PALSSON

Notes on Microsoft Office 2016

​October 11, 2015

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Thanks to my Office 365 subscription, I recently upgraded my Microsoft Office 2013 to version 2016. The more I use it, I will provide notes about likes and dislikes about this new suite.

• Dislike: Immediately upon upgrading, I found out that Microsoft Outlook 2016 will not communicate with the Microsoft Exchange Server of my part-time employer. This forced me to move that account to one of my spare computers, along with the Microsoft Access Database I use to import data from the hourly status emails I receive from that account. This means that if I want to check emails on that account, or use that database while I am out on the road traveling, I must remote into that computer and access everything in the database remotely.

• Like: Since I am a Microsoft 365 subscriber, the new Microsoft Office 2016 has Android versions which allow me to store Office documents (Word, PowerPoint and Excel, OneNote) on my Microsoft OneDrive and can now open them on my Android tablet (Samsung Galaxy Pro) and my Android phone (Samsung Galaxy S5). An acquantance has installed them on his iPhone so they will work there as well. This is an awesome feature.  I have also been able to install an Android version of Microsoft Outlook on my tablet (won't run on my Galaxy S5 phone though).

 

Windows 10 is Released

​October 11, 2015

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I upgraded my Windows 8.1 laptop to Windows 10 the first day the update was available. There are some issues that are making me crazy:

• When I double-click to open an email within Microsoft Outlook, I am able to view and read the email without a problem, but when I close that email, the Microsoft Outlook program is hidden and I must click on the Task View icon in the Task Bar at the bottom of the screen to view all of the open programs and select Outlook to bring it full screen again. This behavior occurred before and after I upgraded from Microsoft Office 2013 to Microsoft Office 2016.

• Sometimes I must reboot the computer in order to connect to a different wireless network if I have not shut down my laptop while traveling from one location to another. When I click on the icon in the task bar to view available wireless networks, the list will be blank and the only way to see the list is to restart the computer.

• Because my laptop is the HP Envy 360 and can fold over to become a laptop, Windows 10 has a "Tablet Mode" which it will switch into automatically if you fold the computer into a Tablet position. When I do this, I lose the little "X" to delete an email and instead I have to select an email and then click on the X in the Outlook Ribbon at the top of the screen. The regular Outlook view (when it is not in Tablet Mode) has an X on the right side of email in the list which allows you to quickly delete an email in the list.

• The Windows Start Button has returned, in the shape of the 4-squared Windows Logo but it is black and white in color. When you click on it, you see a list menu somewhat simular looking to the old Windows XP and Windows 7 Start Menu, as well as some of the tiles from Windows 8 and 8.1. In order to see all of the apps you have to click on the "All Apps" menu item.

• If my HP Envy 360 is in Table Mode, the keyboard is folded underneath the computer and is not available (when in Tablet Mode the computer is touch screen only) I initially was not able to press the Windows + L keyboard combination to lock the computer. Instead you have to click on the Start Button, select  your name from the menu list, then select Lock.

• Settings; The Settings option from the Windows Start Menu shows categories that make it difficult to find the features you want. I typed "Control Panel" in the Search Box, then did a right-click and added the Control Panel to my Start Menu so that I could see the familiar and more detailed list of items in the Contgrol Panel. Why they want to make it more difficult to find these items is beyond me.

As I use Windows 10 more and more, I will add items (features) that I either like or dislike. 

 

Some vicious viruses can hold your data hostage

November 9, 2013

 

Recently, some online friends have begun asking me about a new virus called "CryptoLocker". In researching this I've found this to be a very mean and destructive virus that silently encrypts your data the flips a "switch" of sorts which makes it impossible for you to access your data. The virus then pops up a message demanding a ransome to release your data back to you. It gives you just 72 hours to pay the ransome, usually around $300.00 USD. If you pay the ransome, you get access to your data. Failure to pay the ransom results in the permanent loss of that data.

A couple of things come to mind here that you can do to help prevent this or any other virus from putting your data at risk:

1. Back up your data on a regular basis, especially an important files like pictures, etc., and any business critical data that your business cannot survive without.

   1. If you are a casual user, backing up non-critical data can be done on a monthly basis.

   2. If you are any type of a business, regardless of size, you should be backing up your data on a daily basis. At the very least, once per month or twice a month. It would all depend on how important the information is to the survival of your business and whether or not you would be able to re-create the data from hard copies should the electronic data be lost. In other words, do you have time to recreate the data/how much time would you have to spend on recreating the data rather than working on new income generating activity?

2. Scan for viruses and malware on a regularly scheduled basis.

   1. I use 4 different programs to scan my computer as there is no  single program that can do it all.

   2. I run all of these scans at least once a week because I spend a lot of time on the computer, connected to the Internet. Depending on how much data you generate and how much you are on the Internet, you should have a scan schedule similar to this:

      1. Have all the anti-virus and anti-malware programs do a quick scan at least once per week.

      2. Perform FULL scans with each program at least once per month, every two weeks or once per week.

   3. Since these scans can take an hour or more each, I run them in the evenings when it is okay for the computer to run slower

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Tip: I backup critical data by copying those files deemed critical to both external hard drives and to cloud storage. All standard files get copied on a monthly basis.
You should not overwrite a previous backup. Let's discuss your backup strategy.