Microsoft Office

You can save time by configuring your computer to automatically open a specific Microsoft Office program whenever Microsoft Windows starts by doing one of the following:

Windows Vista
Click the Start button , click All Programs, and then click Microsoft Office.
In the list of available Office programs, right-click the icon of the program or programs you want to start automatically, and then click Copy on the shortcut menu.
In the All Programs list, right-click the Startup folder, and then click Explore on the shortcut menu.
In the window that opens, click Organize, and then click Paste.
Keyboard shortcut To paste your selection into the Startup folder more quickly, press CTRL+V.
The next time you start your computer, Windows automatically runs the program or programs that you have copied to the Startup folder.

Microsoft Windows XP
On the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office.
In the list of available Office programs, right-click the icon of the program or programs you want to start automatically, and then click Copy on the shortcut menu.
In the All Programs list, right-click the Startup folder, and then click Explore on the shortcut menu.
On the Edit menu, click Paste.
Keyboard shortcut To paste your selection into the Startup folder more quickly, press CTRL+V.
The next time you start your computer, Windows automatically runs the program or programs that you have copied to the Startup folder.

Use this to quickly start whatever Microsoft Office Program you use, automatically. By using this shortcut, you will save time on your work .

The nerdy, boring sibling of the Microsoft office family, Excel is always associated with mathematical functions, ledgers, and other yawn inducing things. Little did you know, Excel has a secret second life full of fun and weird things! Here’s 10 of them, conveniently displayed in list form for you:

10. Etch-a-Sketch

Remember etch-a-sketch? Now you can doodle away with your keyboard arrows, excel style. This will keep you mildly amused for about ten minutes, but it beats actually doing work with excel.

9. Meeting Bingo

Next time you have a really boring meeting to attend, use this tool to generate some meeting bingo cards for you and your coworkers. Just fill out the the list with your workplaces most trite & overused buzzwords, and you’re ready to go. Winner gets first pick of the new office chairs.

8. Pranks

There’s a lot of different excel modifications you can make to excel to have fun with (or at the expense of) your coworkers. For example, did you know that 2 + 2 = 5 (for large values of 2) ? Install this on your coworkers computer and, with patience, that calculation will eventually find its way into one of their complex worksheets.

7. ASCII Animation

I don’t even want to think about how this was created, but the point is that if you are really bored and inclined, you can.

6. Board Games

That’s right, a completely functional copy of monopoly built right into excel (complete with wheelin’ & dealin’, cut-throat A.I. !) , and it’s not the only board game for excel, you can find most popular board games for excel.

5. Spirograph

The crappy toy is now a crappy excel add-on. Did you know that there’s a direct correlation between the decline of Spirograph and the rise in gang activity? Think about it.

4. Joke Charts & Graphs

Graph Jam features a huge collection of user submitted joke graphs and charts for your amusement. Put Excel’s visualization tools to good use, and make some of your own.

3. Draw

Probably not your first choice in drawing tools, but people have created some jaw-dropping drawings with Excel, and you can too.

2. Make Music

Someone has made a fully functional drum machine and a synthesizer with Excel! One more Excel based instrument, and you could create the geekiest band in the world.

1. Video Games

There’s an entire world of video games ported to excel (like tetris) out there, as well as some made specifically for excel. Try to be productive at work, knowing that.

What would you do, if you had a chance to restore the famous chain of hotels that used to belong to your family? Decide faster… because soon, you would have the opportunity to help Jane to get back her heritage.

Rule the hotels in France, England, Japan and on the Canaries. Explore the world’s latest tendencies in hotel business and challenge yourself with a greater goal. No one but you can make the chain of hotels prosper once again.

Want to be a fabulous entrepreneur? Expand a boutique hotel chain and provide 4-star service to eager guests. Help Jane purchase four International hotels, make upgrades, and pay off that large looming bank loan. In addition to the normal guest services, Jane can now help customers buy souvenirs and take pictures. Jane`s Hotel: Family Hero is the hospitable sequel adding a brand new twist to time management and cafe simulation games.

Sequel to the hit game. Fast-paced levels. New guest features! Check out the housing market in Jane`s Realty

System Requirements:
OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
CPU: 800 Mhz
RAM: 128 MB
DirectX: 6.0
Hard Drive: 102 MB

User reviews:
this game is one of my best games yet!! i just cannot believe how this game is so amazing!!! this game is alot faster than Jane’s Hotel!! and i must say that this game is very addictive!! well off to play the game see ya who ever you are!!!!!!10th December, 2008, sarah sherwood.

Played this game last night it much better than the first, u have the help of a maid and a porter this time and can upgrade these as well as yourself, and horray there is no sliding screen. Jane’s Hotel 2: Family Hero just great!27th March, 2008, michelle.

has begun releasing information on their official Windows 7 training courses.

Course 6289 - First Look: Windows 7 for IT Professionals This three-hour instructor-led clinic introduces students to new features in Microsoft Windows 7: user productivity, improved security and control, streamlined PC management, and desktop optimization.
At Course Completion

Discuss configuration of the UAC elevation prompt
Explain BitLocker Data Encryption for removable storage devices
Summarize how to create and enforce AppLocker rules
Describe how Windows Defender helps to improve security on a computer
Describe how DirectAccess helps improve the connectivity experience for remote users
Explain how caching works to help make users in a branch office more productive
Summarize how to use libraries and search to organize and find information
Describe how taskbar and Control Panel improvements bring together common tasks and information to reduce clutter and improve navigation
Explain how to perform a Windows Backup and Restore
Describe troubleshooting enhancements including the Problem Steps Recorder, unified tracing concepts, Performance Monitor, and Windows PowerShell 2.0

Course 6290 - First Look: Windows 7 for IT Professionals Hands-on Lab This three hour lab is a companion to the 6289 course and provides hands-on practice with the main technical areas of Windows 7: User Productivity, Improved Security and Control, Streamlined PC Management, and Desktop Optimization.
At Hands-On Lab Completion
Configure User Account Control.
Utilize the User Account Type and Elevation Prompt.
Configure Local Security Policy.
Configure Windows Firewall.
Create AppLocker Rules and configure enforcement.
Configure Windows Defender.
Set indexing locations and modify advanced options.
Execute searches form multiple locations.
Create a library and set security permissions.
Create and deploy a search connector.
Use the built-in diagnostics tools to diagnose and resolve system problems.
Use Performance Monitor to collect system performance information.
Configure the Action Center and view messages.
Examine events in Event Viewer and create a custom view.
Configure Device Manager and control device installation.
Run Windows PowerShell commands.
Configure Backup and Restore option.
Configure the Sync Center.

This is something I’ve always wondered.

From MIcrosoft Security Tips Blog: Having to approve each timem ti install “Active X” controls does get time consuming and irritating.

What are ActiveX controls?

ActiveX controls are small programs, sometimes also called “add-ons,” used on the Internet. They can make browsing more enjoyable by allowing animation or they can help with tasks such as installing security updates at Windows Update.

Some Web sites require you to install ActiveX controls in order to see the site or perform certain tasks on it. The Web site that provides the ActiveX control should tell you what the control is for and provide any details you need to know before you install it.

What are the risks?

Unfortunately, ActiveX controls are like any other software program — they can be misused. They can stop your computer from functioning correctly, collect your browsing habits and personal information without your knowledge, or can give you content, like pop-up ads, that you don’t want. Also, “good” ActiveX controls might contain flaws that allow “bad” Web sites to use them for malicious purposes.

Given these risks, you should only install ActiveX controls if you have information about the Web site that offers the control and the publisher that created the control. With this information you should then decide if are willing to trust your personal information to the Web site and to the publisher. For more information on how to determine if you trust a Web site, see How to recognize spoofed Web sites.

Here’s a good rule to follow: If an ActiveX control is not essential to your computer activity, avoid installing it.

What do I do if I don’t want to install an ActiveX Control?

When you install an ActiveX control, Internet Explorer displays a dialog box that identifies the publisher, and asks if you want to run the file. Click Don’t run if you do not trust the Web site and publisher.

The Information Bar and the Add-on Manager also allow you to turn off ActiveX controls once you’ve enabled them. You can also delete them.

After you get that all-important, rare interview, do follow up with a Thank You letter.

Overcome Objections

If during an interview there were specific objections raised about your candidacy, use your thank-you letter to respond to and overcome those concerns. Demonstrate that the concerns are not an obstacle but an opportunity and you’re fully prepared to meet the challenge.

Example:

You’re interviewing to be an executive for a well-established company in the Midwest. Although you’re extremely well-qualified, the CEO is concerned you’ve never lived in the area and have no network of local contacts. Eliminate those concerns by explaining your network of professional contacts is nationwide and, in fact, you know John Doe of Local Company X, have a long-standing relationship with an economic development director in the area, etc. These contacts will only serve to expand the company’s already-established network.
Reiterate Your Expertise

If the company communicated its specific needs, issues or challenges, use your thank-you letter to demonstrate how you can meet those needs.

Example:

You’ve interviewed to be the CFO of a distressed company in need of immediate action. It needs a candidate with proven success in fast-track turnarounds and revitalizations. Highlight your experience in turning a company around and showing profitability.
Highlight Your Core Professional Competencies and Successes

If the company communicated its ideal qualifications for a candidate, use your thank-you letter to outline how you meet or exceed each qualification.

Example:

You’ve interviewed for the position of EVP of technology and product development with a high tech venture, and company officials have clearly communicated four essential candidate qualifications. Help them see that you have those four qualifications by providing an overview of your career highlights.
How Long Should Your Thank-You Letter Be?

Of course, as with anything else in a job search, there is no definitive answer. One page is the norm, depending on the amount of information you want to communicate. Letters certainly do not have to be only one page.

Remind yourself that you already have the company’s interest or you wouldn’t have been interviewing, and use your thank-you letter as a tool to communicate valuable information. The entire job search process is marketing and merchandising your product — you. There is no reason why writing thank-you letters should be any different than any other of your job search activities.

Courtesy of Microsoft Office Online and Monster.com.

From Michael Oldenburg’s Nota Bene:Lost your job? Let OneNote and Office help!

I’m going to start using this templete when applying for writing gigs and jobs.

With so many people losing their jobs recently, the Office Online team has gotten to work on a brand-new Career Center site to help Microsoft Office users with every step of their career or job search. As part of this effort, we’ve partnered with the experts over at Monster.com to make the whole process a snap. Like all of the resources on Office Online, the new job hunting tools are completely free, so be sure to see what’s available!

Once you begin mailing out dozens of job applications, your résumé, and your cover letters, keeping track of it all can be a daunting task. Fortunately, our new Career Center also offers theOneNote job application tracker. This template-based OneNote form can be added to any section in your OneNote notebook. It makes it much easier to keep track of the various job leads in your sight.

Using the template, you can keep track of the companies to which you’ve sent an application, résumé, and cover letter. You can also jot down which version of your résumé and references that you’ve sent out for specific jobs, and what the names and phone numbers of any company reps and head hunters are with whom you’ve been in contact. You can then use the job application tracker to follow up with each employer, follow up with thank-you notes, and remind yourself of upcoming interviews and phone calls.

Download and install the OneNote 2007 Job Tracker template

If you don’t yet have OneNote 2007, download and install the free trial version.
You can use and test-drive it for a full 60 days without any restriction or obligation.

Launch OneNote 2007 and then open the notebook section where you want to install the template.

Go to the download page and then click the Download button.
If prompted, follow any additional steps and instructions on your screen.

The template will automatically open on a new page in your current notebook section.
If that’s not where you want it, you can easily move the page to another notebook section.
Don’t like the template exactly as we’ve designed it? Watch a free video to learn how to customize templates in OneNote.

From Microsoft Inside Office Online: Theyhave created a new Office Online Career Center and partnered with Monster.com to make the entire job hunting process - from planning your strategy to polishing your resume and submitting it for a position - as painless as possible.

Check out the video, where they walk Seattle’s Alycia Delmore through the process and help her get ready for her next job. Download a resume template and update your own. Look for a job in your area, and post your resume. They’ve even linked to career advice from Monster’s career experts. It’s all there on the page, and broken down in even greater detail in this article.

They didn’t forget those employers who might have openings, because as difficult as it is to find the right job, they know it’s also challenging to find the right candidate for an open position.

Finally, they know their resume templates are among the most popular templates on our site. Our hope is that this new Career Center helps you do more and we wish you luck in your search for a job.

Here’s Microsoft’s Office Online Career Center:

Four Steps to Online Job Search:

1. Start with a strategy
You can avoid anxiety about your job search by starting with a strategy — and we can put you on the fast track with a strategy that’s ready for you now. Monster.com and Office Online are teaming up to make the whole job search process faster and easier.

2. Search for available jobs
What are you looking for?

On Monster.com, you can find information on what employers are looking for in your field, such as finance career tips or information for technology jobs. Go to the Advice home page, scroll down to the View Information by Category section, and click the industry you want to know more about.

If you need to brush up on some of your Office skills, you can find free, self-paced training courses on Office Online.

3. Write your resume
Now that you’ve found a job you want to apply for — or you’ve learned more about the industry where you want to work — it’s time to dust off and brush up your resume.

You want your resume to look professional and to stand out. And you want it to be returned in Search results — right in front of anyone looking for the perfect candidate (that’s you).

Submit!
You’re ready to start your search officially.

If you created your resume using a Word 2007, template, take a moment to save a copy of your resume in .doc format. That’s the copy that you’ll submit to Monster.

Click the Submit button to submit your resume to Monster.com. You can submit it specifically to that job you saw earlier, and you can submit it generally for employers to find in their searches.

Follow up
You can use the Job search log template or the Interview/Resume Follow-Up Log template on Office Online to keep track of where you’ve sent resumes and follow-up letters, and where you’ve interviewed, as well as tracking the thank you letters you send after those interviews.

For more details, click the blue link above to access Microsoft’s Career Planning site.

This is a great demo from Office Online, How to Brand your Business Documents

When your documents, presentations, and workbooks have a unified and polished appearance, they make a positive impression. Now you can “brand” your Microsoft Office documents quickly and easily by applying a document theme — a set of colors, fonts, and other formatting details that work together to give your documents a stylish, professional design. Word 2007, Excel 2007, and PowerPoint 2007 offer a wide range of predefined document themes, and you can also create your own by customizing existing themes. Document themes are shared across the programs so that all your Office documents can have the same look. Watch this demo to see how easy it is to get great results.

You can quickly and easily format an entire document to give it a professional and modern look by applying a document theme. A document theme is a set of formatting choices that include a set of theme colors, a set of theme fonts (including heading and body text fonts), and a set of theme effects (including lines and fill effects).

Programs such as Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint provide several predefined document themes, but you can also create your own by customizing and then saving an existing document theme. Document themes are shared across Office programs so that all of your Office documents can have the same, uniform look. However, unlike Word and Excel, PowerPoint includes background style customization options. For information about adding and customizing backgrounds, see Add a background to your presentation.

Click the blue link above for more information.

Today Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of Windows Internet Explorer 8, the new Web browser that offers the best solution for how people use the Web today. It can be downloaded in 25 languages at http://www.microsoft.com/ie8 starting at noon EDT on March 19. Internet Explorer 8 is easier to use, faster and offers leading-edge security features in direct response to people’s increasing concerns about online safety. A new study commissioned by Microsoft and the National Cyber Security Alliance and conducted by Harris Interactive Inc. shows that 91 percent of adults in the U.S. are concerned about online threats in the current economic climate, and 78 percent are more likely to choose a Web browser with built-in security than they were two years ago.

“Customers have made clear what they want in a Web browser — safety, speed and greater ease of use,” said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “With Internet Explorer 8, we are delivering a browser that gets people to the information they need, fast, and provides protection that no other browser can match.”

In response to extensive customer research and input from tens of millions of customer sessions, Microsoft developed Internet Explorer 8 to focus on what matters most to people. The security enhancements offer protection against existing and emerging security threats online. It blocks two to four times more malware attacks than other browsers; cuts down on the time it takes to complete common tasks on the Web such as searching, mapping and sharing, including navigating 15 of the 20 top worldwide sites; and blurs the lines between the services they use daily and the browser used to access the Internet.