Productive U Podcast » Office 2007 http://www.productiveupodcast.com Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:15:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 This podcast is designed to help average consumers, small business professionals, and technology enthusiasts learn to be more productive with their software and mobile devices. PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris eric.harris@pchelps.com eric.harris@pchelps.com (PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris) PC Helps Support, LLC A digital dose of productivity tips to get more value from software and mobile devices. Productive U Podcast http://www.productiveupodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/productiveu2.jpg http://www.productiveupodcast.com/category/office-2007/ Be aware. Be very, very electronically aware. (VOL052) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/03/be-aware-be-very-very-electronically-aware-vol052/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/03/be-aware-be-very-very-electronically-aware-vol052/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:24:22 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1752 Whether you look to Miss Manners, the Cybercouth Tiger, Mother, or some other manners maven, they will all say that being polite will make people more receptive to your message.  So, how can we hone our electronic communication skills to this degree? Let’s take a look at a few of the most egregious e-mail etiquette errors and discuss how certain situations should be handled.

The first item on our list is the angry e-mail. E-mail provides a crucial benefit over face-to-face communication: you have a chance to carefully choose your words and compose an eloquent message. But e-mail can also inspire a confidence that may be lacking in live communication.

This can lead to the angry e-mail, and sometimes it’s all too easy to write things you would never say. There’s probably a reason you would never say those things, so it’s important to keep that in mind before pushing that Send button. Once you do, there’s no way to get that message back.

So if you’re angry, upset, or irritated in any way, it may be best to step away from the computer for a break. That way, you will likely cool off or relax and have a better frame of mind; after all, you probably don’t want to burn any important bridges.

Next, let’s talk about the plague of electronic communication: the forwarded chain letter. We’ve all gotten these and may have even been tempted to pass them on at some point. I mean, let’s face it: if we pass that message on to at least ten friends, we could suddenly inherit millions of dollars. And if we don’t, it could mean bad luck for the next seven years. But that is more than likely not going to be the case.

Chain letters were annoying enough when they arrived as paper mail, but in that form they cost money to send. With electronic mail, which is mostly free, chain letter forwards are even more prevalent, and just as bothersome.

Some of these messages make you feel guilty if you ignore them, or even threaten karmic disasters if you fail to pass them on to a specified amount of recipients. And then there those that imply technical catastrophes if you don’t click on something or delete a certain file. Please, friends: don’t fall for those.

So, you might ask: what is the best way to handle these unwanted messages?  First of all, delete the message, especially if it is the kind that threatens technical disaster or asks you to click on a link. Second: if they are coming from a relative or close friend, ask them gently to not include you on the list for those e-mails unless they directly know the source.  Remember, this may be the only entertainment dear Aunt Sally has.

Our dear friend, the Cybercouth Tiger, sent a note about a few other aspects of e-mail etiquette that he wanted to share with us. Here is what he had to say:

One of my avocations is playing stand-up bass in an amateur jazz ensemble. We have six musicians in the band, but using electronic calendaring is impractical for us.  As a result, our rehearsals and gigs are scheduled via e-mail messages. This would be quite acceptable but for a few irritating habits of the members in the percussion section. They don’t seem to grasp the concept that only the band member serving as our organizer needs to know if they can or cannot attend a particular date. Being drummers (and in bands, it is always the drummers), they use Reply to All when Reply was all that was needed. We all get enough superfluous e-mail from spammers and bots without getting it from percussionists, too.
On top of this, the stick-wielding troglodytes don’t understand that typing in all capital letters is rude. I often must restrain myself from replying to them (not using Reply to All, of course) that, “ALL CAPS IS FORTISSISSIMO.  PLEASE STOP YELLING!” While the decorum of a jazz band would never allow me to comport myself in such a manner with my band mates, I count it a privilege to be able to help you avoid the percussionists’ errors and harmonize with the groups with which you work.

Thanks for the advice, Cybercouth!

The tips for this week center around these ideas and a few others that will help you avoid behaving like a troglodyte, or any other unsavory character.

Enjoying these tips?  Have any suggestions for future podcasts?  Stop over and write a review of the podcast on iTunes, or drop us a quick note on Twitter @productiveUcast.

That’s all for this week.  Until next time, remember to make Miss Manners, the Cybercouth Tiger, and Mom proud of your e-mail communication.

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/03/be-aware-be-very-very-electronically-aware-vol052/feed/ 0 Whether you look to Miss Manners, the Cybercouth Tiger, Mother, or some other manners maven, they will all say that being polite will make people more receptive to your message.  So, how can we hone our electronic communication skills to this degree? Whether you look to Miss Manners, the Cybercouth Tiger, Mother, or some other manners maven, they will all say that being polite will make people more receptive to your message.  So, how can we hone our electronic communication skills to this degree? Let's take a look at a few of the most egregious e-mail etiquette errors and discuss how certain situations should be handled. The first item on our list is the angry e-mail. E-mail provides a crucial benefit over face-to-face communication: you have a chance to carefully choose your words and compose an eloquent message. But e-mail can also inspire a confidence that may be lacking in live communication. This can lead to the angry e-mail, and sometimes it's all too easy to write things you would never say. There's probably a reason you would never say those things, so it's important to keep that in mind before pushing that Send button. Once you do, there's no way to get that message back. So if you're angry, upset, or irritated in any way, it may be best to step away from the computer for a break. That way, you will likely cool off or relax and have a better frame of mind; after all, you probably don't want to burn any important bridges. Next, let's talk about the plague of electronic communication: the forwarded chain letter. We've all gotten these and may have even been tempted to pass them on at some point. I mean, let's face it: if we pass that message on to at least ten friends, we could suddenly inherit millions of dollars. And if we don't, it could mean bad luck for the next seven years. But that is more than likely not going to be the case. Chain letters were annoying enough when they arrived as paper mail, but in that form they cost money to send. With electronic mail, which is mostly free, chain letter forwards are even more prevalent, and just as bothersome. Some of these messages make you feel guilty if you ignore them, or even threaten karmic disasters if you fail to pass them on to a specified amount of recipients. And then there those that imply technical catastrophes if you don't click on something or delete a certain file. Please, friends: don't fall for those. So, you might ask: what is the best way to handle these unwanted messages?  First of all, delete the message, especially if it is the kind that threatens technical disaster or asks you to click on a link. Second: if they are coming from a relative or close friend, ask them gently to not include you on the list for those e-mails unless they directly know the source.  Remember, this may be the only entertainment dear Aunt Sally has. Our dear friend, the Cybercouth Tiger, sent a note about a few other aspects of e-mail etiquette that he wanted to share with us. Here is what he had to say: One of my avocations is playing stand-up bass in an amateur jazz ensemble. We have six musicians in the band, but using electronic calendaring is impractical for us.  As a result, our rehearsals and gigs are scheduled via e-mail messages. This would be quite acceptable but for a few irritating habits of the members in the percussion section. They don't seem to grasp the concept that only the band member serving as our organizer needs to know if they can or cannot attend a particular date. Being drummers (and in bands, it is always the drummers), they use Reply to All when Reply was all that was needed. We all get enough superfluous e-mail from spammers and bots without getting it from percussionists, too. On top of this, the stick-wielding troglodytes don’t understand that typing in all capital letters is rude. I often must restrain myself from replying to them (not using Reply to All, of course) that, “ALL CAPS IS FORTISSISSIMO.  PLEASE STOP YELLING!” While the decorum of a jazz band would never allow me to comport myself in such a manner with my band mates, I count it a privilege to be able to help you avoid the percussionists’ errors and harmonize with the groups with which you work. PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean 6:26 Where’s Waldo? Where’s anything, for that matter? (VOL051) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/03/wheres-waldo-wheres-anything-for-that-matter-vol051/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/03/wheres-waldo-wheres-anything-for-that-matter-vol051/#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:12:40 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1734 We have a special guest joining us this week, Ms. DigITal Entity. She is a computer chip with an extensive memory and a unique ability to communicate. We’ve all encountered situations where we wish we knew what our computers were thinking; well, DigIT, as she is known to her many friends and family, provides that insight.

DigIT and I will be discussing how to use different views when trying to locate files or other items on a computer.

Editor: DigIT, can you explain why this topic recently caught your interest?

DigIT: My regular computer operator (my human friend) was recently complaining that she could not find a file on her computer. I asked her which one and when she told me, I was able to find it immediately. I could not understand why my friend had trouble. She attempted to explain it to me, but I found her reasons confusing; she mentioned a strange character named Waldo that seemed to always be missing.

E: Oh, you’re referring to the Where’s Waldo book series. Those are fun—what don’t you get?

D: Why do you humans like Where’s Waldo?  It seems pointless to me if you do not like looking for things.

E: Well, Where’s Waldo started out for younger children, most of whom would only be playing games or doing learning activities on a computer.  The adults, like your friend, would typically be working; trying to produce things for other people.

D: She told me that finding a file is like looking at a Where’s Waldo picture, without the fun; that finding one file among all the other files should be easier.

E: That’s probably because Where’s Waldo is a game, and finding files is typically thought of as work for us.  Maybe you need to understand that we humans see the two similar tasks as entirely different things.  Work for a human is something we have to do if we want to eat, have a place to live, or have a computer.  Something like Where’s Waldo is for entertainment, something we make a choice about doing, which has an entirely different value scale.

D: That explanation makes it somewhat clearer, although I doubt I will ever understand you humans completely.

E: It works both ways, believe me. So, were you able to offer any suggestions to make files easier to find?

D: I really do not find those Waldo pictures very challenging, and finding files is something I do without even thinking. I recommended that she try eliminating some of the files; even rearranging them might be beneficial.  We discussed displaying the files in a different order, such as sorted by size or date.

E: Oh, yes, the Details view in Windows Explorer can sort items that way. It can be very helpful. But what can you recommend for locating other types of items, like e-mail messages? I often have trouble finding specific messages in my Inbox.

D: In e-mail, there are many ways to arrange items to make it easier to find the one you want, such as sorting by columns. You can also filter out some of the items to give you a smaller group to look at. In Outlook, Search Folders provide an efficient method of filtering messages by using a specific set of criteria.

E: Search Folders are great, and so are the built-in views.

D: I could elaborate further on changing views, but the options depend on which program you are using.  My human friend said she was going to provide some tips for some of the most common software applications.

E: She did, and I’ll be sure to post those on the blog entry for this podcast. Any last words, DigIT?

D: Please try to remember the view options, and the other tools at your disposal, to assist you when searching for specific items. It is unfortunate that most of my family has not mastered the trick of talking to humans. If they could, it would probably make life for you humans much easier, but I am afraid it might also shock many of you.
By the way, here is a trick you can use for solving those Waldo pictures. Just look for the pattern in his shirt, then check for the hat and glasses to find the exact match. But I digress; I will stick to those bits and bytes.

E: Thank you for joining us this week, DigIT. We look forward to speaking with you again in the future to gain more insight on the computer world from your unique perspective.

Here are the tips for this week. You can find links for these in the blog entry for the podcast, at www.productiveUpodcast.com.

Thanks for listening to our podcast. If you have any recommendations for future episodes, be sure to let us know by writing an iTunes review, or by droppping us a line on Twitter @productiveUcast.

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/03/wheres-waldo-wheres-anything-for-that-matter-vol051/feed/ 0 We have a special guest joining us this week, Ms. DigITal Entity. She is a computer chip with an extensive memory and a unique ability to communicate. We've all encountered situations where we wish we knew what our computers were thinking; well, DigIT, We have a special guest joining us this week, Ms. DigITal Entity. She is a computer chip with an extensive memory and a unique ability to communicate. We've all encountered situations where we wish we knew what our computers were thinking; well, DigIT, as she is known to her many friends and family, provides that insight. DigIT and I will be discussing how to use different views when trying to locate files or other items on a computer. Editor: DigIT, can you explain why this topic recently caught your interest? DigIT: My regular computer operator (my human friend) was recently complaining that she could not find a file on her computer. I asked her which one and when she told me, I was able to find it immediately. I could not understand why my friend had trouble. She attempted to explain it to me, but I found her reasons confusing; she mentioned a strange character named Waldo that seemed to always be missing. E: Oh, you're referring to the Where's Waldo book series. Those are fun—what don't you get? D: Why do you humans like Where's Waldo?  It seems pointless to me if you do not like looking for things. E: Well, Where's Waldo started out for younger children, most of whom would only be playing games or doing learning activities on a computer.  The adults, like your friend, would typically be working; trying to produce things for other people. D: She told me that finding a file is like looking at a Where's Waldo picture, without the fun; that finding one file among all the other files should be easier. E: That's probably because Where's Waldo is a game, and finding files is typically thought of as work for us.  Maybe you need to understand that we humans see the two similar tasks as entirely different things.  Work for a human is something we have to do if we want to eat, have a place to live, or have a computer.  Something like Where's Waldo is for entertainment, something we make a choice about doing, which has an entirely different value scale. D: That explanation makes it somewhat clearer, although I doubt I will ever understand you humans completely. E: It works both ways, believe me. So, were you able to offer any suggestions to make files easier to find? D: I really do not find those Waldo pictures very challenging, and finding files is something I do without even thinking. I recommended that she try eliminating some of the files; even rearranging them might be beneficial.  We discussed displaying the files in a different order, such as sorted by size or date. E: Oh, yes, the Details view in Windows Explorer can sort items that way. It can be very helpful. But what can you recommend for locating other types of items, like e-mail messages? I often have trouble finding specific messages in my Inbox. D: In e-mail, there are many ways to arrange items to make it easier to find the one you want, such as sorting by columns. You can also filter out some of the items to give you a smaller group to look at. In Outlook, Search Folders provide an efficient method of filtering messages by using a specific set of criteria. E: Search Folders are great, and so are the built-in views. D: I could elaborate further on changing views, but the options depend on which program you are using.  My human friend said she was going to provide some tips for some of the most common software applications. E: She did, and I'll be sure to post those on the blog entry for this podcast. Any last words, DigIT? D: Please try to remember the view options, and the other tools at your disposal, to assist you when searching for specific items. It is unfortunate that most of my family has not mastered the trick of talking to humans. If they could, it would probably make life for you humans much easier, but I am afraid it might also shock many of you. By the way, here is a trick you can use for solving those Waldo pictures. Just look for the pattern in his shirt, then check for the hat and glasses to find the exact match. PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean 5:56 Move away from the mouse and keep your hands on the keyboard! (VOL050) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/02/move-away-from-the-mouse-and-keep-your-hands-on-the-keyboard-vol050/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/02/move-away-from-the-mouse-and-keep-your-hands-on-the-keyboard-vol050/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:46:18 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1692 With the rise of smartphones comes the luxury of accessing our e-mail wherever we roam. These days, it seems that no matter where you go, you’re likely to hear the tap-tap-tapping of fingers across mini QWERTY keyboards and virtual keypads as people all around you type out those all-important e-mail messages.

Personally, the rhythmic tapping of fingers on a computer keyboard is like music to my ears. If there was a room with a thousand monkeys typing on a thousand computers…well, I don’t know if they’d eventually churn out a best-selling novel, but I’ll bet it would sound like a symphony in there.

This is one of the reasons I love using keyboard shortcuts while I’m working at my computer. When I’ve got a good typing rhythm going on my keyboard, I don’t want to have to disrupt the flow by reaching for the mouse to perform some commands (even though mouse-clicking can also be quite a pleasant sound).

Many e-mail clients support keyboard shortcuts, so when I’m catching up on e-mail correspondence, I try to make the most of those time-saving keystrokes. Everything from cutting, copying, and pasting text, to flagging a message for follow-up, and even sending the message, can all be performed right from the keyboard. If you’re doing something as simple as scrolling from the beginning of an e-mail to the end, you can avoid using the mouse altogether.

Even when you’re not composing a message, you can take advantage of many of the keyboard shortcuts that are available for organizing your messages and navigating through your mailbox. There are shortcuts for moving through messages in your folders, jumping directly to certain folders, moving or copying items between folders, and creating items such as messages and appointments.

Learning the keyboard shortcuts and teaching yourself to use them can take some time. I started off learning one or two, and found that I felt like I was working more efficiently when I could keep both hands on the keyboard. So I took the time to learn a few more, and eventually abandoned my mouse completely when I was working in Outlook or Gmail.

The tips for this podcast will focus on teaching you the keyboard shortcuts that are available for working with your e-mail, whether you’re in Outlook, Lotus Notes, or working on the go with a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device. The links for these tips can be found on the blog entry for this podcast, at www.productiveupodcast.com.

We’ll also throw in a few bonus links to sites that list keyboard shortcuts for some of the other popular e-mail clients:

Once you get into the habit of using keyboard shortcuts, you’ll find that they really can save a lot of time compared to using the mouse for certain actions. The best way to start using them is to learn one or two at first. After that, you may find yourself hooked and wanting to learn more. Then, when someone walks by your desk and mentions that you sound like a thousand monkeys, you can smile gratefully and accept it as a compliment, knowing that you are composing your own symphony of tapping keys.

That’s all for this week, but if you’re enjoying the podcast and the tips, be sure to write a review for us over at iTunes. Also, don’t forget that you can follow us on Twitter @productiveUcast.

See you next time!

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/02/move-away-from-the-mouse-and-keep-your-hands-on-the-keyboard-vol050/feed/ 0 With the rise of smartphones comes the luxury of accessing our e-mail wherever we roam. These days, it seems that no matter where you go, you're likely to hear the tap-tap-tapping of fingers across mini QWERTY keyboards and virtual keypads as people al... With the rise of smartphones comes the luxury of accessing our e-mail wherever we roam. These days, it seems that no matter where you go, you're likely to hear the tap-tap-tapping of fingers across mini QWERTY keyboards and virtual keypads as people all around you type out those all-important e-mail messages. Personally, the rhythmic tapping of fingers on a computer keyboard is like music to my ears. If there was a room with a thousand monkeys typing on a thousand computers...well, I don't know if they'd eventually churn out a best-selling novel, but I'll bet it would sound like a symphony in there. This is one of the reasons I love using keyboard shortcuts while I'm working at my computer. When I've got a good typing rhythm going on my keyboard, I don't want to have to disrupt the flow by reaching for the mouse to perform some commands (even though mouse-clicking can also be quite a pleasant sound). Many e-mail clients support keyboard shortcuts, so when I'm catching up on e-mail correspondence, I try to make the most of those time-saving keystrokes. Everything from cutting, copying, and pasting text, to flagging a message for follow-up, and even sending the message, can all be performed right from the keyboard. If you're doing something as simple as scrolling from the beginning of an e-mail to the end, you can avoid using the mouse altogether. Even when you're not composing a message, you can take advantage of many of the keyboard shortcuts that are available for organizing your messages and navigating through your mailbox. There are shortcuts for moving through messages in your folders, jumping directly to certain folders, moving or copying items between folders, and creating items such as messages and appointments. Learning the keyboard shortcuts and teaching yourself to use them can take some time. I started off learning one or two, and found that I felt like I was working more efficiently when I could keep both hands on the keyboard. So I took the time to learn a few more, and eventually abandoned my mouse completely when I was working in Outlook or Gmail. The tips for this podcast will focus on teaching you the keyboard shortcuts that are available for working with your e-mail, whether you're in Outlook, Lotus Notes, or working on the go with a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device. The links for these tips can be found on the blog entry for this podcast, at www.productiveupodcast.com. * A Hands-On Approach to E-mail: Keyboard shortcuts you can use while composing a message in Outlook * No Mouse Required: Keyboard shortcuts you can use while composing a message in Lotus Notes * Control and Shift Your Mail: Keyboard shortcuts you can use in Outlook's main window * Moving Multiples: Using the Ctrl and Shift keys to perform keyboard shortcuts on multiple messages at once * Get the Most Out of Your Keyboard: Shortcut keys for the BlackBerry e-mail application * Touch and Go: Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook on a Windows Mobile device We'll also throw in a few bonus links to sites that list keyboard shortcuts for some of the other popular e-mail clients: * Outlook Web Access * GroupWise * Eudora (PC) * Eudora (Mac) * Gmail * Yahoo Mail Once you get into the habit of using keyboard shortcuts, you'll find that they really can save a lot of time compared to using the mouse for certain actions. The best way to start using them is to learn one or two at first. After that, you may find yourself hooked and wanting to learn more. Then, when someone walks by your desk and mentions that you sound like a thousand monkeys, you can smile gratefully and accept it as a compliment, knowing that you are composing your own symphony of tapping keys. That's all for this week, but if you're enjoying the podcast and the tips, be sure to write a review for us over at iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=306341259). Also, PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean 4:24 Recovering from the Deep Freeze (VOL049) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/02/recovering-from-the-deep-freeze-vol049/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/02/recovering-from-the-deep-freeze-vol049/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:58:59 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1720 In the summer, frozen treats are a delight. I have to admit, when I hear the ice cream truck coming down the street on a hot day, I still scramble to gather up some money and run outside (usually in bare feet on the scorching pavement, but who has time to look for shoes?) to flag it down so I can enjoy an ice cream cone, some water ice, or maybe even a Drumstick.

But it’s a little early to be thinking of summer, isn’t it? So why would I mention this in the middle of February?

Oddly enough, even in the dead of winter, with temperatures in the single digits and several feet of snow piled up around the house, I still love a good ice cream sundae. Especially if it has peanut butter ripples, frozen pieces of candy, or chunks of cookie dough.

Some things are just better when they’re frozen, but a computer is definitely not one of them.

When your computer decides to freeze up or hang, it usually does so at a crucial moment, like when you’ve just spent several hours editing a Word document and haven’t saved it yet.

That feeling of dread sets in. You begin to panic, and then you fear the worst: that all your hard work will be lost.

Sometimes, unfortunately, this is the case. But there are some steps you can take to ensure that your work will be recovered in the event that Word crashes.

If you enable the AutoRecover feature, which is available in several of the Office applications, it will periodically save a backup version of the file you’re working on. Then, if the program quits unexpectedly, it will prompt you with the recovered file the next time you open that program.

There is no guarantee offered with the AutoRecover feature, and at times it will fail to recover your work, so your best bet is still to save frequently when working in a file. You may find it much easier to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S to save your work as you’re typing, without your fingers ever leaving the keyboard. If you can get into this habit, you might just find your left hand automatically reaching for those keys without you even realizing it!

When the Deep Freeze sets in, whether it’s Windows, an Office application, or a mobile device, we don’t want you to be left out in the cold. The tips for this week will provide you with a starting point for when it seems like all is lost.

And since you can also experience crashes on mobile devices, here are a few tips that can help you with BlackBerry and Windows Mobile:

We hope you’re enjoying the podcast and all the tips. If there are any topics you’d like to see covered in a future episode, please let us know in an iTunes review, or leave us a message on Twitter @productiveUcast.

That’s all for this week. Try to stay warm even when your computer is freezing, and we’ll see you next time!

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/02/recovering-from-the-deep-freeze-vol049/feed/ 0 In the summer, frozen treats are a delight. I have to admit, when I hear the ice cream truck coming down the street on a hot day, I still scramble to gather up some money and run outside (usually in bare feet on the scorching pavement, In the summer, frozen treats are a delight. I have to admit, when I hear the ice cream truck coming down the street on a hot day, I still scramble to gather up some money and run outside (usually in bare feet on the scorching pavement, but who has time to look for shoes?) to flag it down so I can enjoy an ice cream cone, some water ice, or maybe even a Drumstick. But it's a little early to be thinking of summer, isn't it? So why would I mention this in the middle of February? Oddly enough, even in the dead of winter, with temperatures in the single digits and several feet of snow piled up around the house, I still love a good ice cream sundae. Especially if it has peanut butter ripples, frozen pieces of candy, or chunks of cookie dough. Some things are just better when they're frozen, but a computer is definitely not one of them. When your computer decides to freeze up or hang, it usually does so at a crucial moment, like when you've just spent several hours editing a Word document and haven't saved it yet. That feeling of dread sets in. You begin to panic, and then you fear the worst: that all your hard work will be lost. Sometimes, unfortunately, this is the case. But there are some steps you can take to ensure that your work will be recovered in the event that Word crashes. If you enable the AutoRecover feature, which is available in several of the Office applications, it will periodically save a backup version of the file you're working on. Then, if the program quits unexpectedly, it will prompt you with the recovered file the next time you open that program. There is no guarantee offered with the AutoRecover feature, and at times it will fail to recover your work, so your best bet is still to save frequently when working in a file. You may find it much easier to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S to save your work as you're typing, without your fingers ever leaving the keyboard. If you can get into this habit, you might just find your left hand automatically reaching for those keys without you even realizing it! When the Deep Freeze sets in, whether it's Windows, an Office application, or a mobile device, we don't want you to be left out in the cold. The tips for this week will provide you with a starting point for when it seems like all is lost. * What's Frozen? - How to determine whether it is Windows or an application that is frozen * An Ounce of Prevention for File Loss - How to enable the AutoRecover feature for Microsoft Office applications * Mittens for Your Computer - How to clear out temporary Internet files, cookies, and browsing history * Save Your Fingers By Letting Your Fingers Save Your Work - Using a keyboard shortcut to save while working in a file And since you can also experience crashes on mobile devices, here are a few tips that can help you with BlackBerry and Windows Mobile: * Just In Case - How to back up your BlackBerry data * How to Thaw a Frozen BlackBerry - Resetting a frozen BlackBerry device * Frozen In Your Hand - Resetting a frozen Windows Mobile device We hope you're enjoying the podcast and all the tips. If there are any topics you'd like to see covered in a future episode, please let us know in an iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=306341259) review, or leave us a message on Twitter @productiveUcast (http://www.twitter.com/productiveucast). That's all for this week. Try to stay warm even when your computer is freezing, and we'll see you next time! Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean 4:04 You might think I'm crazy: How to count cars with Excel (VOL046) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/01/you-might-think-im-crazy-how-to-count-cars-with-excel-vol046/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/01/you-might-think-im-crazy-how-to-count-cars-with-excel-vol046/#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:26:43 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1636 There is a wide range of music on my iPod: everything from classical to ’90s alternative. When I put the playlist on shuffle, anything goes. I might hear the soothing strains of Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” or the raucous refrain of Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping.” Um…everyone else has that on their iPods, right?

The other day, the song “Counting Blue Cars” by Dishwalla came on and I found myself singing along with the lyric: “We count only blue cars…”

Nerd that I am, I couldn’t help but immediately conjure up an Excel formula to help them out:

=COUNTIF(Cars, “blue”)

It might be completely missing the point of the song (about which I’m clueless), but being able to count and sum based on conditions in Excel can be really useful.

The formula I used for counting blue cars is a good example of a simple COUNTIF doing what it does best: counting only those items that match the criteria you specify. In that formula, “Cars” could be replaced by a range of cells in an Excel worksheet that contain the names of different colors. The formula will return a number that represents how many of the cells in that range match the criteria.

COUNTIF’s summing counterpart is known as SUMIF. It works in much the same way: you tell it which cells need to match a criteria, you specify the criteria they must match, then you specify which cells will be summed as a result. This last group of cells can be in another column if needed. For example, a SUMIF formula can examine the text in cells C2 through C16 to determine which ones contain the text “red,” then sum the values in the corresponding cells from column B. So if C5 and C8 were “red,” the values in B5 and B8 would be summed.

In these examples, we’re just writing the criteria inside double quotes so that an exact match must be found. But let’s say you wanted to count how many cells match an approximate condition. For instance, if you specify the criteria to be “*ito” the formula will return a count of how many cells end in the letters “ito.” So burrito, taquito, and mosquito would all match the criteria. Mmm…I’m starting to get hungry now…and slightly itchy.

The asterisk in that formula is called a wildcard—it represents any number of characters. Likewise, you can use a question mark to represent a single character.

When you need to count cells that don’t have similarities, such as enchiladas and wool sweaters, using wildcards won’t work; but you can combine multiple COUNTIF formulas to get the results you need.

If any of this sounds confusing, just check out this week’s tips and you’ll get a better idea of how to set up these formulas.

Links to the tips are on the blog entry for this week’s podcast at www.productiveUpodcast.com, and they include:

We’d love to hear your feedback on the tips and the podcast, so head on over to iTunes to write a review for us! And don’t forget that you can follow us on Twitter @productiveUcast.

Thanks for joining us for this week’s podcast. With these tips, you may soon find yourself counting blue, red, and green cars all with a single formula. See you next week!

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/01/you-might-think-im-crazy-how-to-count-cars-with-excel-vol046/feed/ 0 There is a wide range of music on my iPod: everything from classical to '90s alternative. When I put the playlist on shuffle, anything goes. I might hear the soothing strains of Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" or the raucous refrain of Chumbawamba's ... There is a wide range of music on my iPod: everything from classical to '90s alternative. When I put the playlist on shuffle, anything goes. I might hear the soothing strains of Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" or the raucous refrain of Chumbawamba's "Tubthumping." Um...everyone else has that on their iPods, right? The other day, the song "Counting Blue Cars" by Dishwalla came on and I found myself singing along with the lyric: "We count only blue cars..." Nerd that I am, I couldn't help but immediately conjure up an Excel formula to help them out: =COUNTIF(Cars, "blue") It might be completely missing the point of the song (about which I'm clueless), but being able to count and sum based on conditions in Excel can be really useful. The formula I used for counting blue cars is a good example of a simple COUNTIF doing what it does best: counting only those items that match the criteria you specify. In that formula, "Cars" could be replaced by a range of cells in an Excel worksheet that contain the names of different colors. The formula will return a number that represents how many of the cells in that range match the criteria. COUNTIF's summing counterpart is known as SUMIF. It works in much the same way: you tell it which cells need to match a criteria, you specify the criteria they must match, then you specify which cells will be summed as a result. This last group of cells can be in another column if needed. For example, a SUMIF formula can examine the text in cells C2 through C16 to determine which ones contain the text "red," then sum the values in the corresponding cells from column B. So if C5 and C8 were "red," the values in B5 and B8 would be summed. In these examples, we're just writing the criteria inside double quotes so that an exact match must be found. But let's say you wanted to count how many cells match an approximate condition. For instance, if you specify the criteria to be "*ito" the formula will return a count of how many cells end in the letters "ito." So burrito, taquito, and mosquito would all match the criteria. Mmm...I'm starting to get hungry now...and slightly itchy. The asterisk in that formula is called a wildcard—it represents any number of characters. Likewise, you can use a question mark to represent a single character. When you need to count cells that don't have similarities, such as enchiladas and wool sweaters, using wildcards won't work; but you can combine multiple COUNTIF formulas to get the results you need. If any of this sounds confusing, just check out this week's tips and you'll get a better idea of how to set up these formulas. Links to the tips are on the blog entry for this week's podcast at www.productiveUpodcast.com, and they include: * Let's Sum If It Fits: Using the SUMIF function * Count By Conditions: Using the COUNTIF function * Creative Conditions: Using wildcard characters as criteria for SUMIF and COUNTIF * Summing This Not That: Using the SUMPRODUCT function to sum or count using multiple conditions * Arrayed in Splendor: Creating an array formula to sum based on multiple conditions We'd love to hear your feedback on the tips and the podcast, so head on over to iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=306341259) to write a review for us! And don't forget that you can follow us on Twitter @productiveUcast (http://www.twitter.com/productiveucast). Thanks for joining us for this week's podcast. With these tips, you may soon find yourself counting blue, red, and green cars all with a single formula. See you next week! Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean 4:17 Whatever it is, make a note of it! (VOL045) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/01/whatever-it-is-make-a-note-of-it-vol045/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/01/whatever-it-is-make-a-note-of-it-vol045/#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:00:15 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1614 There’s a joke by the late comedian Mitch Hedberg in which he recounts a transaction that he feels did not require any documentation: he got a receipt when buying a donut. As Mitch had stated in his trademark deadpan:

“I’ll just give you the money and you give me the donut…end of transaction. We do not need to bring ink and paper into this.”

This scenario might seem a bit ludicrous, even for those who prefer to document everything almost religiously. But with the increase in activity on social networking sites, the minutiae of everyone’s daily lives seems much more prevalent now than it was several years ago.

Think about how often you’ve seen your friends informing the world what they had for lunch via Facebook, Twitter, or any other site with status update features. Is this something they would have shared with you over a phone call a few years ago? “Hi, Dave. I just had a tuna hoagie. Okay, talk to you later.” Probably not; but as technology advances, we find ourselves equipped with new ways to keep track of all kinds of information.

It’s comforting to know, then, that this capability has some uses that are actually productive. E-mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes, for example, make it particularly easy to document your appointments, tasks, and other activities. So not only can you set up an appointment to meet with a contact, you can also have a record of the meeting for future reference.

Outlook takes this a step further and allows you to associate a contact with other items, such as e-mail messages, appointments, documents, or tasks. Once the items are linked to the contact, you can view all this related content on the contact’s Activities tab. You can then filter this view to show only upcoming appointments with that contact, for instance.

The tips for this week will focus on those features that help you keep your appointments and tasks organized and well-documented. The tips include:

Enjoying these tips? Have any suggestions for future podcasts? Stop over and write a review of the podcast on iTunes, or drop us a quick note on Twitter @productiveUcast.

That’s all for this week. Until next time, remember: you might never need a receipt to prove that you bought that donut. But then again, you just might. See you next time!

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2010/01/whatever-it-is-make-a-note-of-it-vol045/feed/ 0 There's a joke by the late comedian Mitch Hedberg in which he recounts a transaction that he feels did not require any documentation: he got a receipt when buying a donut. As Mitch had stated in his trademark deadpan: "I'll just give you the money and ... There's a joke by the late comedian Mitch Hedberg (http://www.mitchhedberg.net/) in which he recounts a transaction that he feels did not require any documentation: he got a receipt when buying a donut. As Mitch had stated in his trademark deadpan: "I'll just give you the money and you give me the donut...end of transaction. We do not need to bring ink and paper into this." This scenario might seem a bit ludicrous, even for those who prefer to document everything almost religiously. But with the increase in activity on social networking sites, the minutiae of everyone's daily lives seems much more prevalent now than it was several years ago. Think about how often you've seen your friends informing the world what they had for lunch via Facebook, Twitter, or any other site with status update features. Is this something they would have shared with you over a phone call a few years ago? "Hi, Dave. I just had a tuna hoagie. Okay, talk to you later." Probably not; but as technology advances, we find ourselves equipped with new ways to keep track of all kinds of information. It's comforting to know, then, that this capability has some uses that are actually productive. E-mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes, for example, make it particularly easy to document your appointments, tasks, and other activities. So not only can you set up an appointment to meet with a contact, you can also have a record of the meeting for future reference. Outlook takes this a step further and allows you to associate a contact with other items, such as e-mail messages, appointments, documents, or tasks. Once the items are linked to the contact, you can view all this related content on the contact's Activities tab. You can then filter this view to show only upcoming appointments with that contact, for instance. The tips for this week will focus on those features that help you keep your appointments and tasks organized and well-documented. The tips include: * Your Presence is Requested: How to schedule a meeting in Outlook (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=0C58FDF573) and Notes (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=2EDBD69067) * Stay Active: Using Outlook's contact Activities feature * A Noteworthy Feature: Making quick notes with Outlook's Notes feature * "Dear Diary...": Using the Journal feature in Outlook (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=4A4D7ED723) and Notes (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=633A6E4B80) * Raising the Flag: How to flag items for follow up in Outlook (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=8911C7B6F9) and Notes (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=1DDCFE3AF5) * A BlackBerry Never Forgets: How to flag an e-mail for follow up on your BlackBerry Enjoying these tips? Have any suggestions for future podcasts? Stop over and write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=306341259), or drop us a quick note on Twitter @productiveUcast (http://www.twitter.com/productiveucast). That's all for this week. Until next time, remember: you might never need a receipt to prove that you bought that donut. But then again, you just might. See you next time! Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=49523137&s=143441) PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean 3:09 Cookies and Holiday Greetings by the Dozen (VOL042) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/12/cookies-and-holiday-greetings-by-the-dozen-vol042/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/12/cookies-and-holiday-greetings-by-the-dozen-vol042/#comments Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:54:50 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1558 The holiday season is upon us once again, and with it comes the importance of remembering that which truly matters most: cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.

Chocolate chips, snickerdoodles, and gingerbread men by the dozen. We humans have a tendency to celebrate various occasions with food, and I am by no means opposed to this time-honored tradition.

More than the joy of indulging in the sweet treats, however, I am fascinated with the process of creating all these dozens of cookies, especially those for which a cookie cutter can be used.

Using just one gingerbread man cookie cutter, for example, one can amass an entire teeming population of a gingerbread village. But even though they are all born from the same dough and cookie cutter, are they all really the same? Heck no! During the decorating process, each one can be customized with gumdrops, icing, or other accessories. For instance, you can sharpen a candy cane to a fine point and arm your gingerbread village inhabitants so they can protect themselves in case the evil fruitcake monster attacks!

Oh, what? Like you’ve never armed your gingerbread men cookies with sharpened candy canes so they can protect themselves in case the evil fruitcake monster attacks?

Anyway, another process which many people undergo during this time of year is that of sending holiday greeting cards. And it just so happens that there is a tool that can aid in this process. A tool which, like the cookie cutter, allows you to create dozens of greeting cards from a single document, yet still personalize each one with ease.

I’m referring to a software tool in this case: the Mail Merge feature in Microsoft Word.

Performing a mail merge operation greatly simplifies the process of sending out personalized mass mailings. All you need is a merge document and a data source. The data source is typically a set of contact information fields, such as first name, last name, address, etc. These fields can be housed in an Excel workbook, an Access database table or query, or it can even come right from your Outlook contacts.

The merge document can be in the form of a letter, a set of mailing labels, or envelopes. This document gets associated with the data source file during the merge process. Then, wherever a piece of personalized information needs to appear, you can insert a merge field from your data source. During the last step in the merge process, you can choose to either create a set of documents from the merge document (one for each record in your data source), or just send the documents directly to the printer.

Of course, a Mail Merge will really only save you time if you know your way through the process. Since it can be a bit tricky for novices and pros alike, we’ll include some tips that should help you through it.

The tips include:

In all seriousness, I think you need to really think this through. I mean, if the evil fruitcake monster attacks the gingerbread village and they don’t have any sharpened candy canes with which to protect themselves, it’s really going to get ugly.

Oh, well. Don’t forget to stop by and visit us on Twitter @productiveUcast, or head over to write a review of the podcast on iTunes!

Until next time, keep cranking out those cookies and holiday greetings by the dozen!

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/12/cookies-and-holiday-greetings-by-the-dozen-vol042/feed/ 0 The holiday season is upon us once again, and with it comes the importance of remembering that which truly matters most: cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. - Chocolate chips, snickerdoodles, and gingerbread men by the dozen. The holiday season is upon us once again, and with it comes the importance of remembering that which truly matters most: cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. Chocolate chips, snickerdoodles, and gingerbread men by the dozen. We humans have a tendency to celebrate various occasions with food, and I am by no means opposed to this time-honored tradition. More than the joy of indulging in the sweet treats, however, I am fascinated with the process of creating all these dozens of cookies, especially those for which a cookie cutter can be used. Using just one gingerbread man cookie cutter, for example, one can amass an entire teeming population of a gingerbread village. But even though they are all born from the same dough and cookie cutter, are they all really the same? Heck no! During the decorating process, each one can be customized with gumdrops, icing, or other accessories. For instance, you can sharpen a candy cane to a fine point and arm your gingerbread village inhabitants so they can protect themselves in case the evil fruitcake monster attacks! Oh, what? Like you've never armed your gingerbread men cookies with sharpened candy canes so they can protect themselves in case the evil fruitcake monster attacks? Anyway, another process which many people undergo during this time of year is that of sending holiday greeting cards. And it just so happens that there is a tool that can aid in this process. A tool which, like the cookie cutter, allows you to create dozens of greeting cards from a single document, yet still personalize each one with ease. I'm referring to a software tool in this case: the Mail Merge feature in Microsoft Word. Performing a mail merge operation greatly simplifies the process of sending out personalized mass mailings. All you need is a merge document and a data source. The data source is typically a set of contact information fields, such as first name, last name, address, etc. These fields can be housed in an Excel workbook, an Access database table or query, or it can even come right from your Outlook contacts. The merge document can be in the form of a letter, a set of mailing labels, or envelopes. This document gets associated with the data source file during the merge process. Then, wherever a piece of personalized information needs to appear, you can insert a merge field from your data source. During the last step in the merge process, you can choose to either create a set of documents from the merge document (one for each record in your data source), or just send the documents directly to the printer. Of course, a Mail Merge will really only save you time if you know your way through the process. Since it can be a bit tricky for novices and pros alike, we'll include some tips that should help you through it. The tips include: * Mass Messages: getting started with Mail Merges in Word * Start at the Source: tips for setting up Excel data to be used in a merge * Do Not Label Me: using the Mail Merge feature to create mailing labels * Pushing the Envelopes: using the Mail Merge feature to create mailing envelopes * Split ’em Up: using Excel's Text to Columns feature to split data into separate columns * Published en Masse: performing a mail merge in Publisher In all seriousness, I think you need to really think this through. I mean, if the evil fruitcake monster attacks the gingerbread village and they don't have any sharpened candy canes with which to protect themselves, it's really going to get ugly. Oh, well. Don't forget to stop by and visit us on Twitter @productiveUcast (http://www.twitter.com/productiveucast), or head over to write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=306341259)! Until next time, keep cranking out those cookies and holiday greetings by the dozen! Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=49523137&s=143441) PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean Another Case of Formula Frenzy (VOL041) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/11/another-case-of-formula-frenzy-vol041/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/11/another-case-of-formula-frenzy-vol041/#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:20:03 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1546 Welcome back to the podcast! This week’s edition: Another Case of Formula Frenzy.

It was a dry and brisk November evening when I got the call. Sitting at my desk with the blinds cracked just enough to allow the last rays of sunlight from the dying day to creep through, the ringing of the phone shattered the silence like a brick through a pane of glass. The dame was one-half shrill hysteria, two-thirds livid frustration, and just a splash of hopeless desperation. The recipe for a typical batch of Formula Frenzy. Combine and shake well; serve chilled and aggravated.

She had just written a formula in an Excel worksheet that was supposed to calculate her income and bill payments and return a tidy little budget for monthly spending. Instead, it returned the dreaded #N/A error. This is where I come in.

I’m a formula detective. It’s my job to examine the data, peer deep into the dark underlying elements that comprise a failing formula, and eliminate the errors. I told her I’d take the case. After all, I know the usual suspects; more importantly, I know the tricks to undo their devilry.

It’s not that hard, really. Most of the tools needed for the job are built right into the Excel application and readily available. I prefer to start with the “Evaluate Formula” feature. This one really lets you step right into the formula and break it down to pinpoint where the error occurs. That kind of hands-on approach takes a lot of the guess-work out of a long and complex formula, and has helped me successfully close many cases of Formula Frenzy.

For some of the simpler formulas, I tend to go right to the source: the Formula Bar. If you want to see what’s happening behind the scenes, this is for you. You can use the F9 key in the Formula Bar to convert a highlighted portion of a formula to its resulting value.

Another good trick to know is how to force all the formulas in the worksheet to show themselves. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s lurking underneath those cells, but the “Show Formulas” feature (also called “Formula Auditing Mode” in some versions of Excel) will bring all the formulas out of hiding.

It can also help to know where a formula’s coming from. Sometimes, being able to see which cells directly impact a formula’s result can shed some light on why it might be producing an error. As it turns out, Excel couldn’t have made this any easier. You can use the Trace Precedents arrows to point out exactly which cells a formula is affected by. The Trace Dependents arrows will show you which other cells are affected by that cell.

Then there are those cases of Formula Frenzy that can really leave your head spinning. This is typically a symptom of Circular References, which can occur when Excel is trying to calculate a formula that includes a reference to the cell it’s in. Makes me dizzy just thinking about it.

I’ve seen some bad cases of Formula Frenzy in my line of work. It’s not something I’d wish on anyone, so I’m leaving you with some tips that should help you avoid having to call me to bail you out when a formula goes awry.

The tips are posted on the blog entry for this podcast at www.productiveUpodcast.com, and they include:

This should be enough to help you get your own formula detective agency up and running. Next time you come across a formula playing by its own rules, you’ll know just where to start snooping to solve the mystery of the #N/A error.

That’s all for this edition of the podcast. Until next week, be sure to head over to iTunes to write a review of the podcast, or drop us a line on Twitter @productiveUcast.

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/11/another-case-of-formula-frenzy-vol041/feed/ 0 Welcome back to the podcast! This week's edition: Another Case of Formula Frenzy. - It was a dry and brisk November evening when I got the call. Sitting at my desk with the blinds cracked just enough to allow the last rays of sunlight from the dying da... Welcome back to the podcast! This week's edition: Another Case of Formula Frenzy. It was a dry and brisk November evening when I got the call. Sitting at my desk with the blinds cracked just enough to allow the last rays of sunlight from the dying day to creep through, the ringing of the phone shattered the silence like a brick through a pane of glass. The dame was one-half shrill hysteria, two-thirds livid frustration, and just a splash of hopeless desperation. The recipe for a typical batch of Formula Frenzy. Combine and shake well; serve chilled and aggravated. She had just written a formula in an Excel worksheet that was supposed to calculate her income and bill payments and return a tidy little budget for monthly spending. Instead, it returned the dreaded #N/A error. This is where I come in. I'm a formula detective. It's my job to examine the data, peer deep into the dark underlying elements that comprise a failing formula, and eliminate the errors. I told her I'd take the case. After all, I know the usual suspects; more importantly, I know the tricks to undo their devilry. It's not that hard, really. Most of the tools needed for the job are built right into the Excel application and readily available. I prefer to start with the "Evaluate Formula" feature. This one really lets you step right into the formula and break it down to pinpoint where the error occurs. That kind of hands-on approach takes a lot of the guess-work out of a long and complex formula, and has helped me successfully close many cases of Formula Frenzy. For some of the simpler formulas, I tend to go right to the source: the Formula Bar. If you want to see what's happening behind the scenes, this is for you. You can use the F9 key in the Formula Bar to convert a highlighted portion of a formula to its resulting value. Another good trick to know is how to force all the formulas in the worksheet to show themselves. Sometimes it's hard to tell what's lurking underneath those cells, but the "Show Formulas" feature (also called "Formula Auditing Mode" in some versions of Excel) will bring all the formulas out of hiding. It can also help to know where a formula's coming from. Sometimes, being able to see which cells directly impact a formula's result can shed some light on why it might be producing an error. As it turns out, Excel couldn't have made this any easier. You can use the Trace Precedents arrows to point out exactly which cells a formula is affected by. The Trace Dependents arrows will show you which other cells are affected by that cell. Then there are those cases of Formula Frenzy that can really leave your head spinning. This is typically a symptom of Circular References, which can occur when Excel is trying to calculate a formula that includes a reference to the cell it's in. Makes me dizzy just thinking about it. I've seen some bad cases of Formula Frenzy in my line of work. It's not something I'd wish on anyone, so I'm leaving you with some tips that should help you avoid having to call me to bail you out when a formula goes awry. The tips are posted on the blog entry for this podcast at www.productiveUpodcast.com, and they include: * Let's Evaluate: Troubleshooting faulty formulas with Excel's "Evaluate Formula" tool * Behind the Scenes: Using F9 to evaluate formulas in the Formula Bar * Genealogy of a Formula: Using the Trace Precedents and Trace Dependents arrows * Revelio Formulae: How to toggle the display of formulas on a worksheet * Going in Circles: Understanding circular references * Hidden in Plain Sight: Using the N function to add comments inside formulas This should be enough to help you get your own formula detective agency up and running. Next time you come across a formula playing by its own rules, you'll know just where to start snooping to solve the mystery of the #N/A error. That's all for this edition of the podcast. Until next week, PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean 5:08 Lovely Spam, Wonderful Spam! (VOL040) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/11/lovely-spam-wonderful-spam-vol040/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/11/lovely-spam-wonderful-spam-vol040/#comments Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:05:41 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1530 Welcome back to the podcast! This week’s edition: Lovely Spam, Wonderful Spam!

In the world of geek, there are few things more humorous than a sketch by the famous British comedy team Monty Python. One of my favorites is the Spam sketch, in which a man and his wife go out to breakfast and nearly every item on the menu contains Spam. Most items contain Spam multiple times, such as “Spam, bacon, sausage, and Spam.”

This may sound familiar, even if you’ve never seen the sketch. I’m sure you’re no stranger to being bombarded with spam in a different sense: in your e-mail. If you own an e-mail address, spammers have probably discovered it by now and have started flooding your Inbox with junk messages about replica watches, adult websites, and a wide array of pharmaceutical drugs.

Some of the more malicious spam messages include “phishing” techniques, which try to trick you into giving away personal information such as passwords into banking sites. It’s actually kind of sad to think that someone has so much free time to devote to so insidious a task. Why not use that time more productively, such as by volunteering at a local homeless shelter, or by playing Mario Kart on Nintendo Wii?

Most e-mail clients, including Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notus, provide tools to help you weed out and eliminate these junk messages. You can usually set up a filter that will automatically scan your incoming messages for certain words or phrases that are common in spam e-mail; those messages will get sent to a Junk E-mail folder so they’re not crowding your Inbox. You can sometimes even create a blacklist to block certain senders from getting spam to your Inbox.

In addition to these built-in features, there are other ways you can fight spam. For instance, it helps to be able to recognize when a message is actually just a sneaky attempt to fraudulently obtain your personal information.

So for the tips this week, there are some that show you how to use Outlook and Notes to block unwanted messages, along with some tips that will help you identify spam and phishing messages.

This week’s tips include:

The links for these tips can all be found on our blog at www.productiveUpodcast.com. If there are any topics you’d like to see covered in an upcoming edition, let us know in an iTunes review, or reach out to us via Twitter @productiveUcast.

That’s all for this week’s podcast. Until next week, just remember: you can’t have “egg, bacon, Spam, and sausage” without the Spam, but you can have an Inbox without spam. See you soon!

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/11/lovely-spam-wonderful-spam-vol040/feed/ 0 Welcome back to the podcast! This week's edition: Lovely Spam, Wonderful Spam! - In the world of geek, there are few things more humorous than a sketch by the famous British comedy team Monty Python. One of my favorites is the Spam sketch, Welcome back to the podcast! This week's edition: Lovely Spam, Wonderful Spam! In the world of geek, there are few things more humorous than a sketch by the famous British comedy team Monty Python. One of my favorites is the Spam sketch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(Monty_Python)), in which a man and his wife go out to breakfast and nearly every item on the menu contains Spam. Most items contain Spam multiple times, such as "Spam, bacon, sausage, and Spam." This may sound familiar, even if you've never seen the sketch. I'm sure you're no stranger to being bombarded with spam in a different sense: in your e-mail. If you own an e-mail address, spammers have probably discovered it by now and have started flooding your Inbox with junk messages about replica watches, adult websites, and a wide array of pharmaceutical drugs. Some of the more malicious spam messages include "phishing" techniques, which try to trick you into giving away personal information such as passwords into banking sites. It's actually kind of sad to think that someone has so much free time to devote to so insidious a task. Why not use that time more productively, such as by volunteering at a local homeless shelter, or by playing Mario Kart on Nintendo Wii? Most e-mail clients, including Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notus, provide tools to help you weed out and eliminate these junk messages. You can usually set up a filter that will automatically scan your incoming messages for certain words or phrases that are common in spam e-mail; those messages will get sent to a Junk E-mail folder so they're not crowding your Inbox. You can sometimes even create a blacklist to block certain senders from getting spam to your Inbox. In addition to these built-in features, there are other ways you can fight spam. For instance, it helps to be able to recognize when a message is actually just a sneaky attempt to fraudulently obtain your personal information. So for the tips this week, there are some that show you how to use Outlook and Notes to block unwanted messages, along with some tips that will help you identify spam and phishing messages. This week's tips include: * Does Your Inbox Have a Little Junk in the Trunk? - Configuring Outlook's Junk E-mail options * Rules to Rid Yourself of Rubbish - Using QuickRules in Lotus Notes to block junk mail * Blocking and Junk - Blocking mail from specified senders in Outlook * Keep it Out - Blocking mail from specified senders in Notes * Spam Wars - What to do with messages that include "unsubscribe" links * Forwarding and the Spam War - How to deal with forwarded chain letters in e-mail The links for these tips can all be found on our blog at www.productiveUpodcast.com. If there are any topics you'd like to see covered in an upcoming edition, let us know in an iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=306341259) review, or reach out to us via Twitter @productiveUcast (http://www.twitter.com/productiveucast). That's all for this week's podcast. Until next week, just remember: you can't have "egg, bacon, Spam, and sausage" without the Spam, but you can have an Inbox without spam. See you soon! Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean 3:44 GPS For Your CPU (VOL039) http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/10/gps-for-your-cpu-vol039/ http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/10/gps-for-your-cpu-vol039/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:38:49 +0000 admin http://www.productiveupodcast.com/?p=1517 Welcome back to the podcast! This week’s edition: GPS For Your CPU.

One of the more thoughtful gifts I received recently was a GPS system. I am plagued by a complete lack of direction, so before acquiring this device, I had a keen ability to take two turns while driving and promptly find myself lost and very afraid.

Eventually, I would find a road that would lead me to something familiar, but having a GPS guiding me along is like knowing secret shortcuts to every destination. What was once a three hour journey along the scenic route is now a twenty minute trip in the express lane.

I’ve always been fond of shortcuts. There are levels in Super Mario World that I can’t even describe because I always used the Warp Zones to skip them. Life is short! I’ve got places to go and naps to take once I get there! Show me the shortcut and then get out of my way!

I guess I’m just a true product of our impatient society. We like our oatmeal instant, our photos developed in under an hour, and our computer files close at hand. Just look at a typical Windows Desktop: it’s a beautiful mosaic of icons that open programs and network folders. Without them, we’d be digging around in the Start Menu to launch an application, or spelunking in the darkest depths of a network server to reach a folder that’s buried ten levels deep.

So for this week’s tips, we offer you quicker ways of getting there. The tips include:

You can find links for these tips on our blog at www.productiveUpodcast.com. If you’ve got any feedback, comments, or suggestions, let us know in an iTunes review, and write a review of our podcast while you’re there. You can also find us on Twitter @productiveUcast.

That’s all for this week’s edition. Until next time, get lost—and let modern technology swiftly guide you home.

Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum

]]> http://www.productiveupodcast.com/2009/10/gps-for-your-cpu-vol039/feed/ 0 Welcome back to the podcast! This week's edition: GPS For Your CPU. - One of the more thoughtful gifts I received recently was a GPS system. I am plagued by a complete lack of direction, so before acquiring this device, Welcome back to the podcast! This week's edition: GPS For Your CPU. One of the more thoughtful gifts I received recently was a GPS system. I am plagued by a complete lack of direction, so before acquiring this device, I had a keen ability to take two turns while driving and promptly find myself lost and very afraid. Eventually, I would find a road that would lead me to something familiar, but having a GPS guiding me along is like knowing secret shortcuts to every destination. What was once a three hour journey along the scenic route is now a twenty minute trip in the express lane. I've always been fond of shortcuts. There are levels in Super Mario World that I can't even describe because I always used the Warp Zones to skip them. Life is short! I've got places to go and naps to take once I get there! Show me the shortcut and then get out of my way! I guess I'm just a true product of our impatient society. We like our oatmeal instant, our photos developed in under an hour, and our computer files close at hand. Just look at a typical Windows Desktop: it's a beautiful mosaic of icons that open programs and network folders. Without them, we'd be digging around in the Start Menu to launch an application, or spelunking in the darkest depths of a network server to reach a folder that's buried ten levels deep. So for this week's tips, we offer you quicker ways of getting there. The tips include: * Man, He's Quick (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=624D14A635) - Using the Quick Launch toolbar in Windows * Favorites Folders Faster (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=CDCD29D860) - Creating shortcuts for the Office applications' Open and Save dialogs * Short and Sweet (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=68ABB188D0) - Creating shortcuts in Windows * Files in Files (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=257FA4315F) - Embedding a file as an object in a Word document * Ready for Action (http://www.pchelps.com/videolibrary/partnertip.asp?t=ED25E458B7) - Linking to a file with Action Buttons in a PowerPoint presentation You can find links for these tips on our blog at www.productiveUpodcast.com. If you've got any feedback, comments, or suggestions, let us know in an iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=306341259) review, and write a review of our podcast while you're there. You can also find us on Twitter @productiveUcast (http://www.twitter.com/productiveucast). That's all for this week's edition. Until next time, get lost—and let modern technology swiftly guide you home. Music courtesy of Clayton & Fulcrum PC Helps Support, LLC - Hosted by Eric Harris clean 2:56