Here is how to enable viewing file extensions. First you need to know where to find the file and folder options in Windows Vista.

Open up Windows Explorer by selecting Documents, Music, Pictures or any folder ...

Select Organize and then Folder and Search Options from the drop-down list.
Select the View tab and then remove the check mark from the box labeled Hide extensions for known file types

Now the file extensions will be displayed.

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Each text box or image you add to a PowerPoint slide is neatly aligned to a grid. It can be quite difficult to place an object outside the grid, because PowerPoint keeps trying to snap the objects to the grid. To be able to more accurately place an object, adjust the Snap objects to Grid setting. You can do that like this:

In PowerPoint 2007:

Click the Format tab
Click Align
Click Grid Settings
Click to remove the check mark beside Snap objects to grid
Click OK

In earlier versions of PowerPoint:

Click View / Grid and Guides
Click Click to remove the check mark beside Snap objects to grid
Click OK

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Sometimes when you try to play a PowerPoint presentation on another PC, the sound is missing. In that case the sound files that you added to the presentation have not been copied. PowerPoint only embeds small sound files in the presentation. Larger sound files are loaded from the hard drive of your computer. The presentation only contains links to these large sound files. You can solve this problem like this:

Open the presentation on the PC where it was originally created

In PowerPoint 2007

Click the embedded sound icon
Click the Options tab
Set the value next to Max Sound File Size (KB) that you need. If your sound file is 200KB you need to set this value to least 201KB. The maximum file size is 50 MB.

In earlier versions of PowerPoint:

Add the sound file again
Save the presentation

The size of the presentation has increased because of the added sound file. Changes made to this setting do not have a retroactive effect. This means that sound files that were linked to the presentation before changes were made to the maximum file size settings, are no longer automatically embedded in the presentation. If you want these files to be embedded in your presentation, they have to be removed and added to the presentation again.

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Word contains a useful feature called Protect Document. You can turn this feature on in an opened document like this:

In Word 2007:

Click the Review tab
Click Protect Document

In Word 2003:

Click Tools / Protect Document

Now you see a window where you can restrict the possibilities for formatting and editing in this document.

Click to check mark the options you want to use
Click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection

This is how to prevent others from making changes to your document.

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Some people use the option to request a read receipt for each e-mail they send. By default, Outlook will respond to these requests by asking if you want to send the read receipt. If you want to change this setting in Outlook, do the following:

Click Tools / Options
Click the Preferences tab
Click E-mail Options
Click Tracking Options

A window appears where you can select your preferred response to a read receipt request: "Always send a response", "Never send a response", or "Ask me before sending a response".

Click OK three times to close all windows

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In Microsoft Word you can quickly increase the font size for a selected word or text fragment using this key combination:

Press Ctrl + Shift + > at the same time

To decrease the font size:

Press Ctrl + Shift + < at the same time

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You can let Outlook display a notification on your desktop each time you receive a new e-mail message. Here is how to do that.

In the Outlook window:

Click Tools / Options
Click the tab Preferences / E-mail Options
Click Advanced E-mail Options
Click to check mark Display a New Mail Desktop Alert
Click OK three times to close all windows

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If you regularly use an existing Word document as a basis for a new document, you run the risk of accidentally saving the changes and overwriting the original document. To prevent this from happening, you can do the following:

In Word 2007:

Click Office button / Open

In older versions of Word:

Click File / Open

Now you see the Open window.

Select the desired file
Click the arrow next to the Open button

A menu appears.

Click Open as Copy

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In Microsoft Word you can quickly copy a selection by dragging it to another part of the document while at the same time holding down the CTRL button. This is known as drag-and-drop editing. Move the Mouse pointer to the right spot, release the Mouse button and voilá, the selection is copied. Use this same method to copy a selection to another Word document:

Open the source document
Open the target document
Place both windows side by side on your desktop

Select the desired part of the source document
Hold the CTRL button down
Drag the selection to the location where you want to copy (drop) it.
Release the mouse button to "drop" the selection.
Release the CTRL button

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To be able to print only a part of a larger Excel sheet, you can do the following

Select the portion of the spreadsheet you want to print

In Excel 2007:

Click Office button / Print

In Excel 2003 and earlier

Click File / Print

Now you see the Print window.

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When you copy a picture straight from a web page to a Word document, most likely a hyperlink connected to the image is copied as well. If that is the case, a small pop-up window appears every time you place the mouse pointer on the image in the Word document.

You can remove a hyperlink from your Word document like this:

Right-click the image. A menu will then appear.

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When you use Excel to create an address list, you use separate columns for each item. For example: Name, Address, City, State, Zip Code. If you change your mind about this setup and decide that you would prefer to combine columns, for example, the state and the zip code in one separate column, you can use the following trick.
In this example cell D2 contains the state and cell E2 contains the zip code. You can enter both in cell F2, separated by a space:

Type the equal = sign in cell F2
Click cell D2
Type the ampersand & sign
Type the double quotes " sign
Type two spaces
Type the double quotes " sign
Type the ampersand & sign
Click cell E2
Press Enter.

Cell F2 now contains the formula =D2&" "&E2
In normal language this formula means: enter the value from cell D2, add two spaces and then enter the value from cell E2. In cell F2 the state and the zip code appear, separated by two spaces.
If you like real formulas, you can also enter this formula in cell F2:
=CONCATENATE(D2;" ";E2)
You can copy this formula to the rest of column using this Excel trick:

Click cell F2
Place the mouse pointer on the small black square in the bottom right corner of the cell

The mouse pointer changes into a black + sign.

Drag the mouse pointer down over the rest of the column.

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In Word it is very easy to copy the formatting from a selection of text and apply it to another. You can do this by using the Format Painter. This is usually much faster than going through several menus to apply different formatting options to a section of text:

In this picture you can see the Format Painter icon on the Home tab in Word 2007.

In this picture you can see the Format Painter icon in Word 2003.

Place the cursor in the section of text with the formatting you wish to copy.

Single-click the Format Painter icon.
Drag over the selection of text once to copy the formatting. Your cursor will change back to normal and you can continue working.

If you want to apply the formatting to more than one section:

Double-click the Format Painter icon.
Copy the formatting to as many selections of text as you like. To stop using the Format Painter after double-clicking it, just click the icon again (or press escape).

Tip:
If you're using Word 2007 and find yourself using this feature frequently, right click the Format Painter icon and select "Add to Quick Access Toolbar". Now it will be available regardless of what part of the ribbon you're in:

This feature is also available in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint

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If you want text to break to a new line in a cell you can use the key combination Alt + Enter to insert a line break. Excel moves to the next line—but not the next cell—adjusting the height of the cell as needed to include your text. You can also adjust the column width to display the entire text. But if you want to preserve the same column width across multiple cells, you can try the following:

Select the desired cell(s) containing the text

In Excel 2007:

Click the Wrap Text icon Right-click in the group Alignment on the Home tab

In older versions of Excel:

Excel now automatically wraps the text and resizes the row height as needed.

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You can add moving pictures (animations) to e-mails you create in Outlook Express or Windows Mail. As a service to our newsletter subscribers, we offer a collection of free animations on our website. The website is updated regularly and all of the images are small in bandwidth.

Download any of these free animated images from www.visualsteps.com/animations.
Start a new message in Outlook Express or Windows Mail

Click in the text box area of the message
Click Insert / Picture
Go to the folder where you saved the animated image. For example in Windows Vista, in your Pictures folder, or in Windows XP in your My Pictures folder.
Click the animated picture
Click Open

Now you see that the animated picture has been added to your message. Add any additional text and press Send. You can also add the animated picture to your website or blog.

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Microsoft Office users have a large amount of readymade templates at their disposal, for example business cards, calendars, schedules, greeting cards, etcetera. You can download these templates for free from this web page.

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Here is how to place two tables next to each other in a Word document:

Create two tables with the same size below each other.
Make sure the table width does not exceed half the page
Select both tables

In Word 2007:

Click the Page Layout tab
Click Columns / Two

In older versions of Word:

Click Format / Columns
Click Two below Presets in the Columns window
Click OK

Now the two tables are displayed next to each other.

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When you copy text from another document or from a web page to a Word document, you often carry along the formatting as well. Sometimes that's exactly what you want, but more often it's incompatible with the formatting of the document you're working on. You can prevent this from happening by using the option Paste Special:

Open both the target document and the source you want to copy from
Select and copy the desired text from the document or web page
Click the desired location in the target document

In Word 2007:

Click the Home tab
Click Paste / Paste Special

In older versions of Word:

Click Edit / Paste Special

In the window that appears:

Click Unformatted Text
Click OK

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The mouse pointer on your screen is shaped like an arrow. If you are having problems following this arrow you can enlarge it or even give it a tail.

Click the Start button
Click Control Panel
Click Printers and Other Hardware (XP) or Mouse (Vista)
Click Mouse (XP)

Now you see the Mouse Properties window.
On the Pointers tab you can adjust the size of the arrow:

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When you click the Windows XP Start button a list appears containing the programs installed on your computer. You can display these programs in alphabetical order. This will make it easier to find a specific program.

Right-click a random item in the Start menu

A menu appears.

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Having multiple tab capabilities also means that you can have multiple home pages in Internet Explorer 7.

Start Internet Explorer. Open two of your favorite homepages in separate tabs.

Go to Internet Explorer Tools/Internet Options
Click the General tab
Click Use current

Internet Explorer will now open your home pages when you start Internet Explorer, or when you click on the Home button on the toolbar.

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Here are some handy keyboard shortcuts to use with Tabbed Browsing in Internet Explorer 7:
Press CTRL + Click - Open links in a new tab in the background
Press CTRL + Shift + Click - Open links in a new tab in the foreground
Press CTRL + T - Open a new tab in the foreground
Press CTRL + Tab/CTRL + Shift + Click - Switch between tabs
Press CTRL + W - Close current tab (or current window when there are no open tabs)

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Select the cells you wish to fill with the same data.
Type the formula, value or text to be repeated.
Press CTRL + ENTER.

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Many users find it helpful to color-code the sheet tabs to make it easier to identify specific sheets.

If you use Excel 2002-2003 or Excel 2007:

right-click on the sheet tab
Choose Tab Color, and then select the color for the tab.

If you're using a previous version of Excel, you cannot change the tab colors

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Sometimes when working in Excel, you may want to get a full screen view, so you can see as much of your worksheet as possible. This will remove all of Excel's screen elements except for the main toolbar.

In Excel 97/2003:

Click on the View menu in the toolbar
Click Full Screen

To go back to normal view, just repeat the same steps.

In Excel 2007

Click the View tab in the Ribbon
Click the Full Screen icon, located top left, in the Workbook views section of the Ribbon

To go back to normal view, simply right-click anywhere in the worksheet, and select Close Full Screen.
You can't access the main menus (File, Edit, etc.) the way you can in Office 2003 apps, nor is the mini-Full Screen toolbar visible for accessing other toolbars, though you can view standard formatting options by right-clicking anywhere in the worksheet.

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How do I tell the Office Assistant to go away?

Click on the Office Assistant
Click to remove the checkmark by Use Office Assistant

You can also customize the behavior of the Office Assistant by checking or clearing the checkboxes on the Options tab. If you want to learn how to customize the Office Assistant, but it's not currently visible, choose Show the Office Assistant from the Help menu.

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There is actually a separate toolbar that will display all the available shortcut keys in Word 2003.

Click Tools button
Select Customize. In the Customize window, select the Toolbars tab
Tick the Function Key Display item from the list of toolbars, and then click Close.

This will display an additional toolbar that will indicate the basic function key commands and will adjust accordingly when you press the Shift, Ctrl and Alt keys.

Display and use KeyTips in Word 2007

KeyTips provide you with a display of the keys you can press if you want to navigate through Word using the keyboard instead of the mouse.

Press Alt to display KeyTips on the Ribbon.

You will see small boxed characters appear on the major tabs and Quick Access tools in the Word window. When you press one of the characters (for example, pressing I selects the Insert tab), you will see that all commands on the Ribbon have their own KeyTips. KeyTips will remain on the display until you press Alt a second time to hide them.

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It is possible to obtain a list of all the shortcut keys from within Word itself.

In word 2002-2003

Click the Tools button
Click Macro and then select Macros from the drop-down list.
In the new window near the bottom you will see the heading: "Macros in", click the option Word commands
In the choices presented under the heading "Macro name", select ListCommands
Click Run
In the new List Commands dialog window, select Current Menus and keyboard settings

The list is displayed, the full document should contain about 9 pages of Word keyboard shortcut keys!

Click File, Print to display the print options available.

in Word 2007

Click the tab View
Click Macros and select View Macros from the drop-down list
In the new window near the bottom you will see the heading: "Macros in", click the option Word commands
In the choices presented under "Macro name", select ListCommands
Click Run
In the List Commands dialog window, select: Current Menus and keyboard settings
Click OK

The list is displayed, the full document should contain about 10 pages of Word keyboard shortcut keys!

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Quickly add a new slide in PowerPoint with the following keyboard combination:

Press the following keys: Ctrl + M

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Keyboard shortcuts are a necessary building block for anyone who wants to work faster and more efficiently with their computer. Use these handy keyboard combinations to style your text in Word. The keys to press are separated by a plus sign (+).

Ctrl + B Bold - Formats selected text; make text bold, or remove bold formatting
Ctrl + I Italic - Formats selected text; make text italic or remove italic
Ctrl + U Underline - Formats selected text; make text underlined or remove underline
Ctrl + Shift + D Double underline text
Ctrl + Shift + + Apply superscript formatting
Ctrl + = Apply subscript formatting
Shift + F3 Change case of the letters

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Use these handy keyboard combinations to save you time composing your documents in Word. Many people don't realize the amount of time consumed by moving back and forth between the keyboard and mouse, but it really does add up. By learning and making it a point to use a few basic keyboard shortcuts, you'll quickly realize how much faster you can get through a Word document when your hands are dedicated to the keyboard. The keys to press are separated by a plus sign (+).

Ctrl + N Open a new Word document quickly
Ctrl + O Opens a previously saved document
Ctrl + W Closes the active window, but does not Exit Word
Ctrl + S Saves the active document with its current file name, location and format
Ctrl + P Prints the active file, also gives the opportunity to change print options
Ctrl + Z Undo the last action. This selection can be repeated several times
Ctrl + Y Redo - After an action has been undone, it can be reinstated in the document
Ctrl + C Copies the selection to the clipboard
Ctrl + V Paste - Inserts the contents of the clipboard at the insertion point (cursor) or whatever is selected
Ctrl + X Cut- Removes the selection from the active document and places it on the clipboard
Ctrl + A Selects all text and graphics in the active window
Alt + F4 Exit - Closes Microsoft Word

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Did you know that you can also use keyboard shortcuts to quickly align your paragraphs in Word?

Ctrl + L Left align a paragraph
Ctrl + R Right align a paragraph
Ctrl + E Center a paragraph
Ctrl + M Indent a paragraph from the left

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If you want to move the cursor in Word, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:

Pressing the —>(Right-arrow key), will move the cursor one character to the right
Pressing the <—(Left-arrow key), will move the cursor one character to the leftt
Pressing Ctrl + —>(Right-arrow key) moves the cursor one word to the right
Pressing Ctrl + <—(Left-arrow key) moves the cursor one word to the left
Pressing Ctrl + End moves the cursor to the end of the document
Pressing Ctrl + Home moves the cursor to the beginning of the document

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If text is already selected and you want to extend the selection area, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:

Shift + <—(Left-arrow key) Extends selection one character to the left
Ctrl + Shift + —>(Right-arrow key) Extends selection to the end of a word
Shift + —>(Right-arrow key) Extends selection one character to the right
Ctrl + Shift + <—(Left-arrow key) Extends selection to the beginning of a word

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Quickly add the current date and time in a cell with the following shortcut:

Ctrl + Shift + ; - enters the current time
Ctrl + ; enters the current date.

This works in Microsoft Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003 and Excel 2007. The same shortcut keys work for Microsoft Access also.

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Did you know you can add double underlining in Word just as easy as regular underlining? Just use this keyboard shortcut:

Select the text where you want the underlining to appear
Press the following keys: Ctrl + Shift + D

To remove the double underlining, repeat the same key combination.

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We have covered keyboard shortcuts before, but they are so essential that the topic never gets old. Quickly give your document a new name by using this Save as shortcut:

Press the F12 key

Save the document in your normal manner.

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In most other Office programs, to move the cursor to the next line, you press the ENTER key. However, in Excel, you end up in the cell below when you press ENTER. When you are editing text in a cell, and you need to make a line break.

To insert a line break in a cell:

Press the Alt key + the Enter key

A new line is inserted in the cell.

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You can add the Euro and Sterling Pound Symbols to your Word documents even when your keyboard lacks special keys for them. Just use the numeric keypad (do not use the normal number keys) to type a 4-digit code while holding down the Alt key.

Click to set the cursor at the place where you want to add the symbol.

To insert the € Symbol:

Press the Alt key + 0128

To insert the £ Symbol:

Press the Alt key + 0163

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You can quickly remove any undesired styles in Word with a keyboard shortcut. This will return the selected text to the “Normal” (the default in Word) style.

Select the text
Hold down the Ctrl key, then press the Shift key and the N key.

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Word's automatic spell-checking feature monitors the characters you type, and marks words not found in its dictionary with red wavy lines. If you are working on a document that contains many special characters, such as those found in other languages, these red lines may become annoying. Here is how to temporarily disable the spell-checking feature.

In Word 2002-2003

Right-click the Spelling and Grammar icon on the status bar
Click to check mark Hide Spelling Errors

In Word 2007

In the Ribbon, click the tab Review
Click Spelling & Grammar
Click Options (button in bottom left corner)
Click to check mark Hide spelling errors in this document only
Click OK

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Quickly show a Print Preview of your Word document by using the following keyboard combination:

Hold down the Ctrl key, then press the F2 key.

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Quickly add a comment to your Word document:

Hold down the Ctrl key, then press the Alt key and the M key.

To remove the comment:

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Normally, when you enter a web address in Microsoft Word, such as an URL (http://www.visualsteps.com), Word automatically turns the address into a clickable hyperlink (the letters are blue and underlined). If you'd rather this not happen, do the following:

In Word 2002-2003:

Click Tools
Select AutoCorrect Options
Click the AutoFormat tab.
Uncheck Internet and network paths with hyperlinks
Select the AutoFormat As You Type tab
Uncheck Internet and network paths with hyperlinks
Click OK

In Word 2007:

Click the Microsoft Office Button
Click Word Options
Click Proofing
Under AutoCorrect Options, click the button AutoCorrect Options
Select the AutoFormat As You Type tab
Uncheck Internet and network paths with hyperlinks
Click OK

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BCC or Blind Carbon Copy allows you to send an email to a number of recipients in Outlook Express or Windows Mail without revealing all the email addresses to everyone who receives the email. Just enter thae addtional addresses in this field. If the field is not present:

Click View
Click All Headers

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Prevent other users from making changes to your PowerPoint presentation by password protecting it. If you use passwords, you have two different options. You can require a password to open the presentation or you can require a password to make any changes to the presentation. Here is how to set a password to avoid changes being made.

In PowerPoint 2003:

Click Tools
Click Options
Click the Security tab
Type a password by Password to modify
Click OK
Type the same password again
Click OK

In PowerPoint 2007:

Click the Microsoft Office Button
Click Save as
Click the Tools menu at the bottom of the window
Click General options
Type a password by Password to modify
Click OK
Type the same password again by Reenter password to modify
Click OK

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You can quicky start a PowerPoint slideshow presentation by using the following function key:

Press the F5-key

The F keys are programmed to do different things within each specific program. They are usually found in a row at the top of your keyboard.

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You can quicky add today's date in your Word document by using the following keyboard combination:

Hold down the Shift key, then press the Alt key and the D key.

Shift + Alt + D - to add the date

The Windows system date is immediately added to your document.

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To open a dialog box where you can search for files or folders:

Hold down the Windows-logo key and press the F key

In Windows Vista, it opens the integrated desktop search window; in XP, the built-in search feature is launched.

The Windows-logo key is usually located in the lower left portion of your keyboard.

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View your Desktop quickly by using this keyboard shortcut:

Hold down the Windows-logo key and press the D key

To go back to where you were working:

Use the same key combination once more: the Windows-logo key + the D key

The Windows-logo key is usually located in the lower left portion of your keyboard.

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There is a fast way to see your RSS feeds in Internet Explorer 7:

Hold down the Ctrl key and press the J key. A list of all the feeds for which you have subscribed will display immediately in your Favorites Center.

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You can quickly forward an e-mail you received in Outlook Express and Windows Mail to someone else:

Click to select the e-mail you want to forward.

Hold down the Ctrl key and press the F key. The compose window opens immediately. Just enter the recipient's e-mail address in the to field and click send.

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You can easily pause your PowerPoint slideshow presentation by using the following key:

Press the B-key when you want to interrupt the presentation
Press the B-key again when you want to restart the presentation

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Save time while surfing by using keyboard shortcut keys:
Press CTRL + H - to open the History box
Press CTRL + I - to open the Favorites box
Press CTRL + E - to open the Search box

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Use a simple keyboard shortcut to move forward or back when you browse web pages in Internet Explorer:

Hold down the ALT key and press either the Left-arrow key to go back or the Right-arrow key to go forward.

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If you do not want to send an e-mail message right away or you are writing a lengthy message and want to finish it later, you can save it in the Drafts folder:

Click File
Click Save

A window appears letting you know the message has been stored in the Drafts folder.

Click OK
Close the message.

Later when you want to continue working on the message or when you wish to send the message:

Click the folder Drafts
Double-click the specific message
Continue typing in the usual manner.

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You already know how to open an e-mail message received in Outlook Express or Windows Mail by double-clicking it. You can also do this with a keyboard shortcut:

Click to select the e-mail message you want to open
Press CTRL + O

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Quickly move the cursor in a long web address in Internet Explorer:

Hold down the Ctrl key, press either the right or left arrow key

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In Internet Explorer you can quickly add a website you are viewing to your Favorites list by using a simple keyboard shortcut:

Hold down the CTRL key and press the D key

The Add a Favorite window appears. Click Add

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When you create a new e-mail message, you can easily move the cursor (the blinking vertical line) to the next field, for example from To, to CC, to Subject, etc:

Press the Tab key

The cursor moves to the next field.

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When you receive more than one attachment in an e-mail using Outlook Express or Windows Mail, you do not have to save each one separately:

Open the e-mail that contains the attachments

Click File
Select the option Save Attachments

Browse to the desired location where you want to save the attachments and select a folder of your choice.

Click OK

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