Last week, I was upgraded to Office 2010. Here are a few of my favorite updates.

1.  Open Recently-used Files With Two Keystrokes

In older versions of Office, the File menu always displayed your recently-used documents, which you could open by typing Alt-F1, then the number of the document on the list (1 for the most recent, 2 for next most recent, etc.). This feature isn’t turned on by default in Office 2010, but you can activate it by entering the Backstage view (File Menu), selecting Recent, and adding a checkbox next to "Quickly access this number of recent documents." Change the number to whatever number of documents you want to see on the list. In the Recent Documents list, you can "pin" a document to the list so that it will always appear, even if you haven't opened it recently. A nifty new feature lets you "pin" entire folders to the list of Recent Places in the right-hand column on the menu.

2.  Customize The Ribbon

Office finally lets you rearrange the Ribbon the way you want by clicking the File tab to go to Backstage, selecting Options, and then Customize Ribbon. In the right-hand column, you can create a new tab or a new group on an existing tab, remove or rearrange items already on the Ribbon by selecting them in the right-hand column, or select items that you want to add from the list on the left. Long-term Office users may want to use the "Commands not on the ribbon," function because you can now add a command that you used in older versions of Word that nixed from the Ribbon due to lack of demand. Note: A button the lower right lets you export your customizations to other Office setups.

3.  Make Your Own Quick Steps in Outlook

Outlook's new Quick Steps feature lets you create one-click (or one-keystroke) e-mail actions. For example, moving a message to a folder you use for archiving messages. You create a new Quick Step by going to Outlook’s Home tab, then clicking Quick Steps, Create New. There you'll assign a name, shortcut key, and tooltip for your Quick Step, then use the drop down menus to select one or more actions. When you're done, your new Quick Step will be available from the gallery of Quick Steps in the Home tab, or via a shortcut key.

There will be more in our tip of the week of Facebook, so follow us there to learn more.
 

This week I have a few Windows 7 tips to help with your documents.

Displaying the “My Recent Documents folder” on the Start menu will make things easier and faster since it will display a list of all the documents you've recently used for easy access.
1. Using the right button of your mouse, click on Start and proceed to Properties.
2. Click on Customize.
3. Go to the Advance tab by clicking on it.
4. On the Recent documents, click on the check box that says List my most recently opened documents. Then, click OK and click OK again.
5. To check if the process worked, click on the Start menu. You should see the My Recent Documents displayed.

Put a “Pin Up” of the Folders You Use Most  Windows 7 allows you to “pin up” the folders you use most on your taskbar. Simply hold your mouse over the favorite folder, right click, and drag it onto the taskbar. Windows 7 automatically ins itself to the Explorer Jump List. To open the folder, right click on the Explorer (folders) con and select the folder you want.

Next week, I will have a few tips for Office 2010, as I got the upgrade yesterday!!

This week I have compiled a few more Windows 7 tips. Hope you enjoy.

1.       Shift The Window From One Monitor To Another

If you are using two or more monitors, then you might want to move the Windows from one to another. There is a very simple way to do it.

All you have to do is press the Windows Key + Shift Key + Left or Right Arrow Key, depending on what monitor you want to move it to.

2.       Custom Power Button

There is an option to replace the “Shut Down” button with another action, if you rarely shut down the computer, but you more often restart it or put it on sleep.

Right click the Start Button, go to Properties and choose the ‘Power Boot Action” to do whatever you want, from the given options.

3.       Make The Taskbar Smaller

If you feel like the taskbar is using too much of your screen space, you can choose to make the icons smaller. To do this, right-click on the Start button, then go to Properties -> Taskbar and set it to “Use small icons”        Clear The Desktop

4.

If there are too many windows on the desktop, you can clear it by shaking a window from left to right and all others will minimize. To restore the other windows you have to shake the active one again.

5.       Lock The Screen

There is no Lock Screen button in the Start Menu anymore, so you have to press the Windows Key + L to lock it, now. It seems easier, in case you don’t forget the shortkey

Keep reading....there are lots more to come.  

Have you ever tried to enter symbols for the Greek alphabet or foreign currency into your word documents?  Symbols include many different characters that you may need from time to time, especially if you are emailing René. This is not wing dings; it is way more than that.  This includes letters from the alphabets, the “E” with an accent, the “N” with the squiggly line (tilde) over it. What about the different currency symbols, mathematical symbols and operators, and much more?  They aren’t on the keyboard, but there has to be a way, right?

Right and it is actually quite simple for some programs, like newer versions of Word, Excel, and Outlook. Just place your cursor at the place in the document where you need to insert the symbol. Then click the Insert tab on the Menu Ribbon. Next, go to the far right side and click on symbols. The symbol you are looking for may show up in the quick symbol box, but if not, the click more symbols. From there, you should find anything you need. Once you find the symbol, simply click on it to select it, and it should appear in your document. If not, click the insert tab.

For older versions, and other programs, it is still possible to insert symbols; it just takes a little more time. Since numbers are the language of computers, there is a key sequence involving ALT and a number sequence for every symbol, number, and letter. These are listed on the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) chart. This chart is made up of over 256 total characters. Take a look here to view them all, and get a little history lesson.

We all know in these hard economic times as business owners the last thing you want to spend money on is your IT department.  You’ve cut all the corners you could have, your still surviving and starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully.  You used to have ten employees and now you’ve been making do with five.  The Server and network you have is the one you invested in five years ago. Sally complains every day the network is slow, the server has had its share of outages in the past few months, and you know it’s time for a new server, but to spend eight to ten thousand dollars right now is just not in the budget.  You could call us to be you’re your IT Department, but your just not there yet. What do you do? 

Well since you are down to only five employees, we have a simple and affordable solution to get you back on top of the ever so changing technology curve.  A simple “Peer to Peer” network may be the right solution and fit your budget.  Remember that kind of expensive desktop you bought Sally last year, because she’s the loudest in your office when it comes to the computers, Well Sally may be your new Server girl.  With a Peer to Peer network any computer on the network can serve as the desktop and the server at the same time.  In a Peer to Peer network your desktop has network features that allow you to share files and printers alike built in to the software.  Now with us installing a simple SonicWall wireless total secure appliance, your network is back to full speed and much more stable than it was. So instead of spending thousands you’re up and running for about fifteen hundred, when you’re ready to expand again to ten or more employees we can always go back to the server network configuration that you once had because business will be much better and the budget will compensate for it. So don’t stress the small stuff, let us at Kotori Technologies show you how to stay “A Step Ahead”, and stay within your budget.