Helpful tips

Microsoft Office | Microsoft Word | Microsoft Excel | Microsoft Outlook | Internet | Mozilla Thunderbird| QuickBooks

Do not hesitate to contact us if you need some help with one of these packages or with another package.

Commonality between software packages

If you know how to do something in one package — e.g.: use the shortcut keys Ctrl + c to copy a file — then try and do it in another package. It might well work!

Microsoft Office

Commonality between Microsoft Office packages

If you know how to do something in one Microsoft Office package — for example use AutoCorrect options — then try and do it in another package. Most of the time, it will work!

AutoCorrect Options

If you often use words that contain special characters (e.g.: Agnès), you can use AutoCorrect Options to let the computer do the work for you!

1. Type your word with the special character in any Microsoft application
2. Highlight it
3. Go to the Tools menu, then AutoCorrect Options
4. You will see that your highlighted word appears in the section called "Replace as you type" - make sure this section is ticked.
5. On the left hand side, add the version of your word without the special character
6. Click OK

Once your document has been saved, next time you type the word without the special character, then press the space bar, the word will automatically be corrected.

NB.: OpenOffice also has AutoCorrect facilities.

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Microsoft Word

Turning off the grammar checker

1. Go to the Tools menu, Options
2. Choose the Spelling and Grammar tab
3. Ensure the Check grammar as you type box is not ticked

You can turn it back on by following the same process and ensuring the box is ticked.

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Microsoft Excel

Custom lists in Excel – Alphabet

Excel can recognise some lists and allow you to continue the list without you needing to type anything. For example:

1 2 3

1. Type the numbers 1, 2 and 3 in three separate cells
2. Select those cells
3. Place your cursor at the bottom right corner of the last cell of the list
4. Drag down to continue the list

You will see the next element of the series appear in a mini-window before if fills the next cell (e.g.: the number 5 below)

             

a b c

Annoyingly, the alphabet is not a list Excel recognises. However, you can, add it as a new Custom List. You can access Custom Lists via the Tools menu, Options, Custom List tab.

You can then proceed as you did for the 1,2 3, list above.

             

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Transpose data

If you have headings in columns but you'd like them in rows you can use Paste Special.

1. Select the data you're interested in - for example A1:E1
2. Copy it
3. Select the cell you'd like them moved to - for example A3
4. Choose Paste Special and tick the transpose box
5. You can also use this for a block of data rather than just headings

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Microsoft Outlook

Emailing a Note

To email the content of a note, just drag the note and drop it onto the 'Mail' area.

Email Display

You can choose which email-related fields (e.g.: to, from, CC, BCC...) and displayed and in what order:

1. Right click in the field area
2. Select "Field Chooser"
3. Drag the fields you want on and off the field area

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Mozilla Thunderbird

Shortcut keys

'Ctrl+2' displays the Address Book.
'Ctrl+1' displays Thunderbird.

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Internet

Internet searching

Internet search by country

If you are looking for a site in the UK, narrow down your search by typing: site:uk

Internet search inside a particular website

If you want to look for something inside a particular website — e.g.: searching for Excel in this website — you can include the site's address in your search. In your search box, you would type:
Excel site:http://www.smallspark.co.uk/

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QuickBooks

Ask - How Do I?

In each sub-section (E.g.: Chart of Accounts, Create Invoices, etc.) you can use the Ask feature to ask a question or find out how to perform actions pertinent to that section.

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