It’s decision season. As you transition into the brand new 12 months, resolve to make your software program be just right for you with these 24 fast tech suggestions and methods. Whether or not you strive one or all 24, you’re certain to search out one thing to make working just a little simpler.


Need extra methods like these? Try Affinity Consulting Group’s legal-specific software program manuals.
Add steadily used instructions to the Fast Entry Toolbar (QAT) to get one-click entry it doesn’t matter what ribbon you’re engaged on. Proper-click on a button within the ribbon so as to add it to the QAT.
2. Present Your Calendar Subsequent to Your Inbox
View your calendar and electronic mail aspect by aspect with the To-Do Bar in Basic Outlook (View Ribbon > To-Do Bar > Calendar) or My Day within the New Outlook.
3. Open Your Calendar in a New Window
You’ll be able to have your inbox on one display screen and your calendar on one other by opening your calendar in a brand new window. Proper-click on the calendar icon and choose Open in New Window to open your calendar in a brand new window.
4. Keep Targeted With My Day
For those who use Microsoft To Do as your activity listing, add right this moment’s most essential duties to My Day good listing to maintain your self centered on what issues most every day. My Day begins over with a clean listing each day, letting you select your priorities each morning.
5. Spell-Test Uppercase Phrases
By default, Microsoft Phrase and Outlook don’t spell test phrases in all caps. Meaning your pleading titles aren’t being spell-checked! Underneath the File menu, click on on choices. On the left-hand aspect of the choices dialog, click on on Proofing. Uncheck the field subsequent to Ignore Phrases in UPPERCASE.
6. Cease Phrase From Grabbing Your Mouse
Phrase needs that will help you choose total phrases and the house after them. Cease Phrase in its mouse-grabbing tracks: Open Choices from the file menu. On the left-hand aspect, click on on Superior. Uncheck “When choosing, mechanically choose total phrase.”
7. Present the Ruler
The ruler exhibits your doc’s margins, indents, and tab stops at a look. To show it on, on the view ribbon, test the field for Ruler.
8. Autofill Textual content in Excel
For those who’re typing predictable textual content, similar to a collection of numbers or dates that observe a sample, you’ll be able to have Excel do the heavy lifting for you. Kind the primary two numbers or dates in your listing, then pull down on the underside right-hand nook of the cell to lengthen the sample utilizing AutoFill.
9. Choose a Column of Information With Ease
To rapidly choose the entire cells in a column that incorporates information, click on within the prime cell. Then maintain down the Ctrl and Shift keys whereas tapping the down arrow in your keyboard. Excel will choose all the things till it hits a clean cell. (It’s also possible to use the opposite arrow keys to pick out up a column or throughout a row.)
10. Created Banded Rows with Tables
If you’d like banded rows in Excel, tables are the simplest possibility. Choose your information. Then, on the insert ribbon, click on on Desk to convert your information right into a desk. Tables additionally mechanically increase and replicate formulation, making it simpler to work along with your information.
11. Zoom In or Out on Virtually Any Window
Maintain down the Ctrl key whereas scrolling up and down and down utilizing the scroll wheel in your mouse.
12. Choose Every thing
Maintain the Ctrl key, then faucet the letter A in your keyboard to pick out all. This keyboard shortcut works in almost all purposes.
13. Seek for Textual content
Maintain down the Ctrl key, then faucet the letter F in your keyboard to seek for textual content. Whereas this keyboard shortcut works in almost all purposes, beware that in Outlook, it’ll ahead the chosen electronic mail.
14. Dictate Paperwork and Emails
As an alternative of typing, use the Dictate button in Phrase or Outlook to dictate paperwork and emails.
15. Use Autotext as a Clause Library
For textual content that you just kind the entire time, create an AutoText entry to avoid wasting your self time. Choose the textual content you need to have the ability to simply reuse. Then, on the Insert ribbon, click on on the Fast Elements button. Underneath AutoText, choose Save Choice to AutoText gallery. As soon as added, you’ll be able to return to the AutoText gallery to insert that textual content in any doc.
16. Kind “(C)” With out Getting ©
Cease Phrase from changing a “(c)” with a copyright image by altering your AutoCorrect settings.
17. Drag and Drop Emails to Appointments and Duties
In Basic Outlook, you’ll be able to drag and drop emails onto the calendar or activity icons to create appointments and duties based mostly on the e-mail. Within the New Outlook, you’ll be able to drag and drop emails onto the My Day panel to create appointments and duties.
18. Redact With Confidence
When you’ve got skilled PDF modifying software program, guarantee you’re correctly redacting data. If the software you’re utilizing to redact isn’t known as redact or redaction, it’s not going to burn the digital gap in your doc such as you want. Use the redact/redaction software to make sure that no one can discover the redacted content material, it doesn’t matter what software program they’ve.
19. Export Paperwork to PDF
To create a high-quality PDF, use Phrase’s Export function to transform your doc to a PDF. You’ll discover the Export button within the File menu.
20. Make PDFs Textual content Searchable
Convert scanned information into text-searchable PDFs with optical character recognition (“OCR”). In your PDF modifying software program, search for a button that claims OCR or Acknowledge Textual content.
21. Rapidly Create Fillable Types
Most PDF modifying software program can mechanically create fillable kind fields for you. Search for the Put together Type or Type Discipline Recognition button to let your PDF modifying software program do the be just right for you.
22. Share Your Complete Display screen in Video Calls
When sharing your display screen on a video name, you’ll be able to sometimes select between sharing a single window/doc or all the things on one display screen. Select a monitor or display screen to share all the things and eradicate the necessity to cease and restart sharing each time you must share one thing else.
23. Course of E-mail Quicker with Fast Steps
Create customized fast steps to chop down on the period of time it takes you to course of electronic mail. Fast Steps allow you to mix a number of actions (similar to replying, forwarding, and submitting electronic mail) right into a single click on.
24. Mechanically Course of Emails With Guidelines
Arrange customized guidelines to let Outlook mechanically course of your electronic mail for you.
Extra Workplace 365 Coaching Manuals for Legal professionals
Try Affinity Consulting Group’s “Microsoft Phrase for Authorized Professionals,” “Excel for Authorized Professionals,” “Outlook for Authorized Professionals” and “PowerPoint for Authorized Professionals.” Every handbook zeros in in your follow’s wants with in-depth directions from Affinity consultants on getting probably the most out of your tech.
About Affinity Consulting Group
Affinity Consulting Group conjures up, permits, and empowers authorized groups of all sizes to work smarter, from anyplace. The corporate’s holistic strategy incorporates individuals, course of, and know-how. Affinity’s passionate, well-connected business consultants work hand in hand with you that will help you higher perceive and optimize your corporation — from software program to progress technique, and all the things in between.
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