The order of operations is often remembered with the acronym: “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally”

• Parantheses
• Exponents
• Multiplication
• Division
• Addition
• Subtraction

The acronym is a reminder of the mathematical rules of how Excel will proceed with any calculation.  An example I often use in class is creating an average of three numbers.  If I write = 2+3+4 / 3, the entire class will add up the three numbers, and then divide by 3 for a result of 9.  Excel, however, takes that formula and gives a result of 6.33333.

Remembering the order of operations, Excel is dividing before it adds.  If you want to add up the numbers first, then you need to add parentheses.  The formula in Excel should look like this:  =(2+3+4)/3.  Excel provides the correct answer of 3!

For more tips & tricks in using Excel, attend one of our many classes.  We look forward to seeing you soon.

In Microsoft Word 2007, you’ll notice a FORMULA button on the TABLE TOOLS LAYOUT tab to the far right. You can click that button and easily add a function to a table row or column. The default is SUM, so you’ll see a field that looks like this: =SUM(LEFT) meaning that it will sum all the numbers to the left of the formula.  You can also use RIGHT, ABOVE or BELOW.  Additional functions such as AVERAGE, COUNT and ABS are also available.

This allows you a quick way to add a row of numbers to reach a total while not leaving Word.  When you make changes, you can quickly update your formula by right-clicking and choosing to UPDATE FIELD.

If you’d like to learn more tip and tricks about Microsoft Word, attend one of our 4 levels of Word classes!

You can drag items onto the scratch area where they will sit until you drag them back onto a page, or delete them. It’s a great way to keep track of different elements as you rearrange things, or decide which elements you want to use.

Anything placed in the scratch area will not print when you print the page. Even so, when you are done with a document it’s a good idea to delete anything left in the scratch area so that it doesn’t confuse the next person who opens your Publisher file.

To learn more about using Microsoft Publisher, attend one of our classes.  Our instructors love to share their knowledge with students!

There are many uses for VBA, but it’s a good idea to start small when you’re learning something new.  This piece of code will run a macro which will count the number of rows and columns in a selection of an Excel worksheet and put the result in a message box. You would enter this code in the Visual Basic for Applications Editor.

Sub Count()
myCountR = Selection.Rows.Count
myCountC = Selection.Columns.Count
MsgBox “You selected ” & myCountR & ” rows and ” & myCountC & ” columns.”
End Sub

This sample of code gives the macro a name (Count), creates 2 variables (myCountC and myCountR) and provides a message box to pop up on the screen.

If you would like to learn more, we have a 2 day class that will help you learn the terminology and the basics of VBA programming.  Visit our website to find out when the next class is offered!

It’s always a good idea to mix letters and numbers, as well as upper and lower case letters when creating passwords.  When allowed, symbols increase the number of possibilities for your passwords.

It can be difficult to keep track of a stack of unique passwords.  One trick is to create a code for yourself that is easy to remember, but difficult to hack.  Create a unique 6-8 digit password phrase using letters, numbers, and symbols. It could be something like:  2B0Z!rMN (2 boys! are mine) or the first letter of each word in the first line of a favorite song or poem.

The trick, though, is to add part of the website address to your password phrase.  For instance, if I needed to create a password for Amazon, I could use: 2BoZamazonrMN.  I would split my special password phrase in half and put half in front of the website name and half behind.  If I was worried about length, I could also choose to use only the first 5 characters of the website name (2B0ZamazorMN)  The next website that needed a password, I would use the same pattern.  If I needed a password for Borders, it could be 2B0ZbordersrMN.

You will then have unique passwords all across the web, but they will be easy to remember!

To add a connection point, hold the CTRL key and click the shape where you want to add the connection point.  The small x will be purple, until you do something else and then it will turn blue.

To move a connection point, click and drag to a new location.

To delete a connection point in Visio, select and press DELETE.

For more tips on how to get the most from Visio, attend one of our classes.  We offer 2 levels of Microsoft Visio to help build your skills.

This function helps you find out how many different ways a set of numbers can be re-arranged.  When people talk about how many different variations it would take to try and guess a password, the PERMUT function could be used to find out.

The function is:  =PERMUT(number, number_chosen). The first argument is how many numbers are available in the set, while the second argument is how many numbers you’ll pull out of the set.  For example, if you wanted to create a password from the 26 letters in the alphabet, and the password was going to be 6 characters long, then the function =PERMUT(26,6) would return 165,765,600 which means there are that many different ways to put together the 26 letters in the alphabet in 6 character combinations.

If you want to learn more about functions in Microsoft Excel, I’d recommend joining us for an Excel class.  We offer many different levels, and are confident you will learn something new!

This makes it easier to cut/copy/paste items, or proofread long documents by having different sections of the same document on the screen.

To make this happen, go to the VIEW / WINDOW option and choose NEW WINDOW.  It will open a second window on the screen of your document.  You can then navigate each window independently.

For more useful Microsoft Word tips, attend one of our classes!

A presentation should have no more than 10 slides, should last no more than 20 minutes, and the smallest font size should be 30.  He believes that more than 10 concepts in a presentation are too many, and that each slide should hold one concept. He also believes that if your message can’t be shared in 20 minutes, then it’s too complex.  And, to make it easier for everyone to read, the font should be no smaller than 30 points.  Having 30 point font also ensures that you don’t try to fit too much on a slide.

For your next presentation, try following this rule and make note of your results!

To learn how to create presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint, attend one of our classes.  We’d be happy to teach you all the tips & tricks we know!

Quickbooks for Windows provides a Password Reset option that you can access through the Quickbooks website.  The tool requires that .Net Framework 2.0 is installed and you will need to have previously registered your software and know the license number.  As long as you meet the few requirements, you will be able to reset your password.  Visit their site for all the details.

If you want to learn how to use Quickbooks effectively in your small or medium sized business, we have 2 levels of classes to help you do just that!  Visit our site and register today.