Crabby Office Lady

Crabby’s holiday survival guide

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and I’ve written a column about the holidays— yes those holidays— making their entrance this time of year, dragging along cheer, gluttony, and in-laws. But before you've wassailed yourself into a stupor, read my column called Crabby’s Holiday Survival guide.

As I see it, there are five basic things everyone has to do during the holiday season.

I’ll go into depth in my column about how to tackle each and every one, but here’s a quick run-through:

First you have to get out the “look at my perfect family” card. Is it going to be a newsletter? A simple card? A digital presentation? Whatever you decide, consider using an Office template — no need to start from scratch — you have enough to do already

Next, you must plan the perfect party. While they can be fun, they can also be rather stressful to attend, not to mention throw. Again, think of templates .

Now to all that addressing, printing and mailing — look into mail merge and services like stamps.com to help you out.

You can run, but if you have kids, you definitely can't hide. That's right, it’s gift season. Make your lists, plan your budget, and for heaven's sake, rein yourself in!

Finally, the morning — and weeks — after. Time to write the thank-you notes, balance the checkbook, and think again about that gym membership that seemed like such a good idea two months ago. Head back to the Office Templates and we’ll take good care of you.

A last comment: As you surf for gifts or grab the largest cart you can find at the mall, imagine an inch-tall Suze Orman is sitting on your shoulder, halo gleaming, insulting your every financial decision…

“"No self-respecting mother would run out of intimidations on the eve of a major holiday." — Erma Bombeck”

— Crabby

Listen and subscribe to Crabby’s podcasts

Crabby's shorty shortcut tips for working smarter (Part I)

I love finding ways to get my work done quicker so that I can push myself away from my desk, take a deep stretch, and ponder the many avenues I have taken on my way to Crabbydom.

What about you? What would YOU be doing if you weren't chained to your desk? How about you learn some new tricks first and figure that out later.

In this week’s column, I offer three tips for three programs: Word, Outlook and Excel; in a couple of weeks I’ll cover three more. Here are some examples of my personal tips:

• Did you know that you can create your very own keyboard shortcuts? In Word, click the Office button and then click Word Options. Click Customize on the left, and then click Customize next to Keyboard Shortcuts.
  
  This opens the Customize Keyboard dialog box, where you can choose the categories and commands you want and assign keyboard shortcuts.
  
• When you need to resend a message, do you forward it? Or hit Reply All and send it off again (sending you a copy as well)? If so, you’re working way too hard. Open up the message, click Other Actions, and then click Resend This Message.
  
• To work well in Excel you must think like Excel…be Excel. When toggling between multiple worksheets in a workbook you can always use your mouse or even the keyboard shortcuts. But what if you want to see a list of ALL the worksheets in that workbook?
  
    Right-click one of the the tab navigation buttons…

... and a floating list of all the worksheets in the workbook will appear. Just click the one you want.

Want more of Crabby’s shorty shortcuts? read this week’s column on Office Online.

— Crabby

Demystifying a few computer terms

It's come to my attention that some of you (who shall remain nameless thanks to my own sense of restraint and corporate responsibility) have been left behind in the world of computing. Let's just assume — for the time it takes to read this post — that it's not your fault. In fact, I think I know why so many of you have been reticent to jump in there and start mail merging and frolicking in the task pane: You have no clue what these things are or how they can give you a better life — or at least free up some of your time.

When you're trying to get help—any kind of help—one unknown term or phrase can give you that deer-in-the-headlights feeling, stymieing you in your jump across the highway of knowledge.

For example, what’s the difference between:

• a shortcut menu and a keyboard shortcut?
• server and client?
• menu, menu bar, and  toolbar?

As well, what are these???

• BIOS
• File properties

If you want my full list visit my column Demystifying a few computer terms and get on with your life on Office Online.

"I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain."  — Lily Tomlin

— Crabby

Listen and subscribe to Crabby’s podcasts

Who’s falling for Internet scams? Not my readers

Webster's Dictionary defines a scam as "a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation." And that's it. There are no secondary definitions. It's pretty simple, really: Someone is trying to bamboozle you.

We all know them: The e-mails that come to you promising you weight loss, cases of fine champagne, and offers to erase all your fine lines and bad memories. Before I get into the specifics here, let me state a few clichés:

• If it seems too good to be true, it is.
• You don't get something for nothing.
• A fool and his money are soon parted.

Strangely enough, we humans, as moderately intelligent life on this planet, seem to forget these sayings when presented with sparkly things: A new queen mattress set (still in its plastic!), cash from Bill Gates, or magic crystals that bring fortune into your life. And that is exactly what the people who set out to relieve you of all your money are banking on — that you'll unplug your capacity to reason and believe everything you read (yet another cliché).

What I'm about to tell you today is probably nothing new to you. Perhaps you've even warned others about it. Though we may want to give people the benefit of the doubt and trust what they say, there are certainly times we shouldn't. Specifically when it comes to e-mail from strangers. (How many times did your mother tell you not to take candy from strangers? Not to get into a car with a stranger or help him look for his "lost puppy"? This is exactly the same thing, only for grownups.)

The scams: How they work, and how you can avoid them

Here are five basic scams — a few of my favorites — that have been circulating over the years. Most of these are bona fide financial scams designed to empty your bank account and rid you of any goodwill you had toward your fellow man or woman. Some of these scams and rumors have been around a long time, some play with new riffs on an old idea, and still others are so creatively concocted that one must almost give credit to the "artists" who created them. Whatever they are, and however they're presented, you can avoid becoming their victim — whether it's a victim of theft or merely of ignorance and stupidity.

Note   You can't help but be impressed with some of these scams; so brazen, so without morals or ethics, and yet…so creative.

My top 5 list

1. Helping someone get money out of a foreign country, of which you'll get a bundle…for a large fee.
2. Phishing scams — people trying to get your personal information — that can lead to serious debt and identity theft.
3. Lots of credit…for a small fee.
4. Lottery winnings…for a small fee.
5. A buyer of your item for sale (on, say, craigslist, or eBay) who wants to pay by wiring you money or using a fake money order or cashier's check.

Now, let me give you some examples of how even the most savvy of you can fall into these traps…and how to avoid that.

Read my full Crabby Office Lady column on Office Online.

"The world wants to be deceived." — Sebastian Brant

— Crabby

Listen and subscribe to Crabby’s podcasts

Crabby’s telecommuting tips, redux

Several years ago, I wrote a column that offered tips for telecommuters. At the time, I was telecommuting once in a while; I certainly wasn't doing it full time. However, now that I find myself working from a home office almost all the time, it's time to update previous tips and offer some more.

Crabby makes some changes at home

Though I'm a bit of a solo flyer when it comes to the way I work — I don't need someone else to motivate me, and I can get things done on my own — this doesn't mean I'm a misanthrope.I do not despise humankind (although I get mighty testy with it sometimes). In fact, after about a year of telecommuting full-time, I found myself rather missing the friendly banter in the hallways, the seriocomic notes on the fridge about stolen lunches, and yes, even the interruption or two to talk about who's dating whom and who danced with a lamp at the last holiday party. It was getting so bad that I was even jonesing for a meeting with stale cookies and — gasp! — a never-ending PowerPoint presentation. In other words, I was getting lonely, and I began to wonder if I'd made a terrible mistake, that I was going to spend the rest of my working life alone with my crabby thoughts and my farting dog.

The bottom line here is that we're social creatures with certain needs, and in order to do our best work, we have to meet these needs.

Consider your personality

This may seem obvious to you, but I do think it's the most important aspect to telecommuting. See if you fit the mold:

• Are you self-motivated and organized? Can you set up a self-imposed daily structure?
• Can you limit the distractions around you (personal phone calls, bickering kids, the fish swimming around in his bowl...)?
• Do you have the necessary workspace and tools to make your particular job workable from afar?
• Can you work without someone imposing structure on you? Can you create your own structure just as easily — and stick to it?
• Do you have someone to take care of the kids while you take care of the business?
• Do you have a room where you can close the door to distractions? Do you have friends and family who can understand that just because you're home doesn't mean you're in "home mode"?

You may answer a resounding "Yes!" to nearly all of these — I know I did. But before you jump headlong into a telecommuting lifestyle, first try it out a couple of days a week for a few weeks (or even months) before committing to a full-time telecommuting schedule. You only know if you try. You may find that working a little at home and a little in the office may be the best solution for you.

To get in-depth tips, read the full column on Office online.

"I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best." — Frida Kahlo

— Crabby

Listen and subscribe to Crabby’s podcasts

Crabby's Windows 7 House Party

As you may have heard — and giggled about — by now, Microsoft is sponsoring Windows 7 Launch Parties. What this means is that hosts all over the country are opening up their geek cribs to friends and family and...having parties, I guess, with Windows 7 as the guest of honor.

I am pretty impressed with this new software (and it takes a bit to impress me, as you can guess). One of the perks of working at Microsoft is that we get to try out new and upcoming software before it's released to the public, and I've been using Windows 7 for a few months now. I tried to think of something crabby to say about it, but I'm coming up empty.

There are so many useful (yes, useful!) features and options in Windows 7 that I felt I had to write about it (even though I'm not the Crabby Windows Lady). It's that good.

Below are a few of my favorite things about Windows 7; what are yours?

Taskbar

The word "task" connotes drudgery, responsibility, and duty. Well, toss those terms out the window because the new, updated taskbar in Windows 7 isn't remotely tedious.

You've always counted on the taskbar — that list of programs on the bottom of your window. Now you can point to a taskbar icon to see a thumbnail preview of open files or programs. Then, move your mouse over a thumbnail to preview the window full-screen. You can even close windows from the thumbnail previews. That's classy!

Watch the taskbar in action

Jump lists

The jump list is part of the taskbar, too. Instead of hovering over a program's icon to see what's open and active, right-click the icon. What you see depends on the program. The list of Internet Explorer 8 shows frequently and recently-viewed Web sites. The Word jump list shows frequently viewed or worked on documents. And so on.

But wait, there's more! Some jump lists also give you quick access to certain commands such opening a new mail message or opening a new tab in the browser.

Watch jump lists in action

Window juggling

There are three new features that will help you get a handle on all the windows you have open: Aero Shake, Aero Peek, and Snap.

• Aero Shake

  Watch Aero Shake in action

• Aero Peek  I now bless you with...the power of x-ray vision! With Aero Peek, you can look through all the open windows straight through to the your desktop. You simply hover over the far right corner of the taskbar and voilà, all of your open windows become completely transparent so that you can see everything on your desktop. If you click that spot on the taskbar, all the windows are minimized; click it again and they go back to how they were.

  Watch Aero Peek in action

• Snap  Sometimes you need to know what's going on EVERYWHERE; you want to look at all your windows at once. Snap is a new way to resize open windows by dragging them to the edges of your screen. Depending on where you drag it, you can expand a window vertically, make it full screen, and even compare several windows, side-by-side.

  Watch Snap in action

Connecting to networks

Now that everywhere seems to have WiFi and wireless access, connected quickly and easily has never been more important. You might have 10 different places you connect to and a regular basis: home, work, the cafe down the street, the airport, the mall, your kids' school, and so on.

Windows 7 makes it so easy to pick the one you want and connect; it's all right there on the taskbar. View available networks displays all your wired and wireless options — Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, dial-up, or corporate VPN. You click...you connect. No more hunting through the Control Panel or anything. You get an immediate look at everything available.

Device management

I have many peripherals that I connect to my computer, including cameras, phones, and printers. It used to be a hassle keeping track of everything. I could go to the Device Manager and slog through the long list of everything there — mice, keyboards, various drivers, video cards, etc. — but I'd rather not.

Two new features, Device Stage and the Devices and Printers Folder make it much easier.

• Device Stage  This is basically a single, easy-on-the-eyes location where you can check on all your devices. Various device manufacturers can customize Digital Stage to, for example, display an actual picture of the model of camera you're using as well as the number of shots left in it. You just plug in your device and a customized window for that device and its options pops up to do your bidding.

  Watch the Device Stage in Action

• Devices and Printers Folder  This folder shows you everything connected to your PC. Then you can choose which device you want to address at the moment.

I want it! How do I get it?

Feeling excited? Going to run out and attend a Windows 7 Launch Party? Even if you're not taking it that far, I can almost guarantee that you'll be happy with this new version of Windows. And how does it compare to that last version of Windows? Let's just say it doesn't...and leave it at that.

• Explore Windows 7
• See Windows 7 in action
• Get Windows 7

-- Crabby

Fear not about unemployment: There's a Monster in the Office

For the past year, jobs have been disappearing at an alarming rate. You're nervous, I'm nervous: No one is 100% safe. Rather than sit here frozen in fear and anger, let's all wander over to Office Online, where a new site is devoted to helping you find work.

(Listen to the podcast on this subject)

We on the various Office Online teams (developers, testers, program managers, writers, editors, crabs, etc.) are not immune to the pall cast over our country as we hear about climbing unemployment rates (edging up to 10%, where it's supposedly going to stay for a while...).

I'm going to highlight the main parts of the Career Center, a site we've created in partnership with Monster.com.

Resume samples and CV templates

Yes, I know — the thought of listing your education, work experience, and of course, all the wonderful qualities you have that make you oh-so-very-suited for the job is daunting, if not a tad distasteful. And of course, you have to begin and the beguine with a resume, and although resume templates can be found in many, many places, consider this:

• Does someone who is just starting out after graduation need the same sort of resume that a seasoned worker does? Probably not.
• And even you folks who've already had years and years of experience in the working world don't necessarily need boilerplate resume templates, either. What if you worked at the same company for 25 years? You're still going to have to illustrate the fact that, though you've had various duties at that company over the years, there's a through-line that proves your vision within the company.
• And what if you've had 15 different jobs in 25 years? You're going to need a resume that displays your excitement and verve for a variety of things — your lust for adventure, your can-do attitude...

You get the idea. The Career Center has a multitude of of resumes and CVs. So whether you're just starting out or you're looking to change careers (by force or whim), the Career Center is likely to have what you need.

Creating that resume

Templates are all well and good, but if you don't know how to fill them out, what good are they? Maybe after you've perused the resume and CV templates we have, you could read a few of the articles about what to say and how to say it. Look under the heading Build a great resume and cover letter and check out some of the articles listed there: "Find the right keywords for your resume" and "Resume advice for job termination" are examples. This is information you can really use, not just fluff. It's like getting free counsel from your very own career expert.

Job postings and fairs

From the Career Center you can go straight to Monster.com where you can search jobs, post your resume, and even keep abreast of local job fairs.

Oftentimes, at job fairs, you can meet with employers and hand them your resume in person. After all, what good is that amazing resume with its perfectly-crafted keywords and impressive list of particularly transferable skills if no one meets the talented worker behind it?

Final, not-so-Crabby words

Writing this column, I've experienced an acute and unfamiliar feeling of tenderness toward those of my readers who really need the kind of help the Career Center offers. It's a difficult time for working folks right now; I imagine the stress and worry of being out of work can be overwhelming. All of us at Office Online hope that things turn around for you soon.

(Note from the Editor: In case you don't recognize Crabby with all this "feeling" business, just know that it's probably just gas...it'll pass.)

— Crabby

10 ways to get Office help and support

(Read the full column and listen to my podcast about help and support)

If you've ever pounded your keyboard in frustration or thrown your mouse against the wall because nobody heeded your desperate call for spreadsheet help, this message is for you.

If you've ever pounded your keyboard in frustration or thrown your mouse against the wall because nobody heeded your desperate call for spreadsheet help, listen up.

Here in Office, we have a variety of ways of getting you the help you need. Here are 10 of them:

#1: Help and How-to home pages —  All you want to know about Office programs including help topics, featured articles, podcasts, demos and pricing information.

#2: Press F1 — this opens up Help when you're working in any Office program, and is like having an angel (or that gangly paperclip, Clippy) sitting on your shoulder.

#3: Training — Our free online training courses are self-paced, and they actually help you get your hands dirty by using the Office programs as part of the course.

#4: MVPs — Most valuable professionals. They’re the friends you should be turning to.

#5: Office communities and discussion groups — online forums where you can interact with fellow Office users, get your questions answered and share ideas

#6: Microsoft help and support — a database of support articles. Chances are, if you have a question, they have an answer.

#7: Books —  Office books offer training and reference information for all Office programs and for all user levels

#8: Microsoft Security — This is a web site where you can find out about security bulletins, virus alerts, and how to protect your PC

#9: Live Support — There are ways you can either talk to a live person or send an e-mail request about a problem you're having. And just like the rest of your life, some things are free (like support options 1–8) and some aren't. You can always start by talking to your computer manufacturer, too.

#10 Third party solutions — These are usually pay-as-you-go types of deals and we list several of our support partners on the Office Marketplace site.

Again, read my full column on Help and Support to get more detailed information.

“Complain to one who can help you." — Yugoslav proverb”

 — Crabby

Listen and subscribe to Crabby’s podcasts

Collaborating with difficult people

(Listen to my podcast about collaborating with difficult people)

The workplace draws all sorts of personalities, and in fact, some folks can be torture to work with, even though they can be downright great at what they do. And since the days of looking out only for yourself have passed, you must collaborate in order to get things done.

Luckily for all of us, several Office programs offer terrific ways to work around the issue of wanting to avoid stress yet manage to get the job done with a barely a scrape on you.

(To read more in-depth information about each topic, check out my column Collaborate with difficult people the Crabby way.)

SharePoint

Goal: Squeeze the most work out of our difficult coworkers as possible with the least amount of distress.

Solution: SharePoint Meeting Workspaces and Document Workspaces.

Result: All parties have access to agendas, documents and meeting notes, as well as the most recent version of the project they’re working on. And they’re not even breathing the same air.

OneNote

Goal: Work on the same notes together even when you’re not in the same room (or continent).

Solution: Shared notebooks and note-taking sessions.

Result: You stay on your side of the fence, and they stay on theirs. But everyone shares each others’ ideas by writing, typing, or drawing.

Live Meeting

Goal: Present and share your ideas with everyone in separate corners (of the globe…).

Solution: Web conferencing.

Result: Ideas are presented, thoughts are shared, participation abounds.

Other ideas…

There are many more ways to keep a working relationship alive and well while avoiding being cast in others' workplace soap operas (for example, take a look at Doug's demo about how he uses Office Live).

What are some of yours???

Collaborate with difficult people the Crabby way

— "The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." — Chinese proverb

— Crabby

Demystifying PowerPoint terms

Microsoft Office PowerPoint is one flexible, useful program. And it's fun to use, too. But does one mention of a slide master or a design template have you fleeing the room? Learn some of the basic terms for PowerPoint and don't be scared off again.

Joke all you want (and many do, even me), PowerPoint is the most widely used presentation software in the world. In all sectors of business, education, and government, people use PowerPoint to offer up ideas and plans, make persuasive arguments, and wow their teams with their presentation skills and techniques.

Ready, set ... define those terms!

If you don't know the basic terminology of the program at hand, you won't get the most (and therefore no FUN) out of it. Therefore...let's get started.

Slide

I know, I know — "slide" is about as basic as you can get, but if you're new to PowerPoint, perhaps you're not aware that a slide in PowerPoint is possibly the most important unit, the starting point for any presentation, slide show, or photo album (which I'll get to a little later). A slide in PowerPoint is like the atom in molecular chemistry: It isn't the smallest unit within PowerPoint (after all, you can separate atoms into protons, electrons, and neutrons, just as you can dissect the slide into titles, subtitles, text, and more), but it is where everything begins.

Note   The creators of PowerPoint named it a "slide" because the first use of the slides created in PowerPoint was to output to slides for use in a slide projector. Or, perhaps it was out of respect to the creators who knew that soon slide projectors would become obsolete.

When you create a new presentation, you are presented with a perfect little square, breathlessly awaiting your scintillating content. That is your atom, your slide, upon which all great presentations are built. So go forth, be free, and make that presentation.

Layout

Now that you have the blank white slide in front of you, what's next? Well, you need to figure out not only what you're going to put in it but how the overall arrangement will look. A layout is for arranging text and objects on a slide. Each layout contains a placeholder, which holds text (your titles, your bullet points) and other slide content, such as images, SmartArt graphics, charts, and so on.

I like to think of a layout as the various rooms in an empty house. You know that all your stuff is going to be there — you just don't know what is going to go where.

The good news is that you're not required to create the layouts yourself — PowerPoint 2007 comes with five built-in layouts — but you can create custom layouts that meet your needs whenever you like.

Placeholders

Now that you have a layout, it's time to add placeholders. A placeholder is simply a space on your slide where you eventually put things. It's is a box with dotted borders, and these boxes hold your titles, text, and objects, such as charts, images, and tables. You can place as many placeholders on your slide as you want but as the saying goes, sometimes less is more. If you have too many items on a slide, people won't know where to look or which item is the key part of that particular slide.

Continuing with the house metaphor, the placeholders in a slide are like your furniture: They represent the actual pieces, and then you can arrange them at will (or get your interior designer, the theme to do it. More on that in a moment).

Design template

A design template (in versions previous to PowerPoint 2007) is a file that contains the styles in a presentation, including the type and size of bullets and fonts; placeholder sizes and positions; background design; and fill color schemes. Using a template is the best way to make sure that your entire presentation has a uniform look and feel. (In other words, you won't have one red-headed stepchild that surprises you in the middle of your presentation, interrupting your flow.)

In Office PowerPoint 2007, the best way to achieve the result that a template does is to apply a theme.

There are scores of templates within PowerPoint (you choose your theme when you create a new presentation in PowerPoint 2007) and even more on Office Online. Or, you can go directly to the Templates home page on Office Online, download a template, and start from there.

Theme

I love messing around with themes. A change of background, font style, color, and effects can change the whole look and feel of my presentation. Sometimes I create my own, but more often than not, I use the many that come with PowerPoint (20 come standard with PowerPoint 2007. Here, try it yourself:

• In PowerPoint 2007, on the Design tab, in the Themes group, click the document theme that you want, or click More to see all available document themes.

Title and Subtitle placeholders (boxes with dotted borders)

Text placeholder with placeholder selected

Content placeholder used for both body text and slide content such as clip art, SmartArt graphics, tables, shapes, pictures, and charts

Header and footer (Date, Footer, Slide Number) placeholders

And when you want to create your own theme, the possibilities are endless. You choose the colors you want for every aspect of the theme, from the littlest bullet to the largest title. But then again, maybe you know yourself and maybe you have come to terms with the fact that your taste isn't quite as refined as you'd like. That is okay. You're okay; I'm okay. Use your built-in interior decorator: the theme.

Slide master

The slide master in PowerPoint is basically a template; it stores all the information about the design template you want to apply, including font styles, placeholder sizes and positions, background design, and color schemes. It's a very useful item in PowerPoint because, for instance, if you want to make a change to the look of all the slides in your presentation, you don't need to do it individually, with each one; you simply need to change the slide master and the changes will be applied to all the slides.

You can also create a second slide master to use with a single presentation and then save that master as a presentation. But you can also create and customize a second slide master for a single presentation to make just sections of your presentations use different backgrounds, styles, themes, effects, and so on. (I wonder if the first and second slide masters ever get into arguments about who has more influence over you and your presentation?)

You can also save a slide master as a template and use it to create other presentations. A template file can contain one or more slide masters (depending on the complexity of your presentation), and each slide master can contain one or more standard or custom sets of layouts. If this seems confusing to you (yes, I can read your mind), at the bottom of this column, I will point you toward some more in-depth information about this, including a training course that will walk you through designing with and applying more than one slide master.

Note   I can't really continue with the house metaphor because changing one room in our house isn't going to affect the rest of the house. If only it could! Can you imagine the time you'd save if you didn't have to repaint, change draperies, or redo all those closets! If someone could invent that, I'd snap it up in a second.

Embedded and linked files

Let's say that you create a presentation with sound and music on your home computer. Why, then, is there dead silence when you present it on another computer, thereby forcing you to hum the theme from Hawaii Five-O for the last 17 slides? There are a couple of possible answers to this question:

• The music is a linked file (instead of an embedded file), and it's linked to a source (such as a piece of music) that lives on your home computer   The problem with this is that while your presentation is desperately looking for the music file, the music file is at home on your computer, twiddling its thumbs and waiting for something to do. This is akin to offering to pay for that expensive dinner when you realize your wallet is in your other jacket or purse. While your date might believe that story out of pity, it doesn't solve the problem. You need to embed that file so that it gets put in your pants pocket. The default setting for automatically linking files is 100 kilobytes (KB), but you can change it to 50 megabytes (MB). However, remember that this will substantially increase the overall size of your presentation, so be aware that it might take some time to open it.
• Your file is embedded but it's in a format that PowerPoint doesn't recognize   When this happens, PowerPoint decides for itself to add the file as a link, not as an embedded object. (Of course it doesn't tell you first, so you spend the next five hours trying all the wrong things and cursing me.) Now read this sentence twice, out loud: Sound files need to be in *.wav format to embed them in a presentation. Don't say I never told you.
• The size of your embedded files is more than 50 megabytes (MB)   You've embedded the file, so it should have traveled nicely from one computer to the next. But it's a lengthy piece (think Pink Floyd's Sheep), thereby forcing PowerPoint to add it as a linked file. So remember: If your file is more than 50 MB, PowerPoint will link to it. Therefore, you need to be sure that your presentation and your linked file are in the same place.

Transitions

Transitions are simple animations that occur when you're in Slide Show view when you move from one slide to the next. They remind me of how I'd wish the special moments in my life could be: Wipe old boyfriends; dissolve junior high experiences; fade from view all those stupid things I've said (and apparently written). You can control the speed and even the sound the transition makes, and you can use the same transition for every slide or you can make each slide sport a different one.

Note   A word of caution about using multiple types of slide transitions: Too many transitions make your audience lose its mind. Really — I've seen it happen. It's all in their eyes: First they start to glaze over, then roll back into their heads until finally ... they close because they cannot take it anymore. So yes, transitions are fun to play around with, but it's your content that matters, right?

Action buttons

An action button in PowerPoint is a ready-made button that contains common shapes that most people understand (right arrow, left arrow, up, down), for playing music and sounds.

They're usually used for self-running presentations, such as at the kiosks in conference booths where people who have been holed up for three solid days living off chips and free conference candy can't bear to look you in the eye and say anything any longer. They have lost the will to care about you or their product. So, in the interest of self-preservation, they had some forethought and created a self-running, self explanatory presentation, complete with action buttons (because they knew that this malaise would happen at some point during the conference — they've done this before).

So watch the presentation, use the action buttons, grab a few free pens, and sneak on outta there.

— Crabby

Volunteering at your kids' school? Free homeroom templates can help.

I’m exhausted. Now that the children are back in school, it’s time for MY vacation (which doesn’t include Disneyland, camping, swimming lessons, horseback riding lessons and so on…) No, I’m going to sit back, relax, and let someone else wear the Crabby wig and glasses this week.

I expect all of you to give Armelle a warm welcome—and not just because she’s new; but also because she’s Crabby’s boss! (Yes, even Crabby has a Tonto to someone else’s Lone Ranger…)

Fall is in the air and school has started in many communities, for both kids & parents.

With the first few days of school come a plethora of forms and volunteer opportunities to fill. One of those opportunities in lots of elementary schools is the role of “Homeroom Parent.” Having filled that role for several years for my kids’ classes, I worked with our Templates team to turn a number of the documents I created into (more polished!) templates that you can download, customize, and use: 

· Class Calendar – Visual way to get a quick overview of the main activities for the coming month (including field trips, birthdays, art projects, tests,…)

· Class Contact List – Indispensable tool to set up play dates and get in touch with friends & parents – one of the first documents to be compiled and send out every year.

· Class Newsletter – Great way to share the current week’s successes and accomplishments, as well as the coming week’s plans. Usually sent out on the last school day of the week (usually Friday)

· Class Party Sign Up Sheet – Quick and easy way to keep track of donations and volunteers for key classroom events such as Harvest parties and Valentine’s Day parties.

· Class Emergency Phone List – Compiled in hopes that it won’t have to be put into use, this list provides the information anyone would need in case of school- or class-wide emergencies (such as earthquakes or school lock-down) or student emergency (such as play ground accidents resulting in trips to the hospital).

· Class Snack Schedule – Essential especially in the lower grades (K-2), as the “little engines” need to be fueled mid-morning and mid-afternoon with healthy snacks.

Check out these templates and let me know if there are other documents that you create and use regularly as a homeroom parent. We’d love to broaden the offering!

-— Armelle

Demystifying Visio terms

It used to be that drawing during a meeting or at school was an indispensable way to pass time. Now it just might be an essential way to get things done. Who knew that doodling and shape-shifting could make you the hit of the office?

I've never had particularly strong spatial abilities; I nearly flunked geometry in the ninth grade. Even today I probably couldn't find my way out of an origami-folded paper bag.

However, I discovered Visio, an Office program that provides all the shapes, templates, and connectors (and all that stuff) so that I (and you) don't have to be geometrically or spatially inclined in order to create drawings and documents that make you look like you are. Of course, you do have to learn a bit of the lingo, and here are some of the terms that I needed to learn before I could even get my feet wet.

Ready, set ... define those terms!

Let us now demystify some of the main words you'll be using once you get excited and start frolicking in Visio.

Shape

A shape in Visio is like the cell in Excel: It's the building block of your drawings, your diagrams, your charts, and whatever else you're creating in Visio. It's a ready-made image that you drag onto your drawing page (the canvas where you work — like the document in Word or the spreadsheet in Excel). In fact, I like to think of the shape in Visio as an actor — it is designed to play a part, programmed to behave (act) a certain way depending on its context (the play, the production).

There are thousands of shapes available for you to use in Visio, not to mention countless ways to use them. And just like actors, shapes come in a variety of colors, designs, and sizes. The Chair and Sofa shapes are examples of two-dimensional (2-D) shapes; you can move them around to see how they fit together and how they look with the rest of the room you're creating. And there are the one-dimensional (1-D) shapes that when selected have a beginning point and an ending point. In other words, they are basically lines (which may not seem like "shapes" to all of you, but in Visio they are considered shapes).

Stencil

Now that you know what a shape is, it's time to move on to stencils. When you think about stencils, perhaps you think about tools that enable you to make better drawings. My 7-year-old loves her stencils — the hearts and flowers, the rainbows and the butterflies.

Of course, those are all fun and sweet, but with Visio, stencils are a bit more … beefy (and perhaps a little less girly, although who am I to speculate?). In a nutshell, a Visio stencil is simply a container for all your shapes— it's a collection of shapes, and all those shapes in a particular stencil have something in common. They can be a collection of shapes that you need to create a certain type of diagram.

For example the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil contains common flowchart shapes, the Backgrounds stencil contains a variety of backgrounds, and the Arrow Shapes stencil contains (oddly enough) a variety of arrow-shaped shapes.

Drawing

Okay, sure, we all know what drawings are (although not all of us can make them so that others can actually identify them — that'd be my stick drawings). In Visio, however, there are many different sorts of drawings, but they all start with a simple four-step procedure: Pick a template (a flowchart, a floor plan, or an engineering template, for example), add shapes from the template stencils to it, add text to the shapes, and then connect them in the ways that illustrate the point you're trying to make. Then show it off and make your point.

Diagram

A diagram in Visio is basically a drawing. You use shapes such as triangles, squares, rectangles, and arrows to create drawings for any number of activities and processes you're trying to explain visually. You open a template, you drag your shapes onto the drawing page, and then you build your diagram by adding more and more shapes. As you build and fine-tune your diagram, you can rearrange, rotate, and resize your shapes; add backgrounds and colors; and so on. Here is a partial list of the types of diagrams you can create using Visio:

• Brainstorming diagrams
• Business process diagrams
• Database diagrams
• Electrical engineering plans
• Maps
• Mechanical engineering plans
• Organization charts
• Process engineering plans
• Web diagrams

Consider a roomful of people about to embark upon a project, people who need to get their ideas on the table. What used to pass for a brainstorming session (which included a whiteboard or a legal yellow pad, not to mention many pairs of resentful glazed-over eyes staring at you) is now pretty much obsolete. We now know that there are better ways to work together. Of course, every person has his or her own idea of how to get this project going: Hillary wants to jump in there and just get all the ideas down and sort it all out later. She won't take no for an answer (and she types fast). Clark is the more contemplative sort of thinker: He isn't going to say a word unless he knows that what he says has value and that it will be taken seriously. His diagrams are meticulous, and he is known for his thoroughness. And Susie wants to be sure that everyone is able to express the ideas in their heads so that they don't leave the meeting feeling alienated, with all those ideas still simmering and bottled up.

Luckily for this unique team, Visio's brainstorming diagrams offer a variety of ways for people to get their ideas on the table. With the shapes that the brainstorming diagrams offer, your session can incorporate the freewheeling, free-association thinking, round-robin brainstorming style (where everyone gets a chance to have a say), as well as the confidential, let's-write-it-down-on-our-own-pads-first-and-gather-later method. Any sort of diagram has the potential to be a conversation starter.

Template

A template in Visio — just like a template in any other Office program — is a toolkit that contains everything you need to create a diagram. You get the menus and toolbars, the stencils, the shapes, and the drawing page you need to get your diagram put together. There are many templates included with Visio, and you can also get many, many more on Office Online.

Pasteboard

The pasteboard in Visio is the light blue area surrounding the drawing page. It's basically a temporary holding cell for shapes and other drawing elements you're considering for your drawings and diagrams. It's a place where you can see what your choices are before you make them. (Oh my, if only such a tool existed for all those lousy relationships I've had in my life. See them as they are — and how they match up with the others in your life — before committing ...)

Connector

A connector is exactly how it sounds: It connects things — Visio shapes, specifically. In fact, a connector is a 1-D shape itself, a line that you use to connect other shapes in your diagram or drawing. If you have a diagram full of shapes that aren't connected in any way, it's pretty hard to tell how they fit together in the scheme of things. Connectors have "sticky points" (end points) that you can "glue" to the "sticky parts" of shapes (the connection points). To understand the direction of the connection between your shapes, you glue the begin point to the shape you're connecting from, and glue the end point to the shape you're connecting to.

PivotDiagram

A PivotDiagram (new for Microsoft Office Visio 2007), arranges your information — or data — in relationships so that you (and the folks looking at your drawing) can more easily see and understand the meaning and relationships among all the data on your page. This sort of diagram in Visio is very similar to a PivotTable report in Excel: It's all about relationships and being able to view them in a variety of ways. Less talking, less explaining, and more perspective. (Come to think of it, this may be some sort of method that marriage therapists could employ to encourage feuding couples to get a fresh perspective — see things from their loved one's point of view.)

When you create this sort of diagram in Visio, the program imports the data, or information, and adds three things to the diagram:

• A legend with information about the data source
• A title box
• A primary shape that aggregates all the data in the data source

Don't forget: You have to have your data set up already in order to create a PivotDiagram. You can use and import the following sources for your information:

• Microsoft Office Excel workbook
• Microsoft Office Access database
• Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services list
• Microsoft SQL Server database
• Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services
• Other OLE DB or ODBC data sources

And while PivotDiagrams may sound daunting and complicated to you, I have to tell you that I created one of my own using a Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services list (and no, I am not a Visio know-it-all, let alone a PivotDiagram expert). Using the Data Selection Wizard, which walks you through everything, you come with the data, and Visio steps up to the plate with the rest of it.

Nudge

The quickest way to line up shapes that are just a little out of alignment is to nudge them using the arrow keys on the keyboard. A little push here, a little pull there … and every shape is where it should be. (And you didn't have to resort to violence — just a little nudge.)

In fact, the nudge feature in Visio is often used in tandem with the zoom feature. If you're looking closely at a shape, and it just doesn't look right to you — perhaps the lines are a bit jagged, or perhaps you've resized a shape a bit and now the connectors are just not looking right — you can use the zoom tool to get a closer look. And once you've had your Aha! Moment and have seen the culprit, you can use the Nudge tool to move either (or both) the connector or the shape so that everyone is all lined up, like ducks in a row … or a circle … or a flowchart ... or a network diagram. (Smart ducks.)

Auto Layout

Auto Layout is a way to position shapes faster than moving them one at a time. I like to think of Auto Layout as a sort of drill sergeant: It gets every line, every shape, and even every momma's boy rogue connector shipshape … without much fuss (or back talk). As with many of the features in Visio (and other Office programs, now that I think of it) it's designed to be a timesaving device. Who wants to have to move and rearrange every chair, every desk, and every cubicle in your perfectly arranged office layout diagram just because someone new joined the team and you're required to find her a window office — without, of course, insulting the folks who've been here for years and years and haven't seen the outdoors during working hours, let alone have had the opportunity to gaze out through a window every day (Yes! I'm projecting! I'm projecting! I'm projecting!).

Final words

I usually say that the best way to learn something is to jump right in there and frolic around in its waters. But with Visio, I really mean it. It's software for the visual side of life — it's colorful, it's shapely, its waters are warm and meant to be swum in. Try it — open a template, create your own, or just start with a blank page. Add some shapes from a stencil, nudge them hither and yon, and grab some data and see what a little perspective can do for you and your ideas.

More information

Below are some links that will give you more information (and even training) about some of the things I've discussed in this column.

• Shapes I: Introductory basics you can't live without
• Change how shapes are displayed on a stencil
• Create a basic diagram
• How can I tell what each Visio template is for?
• Connectors
• Demo: Get a new perspective on data with PivotDiagrams
• Move shapes

"Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace." — Oscar Wilde

— Crabby

Crabby answers three common password questions

Some of the feedback I get indicates that you're having some issues about Outlook passwords. Let's see if we can't salvage some of your sanity and unravel the mysteries of Outlook passwords at the same time.

So: Outlook passwords are driving you nuts, eh? From your letters and feedback, I see that this topic elicits three pain points:

1. Outlook won't do your bidding and remember your password.
2. You forgot your password.
3. You share your computer with others but you want to keep some of your mail private.

Today I'll address these burning problems so that you can get over your password obsession and on with your life.

Question #1: Why won't Outlook save my password?

I know...I KNOW! I get lots of feedback about this very issue: even though you've checked the "Remember password" box, Outlook is being a stubborn old hag and keeps asking you for it. Sisyphus has company now.

Never fear, stonemason, I've researched it and compiled a list of support articles that address this very issue. The procedure to fix this problem varies, depending on what version of Outlook you're using and a few other things. Below are some links to support articles written by password experts that may just solve your problem.

Outlook 2007

• I get an Enter Network Password prompt

Outlook 2003

• The save password setting is not saved when you connect to a POP3 server

Question #2: Do you have my password?

The short answer: no, I don't have your password.

Listen, I know that we all have a lot of number combinations to remember: the PIN to get money from the magic cash machine; home, office, and cell phone numbers; security codes for our home, car, or daycare center.

So it's no surprise that your Outlook password promptly dropped out of your head (along with the middle name of your youngest child) after Saturday night's wine tasting event. And now, of course, if you can't remember your password you can't get your e-mail; if you can't get your e-mail, you're not going to be able to write your mother-in-law and ask her about that kid's elusive middle name. (Then again, you could look on the bright side of things: no more e-mail means no more spam!)

So...how do you get that password back? (This is my favorite part of this column.) YOU CAN'T. Of COURSE you can't. If you could just call me up and ask me, what good would a password be? And no, Microsoft doesn't have your password either.

Here's the thing: unless you've written the password down or it spontaneously comes to you during tomorrow's morning meditation session, there isn't any real way to retrieve it. It's gone, pal; get over it and move on.

But all is not lost.

If you use an Internet service provider (ISP) to get your e-mail, you'll have to call the company and reset your password. Different ISPs go about this in different ways but it's usually not too difficult. You'll probably even talk to a real, live human who will make sure you are who you say you are. ("Name? Address? Mother's maiden name? Shoe size? Favorite pizza topping?")

If your computer is part of a network/domain (such as at work), you'll need to talk to the administrator in order to reset the password.

Once that's taken care of (and you DID write that new password down, didn't you?), you'll need to go into Outlook and add it in there.

Note   Remember: A strong password combines uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Weak passwords don't mix these elements. Strong password: Y6dh!et5. Weak password: supersecretpassword.)

Note   The procedures below are for POP3, HTTP, or IMAP mail accounts. (If you're not sure what type of account you have, read my column Crabby demystifies e-mail protocols. If your company is using Outlook with Exchange Server, it's your Windows password we're talking about and that is a horse of a different color and a column for a different day. As well, just changing your password in Outlook won't mean diddly unless you've called your ISP first. The password your ISP has and the password you put into Outlook must match.

Update Outlook 2007 with your new e-mail account password

• On the Tools menu, click Account Settings.
• Select the e-mail account whose password you want to change, and click Change.
• Under Logon Information, in the Password box, type the password that was provided by your ISP or mail administrator or the password that you created.
• Select the Remember password check box (if you want).

Update Outlook 2003 with your new e-mail account password

1. On the Tools menu, click E-mail accounts.
2. Select View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
3. Select the POP3, IMAP, or HTTP e-mail account that you want to update with a new password, and then click Change.
4. In the Password box, type your new password, and then click Next. Then click Finish.

Question #3: Can I lock Outlook when I leave my computer?

In a word: Not really, other than by using your Windows logon password. (OK, in 10 words.)

See, there is no logon password for the Outlook program itself. The password you set with the instructions here protects your personal data that is used in Outlook, but will not prevent people from using Outlook or help secure data against hackers.

By "personal data," I mean: If you use an Internet e-mail account in Outlook, such as a POP3 or HTTP account, your messages are delivered to a Personal Folders file (.pst) on your computer. You can create a password on your .pst file to prevent the people you share your computer with (normally people at home, not at your office) from being looky-loos.

Set a password to help protect your Outlook information

Note   If you forget or lose this password, you will not be able to access this file or its contents. Period. End of story.

If you're running Outlook through Microsoft Exchange  — common in business environments and rare for personal or home e-mail  — you don't need to set a password for your Outlook data. Protection of your Outlook data is already managed by Exchange.

Finally

Setting up passwords is just part of what should be your security story. I strongly suggest you look beyond e-mail accounts and files and consider the bigger security picture. Take a look at our Security and privacy section on Office Online. I'll just feel better knowing you did.

"Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough." — George Washington Carver

— Crabby

You’re an original; now your OOF can be too!

I've talked to you about the importance of the out of office message (OOF) before:

• In Crabby's get-away-from-it-all checklist we went over the Out of Office Assistant (the feature — when you're using Outlook with Exchange Server — that lets you create a reply message for e-mail sent to you while you're away). I expressed the importance of turning this feature on before you leave the office so that the folks you work with won't think you're simply ignoring them.
• Then, in Plan your summer getaway...and your return, I listed a number of other things you need to do to prepare before you go on vacation (setting your OOF being one of them) — and then I took it a step further: I explained why not to turn off your OOF right when you return, but to simply alter a bit for a few days, perhaps saying that you've returned but are still catching up on things.

So, we've covered the whys of the out of office message. But what about the message itself? When you go to create your OOF message (using the Out of Office Assistant from the Tools menu), sure, you can spruce up your text somewhat with different font styles, colors, and sizes. And maybe that's good enough for you; it's the message that matters, right? Not the packaging, right?

Well...sort of. It depends on who you are and who will be receiving the message. What if you're in marketing or P.R. and you want to display your creativity and panache, right down to your OOF? Or what if you're an artist and the need to express yourself spills over into your out-of-office reply?

Go crazy with your OOF

Now, I'm neither in marketing nor P.R. and I'm no artist. But I always wanted to create something a little different from the pack of out of office messages we all get on a regular basis. So, I came up with a way to customize mine. People here at work started noticing, and then someone from the Templates team suggested I create a template based on my OOF so that anyone could follow suit!

And so I did; I created a Creative out of office message template (my very first published template)! I had great fun writing it, and I can also tweak it when I need to. The creative possibilities are endless.

If you've already tried to make the standard out of office message a little snazzier, you already know that doing it from within the Out of Office Assistant feature in Outlook is quite limited. So, if you want to learn how to create your own, download my template and rev up your creative engines. Turn howdy doody into a thing of beauty! And also, don't forget to rate and comment.

Send me your best work at crabby@microsoft.com.

"Good taste is the enemy of creativity." — Pablo Picasso

 -- Crabby

Awards for best awards: Enter our contest

Here we are, at the mid-point in August when the thoughts of parents everywhere turn to... BACK TO SCHOOL! To mark this time-honored holiday — I mean tradition — we're holding another template contest. In this go-around, we want to see your most brilliant and snazziest award certificate templates. Sounds simple, you say?

Maybe so. But we want you to think beyond the same old awards: Best Speller (*yawn*), Most Considerate (*suck-up*), or Top Attendance (*oh, come ON!*). How about getting a little creative? You're going to need shiny text and sparkling images if you want to stand out to our judges. I wrote about the last template contest we had, and if you take a look at the winners of that contest, you'll see the sort of standards we're talking about.

But don't be shy or intimidated. This is a great opportunity to show off your mad skillz and learn something along the way.

Although I am not eligible to participate in this contest (I think the templates team is afraid of what I might do — and rightly so), I did come up with a few of my own:

• Most eccentric science teacher
• Most anxious parent of perfectly thriving kid
• Most awkward student-teacher video store back-room moment
• Happiest parents as sullen newly-minted teen goes back to school
• Most macho combo coach/remedial math teacher

And of course, my favorite: Best book report in 140 characters or less:

(Download this template here)

Think you have what it takes? Read about the guidelines and how to submit here: Office Online Templates Contest.

“I don’t deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that either.” – Jack Benny

- Crabby