Computer Operations and Information Services Quick Tips

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Quick Tips

Microsoft Software Quick Tips

How to create a template and set your default font in Excel 2002

Do you always use the same header and/or footer information when you create your Excel files?

You can save your header and footer in an Excel template...

  • Open a new Excel worksheet
  • Go to the File Menu
  • Select Page Setup
  • Select the Headers and Footers tab
  • Create your headers and footers
  • Click on the OK button

Now save your worksheet as a template.

  • Go to the File menu
  • Select Save As...
  • Select Template (*.xlt) from the bottom pop-down menu
  • Name your template (with the .xlt extension) and save to your Template directory.

When you want to use your worksheet template...

  • Open the Task Pane (go to View menu, then select Toolbars, then Task Pane...)
  • Select "General Templates" from the "New from Templates" section
  • Your new template will be listed as one of the choices
  • Select the icon for your template and then click on the OK button

A new worksheet will open with your preset header and footer information.

Change your default font in Excel 2002

Are you always resetting the font in your Excel spreadsheets?

To change your default font in your Excel spreadsheets...

  • Select the Tools menu
  • Choose Options
  • Select the General tab
  • You can change your font preferences here
  • Click on the OK button

Done!

Hints and information about Excel 2002

Why does it take longer to open some files?

To ensure that your workbooks are properly calculated whenever you work with them, Excel 2002 completely recalculates a workbook each time you open it. This process means that it might take longer to open an earlier version file than you were used to. If you save the workbook as an Excel 2002 workbook, it will open more quickly the next time.

Why am I asked whether I want to install some features when I use them?

To improve performance and save disk space, not all features are installed when you choose the Install Now command during setup. As you use Excel 2002, you might see shortcuts, icons, and commands for programs and components that weren't installed. When you need this functionality, you can just click a command, and Excel 2002 installs the program or component for you.

Why don't some of my macros run?

The default security setting for macros has changed to High, which means that unsigned macros will be automatically disabled. You can change your security settings or have the macros signed to run them again.

What is the green triangle in the corner of my cell?

The green triangle is the formula error checker, which appears when you select a cell and a problem is found in a formula. A problem can be resolved using the options that appear, or it can be ignored. If a problem is ignored, it does not appear in further error checks. However, all previously ignored errors can be reset so that they appear again.

What is the button that sometimes shows up on my worksheet when I perform certain actions?

At times buttons appear as you work in your document. The AutoCorrect Options button, the Paste Options button, the Insert Options button, and the Auto Fill Options button have options you can choose without clicking a button on a toolbar.

Protect and/or control values in cells

To control the value that is entered into a cell:

  1. Select the cell
  2. Go to the Data menu
  3. Select Validation
  4. A window will pop up and you can set the type of data, have a error message appear, etc.
To protect a cell in a spreadsheet
  1. Select the cell(s)
  2. Select Format menu
  3. Select Cells
  4. Go to the Protection tab
  5. Uncheck the Locked box, and click OK
  6. Go to the Tools window
  7. Select Protect (...sheet or worksheet or protect & share worksheet)

Alternate method:

  1. Right-click in the cell
  2. Select Format Cells
  3. Continue with step #4 above

Enter data in a cell from a list you specify

You can create a drop down list that gets its choices from cells elsewhere on the worksheet.

  1. Type the entries for the drop down list in a single column or row. Do not include blank cells in the list.
    • If you type the list on a different worksheet from the data entry cell, define a name for the list.
    • If you type the list in a different workbook, define a name with an external reference to the list.
  2. Select the cell where you want the drop down list.
  3. On the Data menu, click Validation, and then click the Settings tab.
  4. In the Allow box, click List.
  5. If the list is in the same worksheet, enter a reference to your list in the Source box.
    • If the list is elsewhere, enter the name you defined for your list in the Source box.
    • Make sure the reference or name is preceded with an equal sign (=).
  6. Make sure the In-cell dropdown check box is selected.
  7. Specify whether the cell can be left blank: Select or clear the Ignore blank check box.
  8. To display optional input instructions when the cell is clicked, click the Input Message tab, make sure the Show input message when cell is selected check box is selected, and then fill in the title and text for the message.
  9. Specify how you want Microsoft Excel to respond when invalid data is entered.
  10. Click on the OK button.

To look up these instructions in Excel, press the F1 function key. The Microsoft Excel Help window should open. Click on the Answer Wizard tab, and type "drop-down lists". Select the topic "Enter data in a cell from a list you specify"

How to modify your "normal" font style in MS Word

Do you find that you are always changing the fonts in your WORD documents? Do you want your "normal" style to be different?

The following instructions are for WORD 2002:

To change your default normal font style to a different font ...

  • Go to the Format menu
  • Select Styles and Formatting
  • Right-click on the Normal style
  • A Modify Style window will open
  • Select the font and size that you prefer
  • Click on OK

From now on, your default normal font will be the new one you have selected.

MS Word Translation feature available

Did you know that there was a translation feature available in Word 2002?

Word 2002 has a built-in translation feature that can translate one word at a time.

  • Go to the Tools menu
  • Select Language
  • Select Translate, and the Task Pane will open.

For translation, you can select a word in your document, or type a word in the Task Pane text box.

If you would like to translate complete phrases, try Altavista's free Babelfish service: http://babelfish.altavista.com/

Auto-save feature in Word

The autosave feature in Word saves your documents. However, keep in mind that it starts to work only after you have saved the document manually.

To save files automatically when you work:

  • On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Save tab.
  • Select the checkbox for Save AutoRecover info every:
  • In the minutes box, enter the interval for how often you want to save files. The more frequently your files are saved, the more information is recovered if there is a power failure or similar problem while a file is open.

Note: AutoRecover is not a replacement for regularly saving your files. If you choose not to save the recovery file after opening it, the file is delted and your unsaved changes are lost. If you save the recovery file, it replaces the original file (unless you specify a new file name).

Speed up saving a file

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Save tab.

  • To save only the changes to a file, select the Allow fast saves check box, and then continue to save as you work on the file.
  • To save a complete file, clear the Allow fast saves check box when you finish working on the file, and then save it one last time. A full save occurs when this check box is cleared.

How to create flowcharts in Word

Did you know that you can create flowcharts in Word? To add a flowchart to your document...

Open Word and go to the View menu. Select Toolbars, and then select Drawing (a checkmark should appear next to your selection). The Drawing toolbar will display, usually at the bottom of your document.

Select Autoshapes, and then select Flowchart, and a pop-up menu with various flowchart shapes will appear.

  1. When you click on one of the shapes, a drawing area will appear in your document.
  2. Position the cross-hair pointer over the drawing area, and click and drag the mouse to draw your shape. You will be able to resize the shape later, if you wish.

After you have created some shapes, you can select different types of connectors for your flowchart. Go to Autoshapes, and select Connectors.

  1. Point to where you want to lock the connector. Connection sites appear as blue circles as you pass the pointer over a shape.
  2. Click the first connection site you want, point to the other shape, and then click the second connection site. Locked connectors will keep the shapes connected even when you move the shapes.

To add text to the shapes, right-click on the shape, select Add text, and start typing.

To add color to the connectors, first select the connector you want to change. Go to the Drawing toolbar, and click the arrow next to the Line Color icon and select a color from the pop-up color chart.

To fill the flowchart shapes with color, select the shape you wish to fill. Go to the Drawing toolbar, and click the arrow next to the Fill Color icon and select a color from the pop-up color chart.

For further information on creating and modifying flowcharts, go to Microsoft Help (press F1) and type in the word "flowcharts" in the Office Assistant or Answer Wizard search box.