about half a second (the screen will flicker). The 768×1024 screenshot will be stored in your library.

I’m accustomed to a full keyboard, and my ham hands haven’t worked well with the touch keyboard.

I was giddy when I heard I was getting my mitts on it. I’ve resisted buying one, convincing myself that throwing down $500 to $800 for something just because it’s “neat” is not reason enough. I’m not in the sales or medical fields, either. My jobs — tech support and writing — do not require that I own one, but I suspect I will soon find reason enough to.

With this is mind, I begin my experiment. I’m taking a week-long trip (for pleasure, not business) and I am leaving the laptop at home and instead conducting all my work-that-I-shouldn’t-be-doing-while-vacationing solely on the iPad.

Here’s what’s on the agenda:

I will be doing a little bit of editing (my father’s on a cross-country RV trip and I’m his blog editor), a lot of tweeting, too much reading, plenty of e-mailing and a bit of writing. I also am expected to learn Keynote, which is the iPad equivalent of PowerPoint.

Much has been written in the news lately about the iPad’s value as a business tool. It’s compact, powerful, stylish and lightweight. The iPad — and tablets in general — are touted as revolutionary for business.

I’ve had the iPad for a week so far, and I’ve run into a few snags. I’m accustomed to a full keyboard, and my ham hands haven’t worked well with the touch keyboard. I’m getting nimbler though. Also, I’m not used to its size. (Is it a supersized cell phone? A teensy laptop?) I’ve been limited to either a full-size monitor or a microscopic smart phone screen.

And then there’s the no-mouse issue. I’m become anxious thinking about having to work without my digital security blanket, the right-click.

I’ve worked my way through most of the bumps, and am getting the hang of the device pretty quickly. A few points of note already: The battery life is stellar, and so is the design. The Netflix app is lovely, too.

Expect a report when I return next week.

In reality, business cannot be put on hold while users adjust to a new software version.

At PC Helps, the Office 2010 calls have quickly increased from a trickle to a stream. Most are coming from customers whose IT departments skipped an Office 2007 migration and were holding out for 2010. As with 2003-to-2007 migrations, 2003-to-2010 promises to throw a few challenges the way of end users and IT departments. Adjusting to the new ribbon interface is often the first obstacle. Once users adjust, plenty more follow.

Below we present the top five end user challenges so your IT department knows what to expect during the migration crunch.

1. Adjusting to a materially different interface

The “ribbon” and other new aspects of the Office 2007 interface reflect major changes in the look and feel of the core Office applications. In Office 2010, these differences carry forward and are coupled with the incorporation of the ribbon into Outlook, impacting usability of this critical communications application.

User confusion and frustration is almost guaranteed when attempting to learn and work with the ribbon for the first time. Basic functions that were performed without effort in the past, such as opening and closing files, managing day-to-day calendar and meeting entries, and applying formats, require a relearning process with the new application versions. For some users, relearning these basic functions is fairly straightforward, and for others it takes a more effort and help. More complex tasks in PowerPoint, Excel, Word or Access often require a combination of training and support in the migration process.

2. Recreating and reformatting important documents

As with any new or changed software, incompatibility with prior versions may require users to manually rework documents. Compatibility of versions has been a focus for Microsoft over the years, and improves with every new release. But users don’t always follow the best practices when creating documents, and end up with versions which are not automatically converted with an upgrade.

Files received from outside the organization in older formats may not open properly and need some rework or, sometimes, may need to be resent. Files with links, Access databases (especially if they integrate with other systems or use extensive code), and custom animations in older PowerPoint versions may be corrupted or impacted by compatibility issues. In cases where users have documents they regularly use, often containing complex formulas or formatting, and which need to be updated to the new versions, there can be a significant amount of time spent on reformatting and recreating documents.

3. Dealing with deadlines and urgency

In reality, business cannot be put on hold while users adjust to a new software version. Critical deadlines loom, and day-to-day urgent matters still need to be handled. During a migration, end users may find themselves stymied by lack of familiarity with a new Office application just at a time when they are facing these deadlines.

Of particular note among these end users are administrative support staff, who are often managing calendars and communications for managers and executives. Downtime is not an option for them either. In these circumstances, self-help, training and tutorials often compound frustration.

4. Using Office across a range of mobile devices and computers

The proliferation of new and different mobile and computing devices is changing the corporate computing landscape. (See Oct. 8’s blog post for recent stats about the iPhone and Android in the enterprise.) Employees now access standard Office applications across a range of devices and often from remote locations. Adapting to and syncing upgraded software and OS versions impacts end users in these mixed environments.

For example, to edit documents in the new Office 2007 file formats on a Windows Mobile device, an Office Mobile upgrade is required. Many users are not aware of this and don’t understand why they cannot successfully use the application. Another example, this one from the Apple side: The settings to sync an Entourage calendar to an iPad are not entirely obvious, and end users must also make sure they have the latest updates from Microsoft.

Many help desks have altered their policies to allow outside devices but are not able to offer support for these non-company issued devices. End users often search on their own for “how-to” support in online help communities and in-product menus. Even worse, they attempt workarounds that bypass updates and patches altogether, forgoing improved functionalities or simply not making full use of the devices or applications.

5. Finding help when it’s needed

According to a May 2010 Gartner report, one of the Windows 7/Office 2010 migration pitfalls to avoid is not seeking professional help early enough.

“Don’t underestimate the requirements for skills and services. It is often common to enlist an external service provider, especially for help with design and planning features,” writes Gartner researcher Michael Silver in Computerworld article about the report. “In addition to proper training for technical staff, make sure the service provider is contracted to transfer sufficient skills so staff can manage the new environment after the cutover.”

In addition to help with migration design and planning, help is needed on the end user side as well. As the migration process unfolds and users begin incorporating new or upgraded software into their everyday routines, it is essential that they quickly master tasks and processes relevant to their specific jobs in the new software environment. It is also important that they have access to additional help if they need it – which may be at points before, during or beyond the migration dates. Issues and causes users experience related to finding help include:

• Training was taken at the time of the upgrade, but a particular application or function has not been used since, and the user has forgotten how to use it. (Classic “use it or lose it” scenario.)

• Training and tutorials were planned by the user, but not completed due to limited time availability, and user now has an urgent need. Executives and higher level staff, or personnel who spend most of their time on the road, frequently experience this situation.

• General training and help tools may not be specific enough to the users’ particular needs.

• For a variety of reasons, in-product help and search tools do not provide the help needed, or are considered inadequate by certain user groups.

• Some personnel may rely on an assistant for support, and with that person unavailable, may not know how to access certain critical documents or handle certain tasks.

When employees find themselves in these situations, they often need help right away. They can’t afford the downtime associated with submitting a help desk ticket or waiting for next-day follow up. If they can’t get the application expertise needed from the help desk, they will seek out help from their co-workers, struggle with generic help menus, look to hand off the work to a delegate if they have one, or just not complete the task.

Can your company afford that?

(Jen Sweeney)

For further reading:

From NetworkWorld: 5 tips for a smooth Windows 7 migration

From Computerworld/Gartner: Pitfalls to Avoid on the Road to Windows 7 and Office 2010 Migration

One of our consultants at work.

Our help desk handles many “how to” calls, which often have straightforward solutions. Sometimes, however, the requests that come in require a little more creativity from our consultants.

On a recent call, consultant Bradley Lyman found an ingenious way around a potential hurdle.

Lyman received a call from a customer asking for help copying a YouTube video for a presentation. There was one snag, however; the customer did not have rights to use the video. His presentation, which he was scheduled to show to an auditorium full of people, would be incomplete without a video of a juggler.

The presentation was due, and getting rights would have been a challenge.

Lyman wasted no time, and tapped fellow consultant Jorg Freiberg and team leader Ken Wilson for help. Lyman remembered seeing Freiberg juggling on his breaks and knew that Wilson had just bought a new iPhone with a video camera. The result was a copyright-free juggling video, which was produced and delivered to the customer in under an hour. File that under “Above and Beyond.” (Jen Darr)

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After more than an hour of trial and error, she couldn’t find the feature she used in previous versions, so she devised a workaround with the space bar to nudge and align.

She asked two of her fellow teachers for help. They couldn’t figure it out either, and they too were using the spacebar fix.

Her opinion of Office 2007 after this experience?

“It sucks. I hate it.”

Teacher A spent more than an hour coming up with her Band-aid workaround. But her solution isn’t a solution at all: She now spends more time on each presentation nudging and aligning.

If she would have called her school district help desk, a consultant would have solved her problem in less than half the time. She could have passed along the information to her colleagues, saving them each an hour. She may have even learned how to use tools that are new to the version.

When asked why she didn’t call the help desk, she said she didn’t think the question was important enough. Besides, she added, she didn’t have time to waste on the phone.

Her opinion of Office 2007 after this experience? “It sucks. I hate it.”

This is typical in workplaces. Even at companies where quality desktop application support is offered, employees hesitate to utilize the service.

One reason is to avoid embarrassment. Many workers have learned their computer skills informally on the job, so they are reluctant to call the help desk for what they perceive is a “stupid” question.

Another reason, and chief among them, is an assumed time investment. Most people have had a frustrating help desk experience or two, where they were placed on hold, forced to listen to tinny, instrumental versions of Cat Stevens hits, only to be “helped” — eventually — by someone who is familiar with everything but proficient in nothing.

So instead, they tap the office software “expert” for help, pulling her away from her job and wasting twice the company effort. Or they fruitlessly scan Microsoft Help files and search the web.

The result is a whopping waste of investment in software. The point of an upgrade is to give users new, usually improved and expanded capabilities. If employees do not have access to training and support, they will naturally come to the conclusion that Office 2007 sucks. That sucks for your bottom line. (Jen Darr)

MORE INFO IN: Office 2007 migration checklist | contact PC Helps

PowerPoint style “routinely disrupts, dominates and trivializes content.”

This is good news for the obvious reasons – because he believes in transparency and accountability – but also because he is such an information purist. Perhaps some of his presentation principles will rub off on corporate workers.

A little background: Tufte’s article, titled “PowerPoint is Evil” and published in Wired in 2003, should be required reading for the c-suite, if not business majors. In it, he laments the fact that PowerPoint doesn’t serve as a supplement to presentations, as it promises; rather, it has replaced them.

Tufte continues by saying that the PowerPoint style “routinely disrupts, dominates and trivializes content.” He even compares it to Stalin.

He offers a colorful metaphor:

“Imagine a widely used and expensive prescription drug that promised to make us beautiful but didn’t. Instead the drug had frequent, serious side effects: It induced stupidity, turned everyone into bores, wasted time, and degraded the quality and credibility of communication. These side effects would rightly lead to a worldwide product recall.”

Tufte’s piece is funny, and you could say it’s a bit impassioned, but think of the presentations you have sat through, or the ones you’ve forced upon your colleagues.  Many workers would benefit from a little PowerPoint training, at the very least.

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They’re valuable people to have on your team. If only more of your employees were so clever with the computer, your business would hum.

Shadow support may seem harmless, but it’s actually taking two employees away from their jobs. That’s double-downtime.

Unfortunately, not everyone’s strength is software or logic — and that’s just fine. (I can’t do my own taxes; that’s why I outsource it to my mother.) However, you cannot continue relying on the office computer guy forever. As much as he saves your office’s collective rear-end on a regular basis, the time he’s spending doing something other than his job is costing you dearly.

There are two types of downtime: unavoidable and avoidable. Unavoidable downtime includes hardware malfunctions or network connectivity problems — problems that will always exist and are really just part of running an IT infrastructure.

Avoidable downtime is where the office expert comes in, and includes shadow support, self-help, and no help at all.

Shadow support is defined as one employee asking a colleague (the office tech “expert”) for assistance with their problem. While it may seem harmless, it’s actually taking two employees away from their primary job functions to solve a problem. That’s double-downtime.

Other instances of avoidable downtime include self-help, which is a proven time waster; and no help at all, which means employees are finding unreliable workarounds.

Both hurt you in the end (see an earlier post, Chaos Among the Calculations) and all three affect your TCO, or total cost of ownership.

According to research performed by Cap, Gemini, Ernst & Young, non-IT employees spend nearly 136 hours per year trying to solve computer-related problems. In an ongoing end-user survey conducted by PC Helps Support over the past 15 years, knowledge workers estimate that without an immediate, reliable outlet for software application support, they would spend an average of three hours per incident trying to resolve the question or problem on their own.

The productivity impact of this avoidable downtime is huge. If a worker making $52,000 annually spends three hours on one solution without support, that costs you $75. That same worker will likely need help on other software issues four times per year, which bumps up the cost to $300. In a company with 1,200 end-users, with a 50 percent population call projection, each seeking help four times per year: 600 x $300 = $180,000. Huge, indeed. (Jen Darr)

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