Last week a client mentioned that he uses lots of message boxes in his Excel code, and finds that users just click OK when a message appears. Most of the messages are informational, and users have read them before, so a quick click is fine.
However, some of those messages are critical, and only appear when [...]

Filed under: Excel, VBA | 7 Comments »

Do you have the inner strength to throw out old books?
I love computer books, and bring home way too many of them. Things were bad enough in the old days, when I had to leave my office and drive to a bookstore, in order to buy books. Then the miracle of online shopping occurred, and [...]

Filed under: Books, Excel, Internet | 8 Comments »

Another week in the world of Excel Twitters, with the usual moaning and groaning, and the occasional high five. Innocent children are lured into the scary world of charts and spreadsheets, and Excel is simultaneously creating and solving all the world’s problems. And no, that wasn’t me in the coffee shop.
Patiently Waiting

downloading the 60 day [...]

Filed under: Charts, Excel, Twitter | 2 Comments »

According to an article in Neuromarketing, if things smell better, users assume they ARE better.
“In another study – a consumer test of shampoos – a shampoo which participants ranked last on general performance in an initial test, was ranked first in a second test after its fragrance had been altered. In the second test, participants [...]

Filed under: Excel | 2 Comments »

I know — I’m more shocked than you are.
Yesterday I discovered a site where you can create quizzes and post them for others to try. So, I searched for Excel quizzes and found a few.
One quiz had the mysterious name, Excel 13-22, so I decided to try that one. I got off to a good [...]

Filed under: Excel | 1 Comment »

Maybe you can help. I got an email this week from an Excel 2007 user who wants book recommendations:
“I have a question about Excel Visual Basic. My purpose is to write my own Excel formula. Where or what book do you think I could learn from? I have no prior knowledge of programming.”
I [...]

Filed under: Books, Excel, Programming, VBA | 8 Comments »

When I installed Windows Live Messenger on my laptop, it also installed a folder named My Sharing Folders. Sometimes, when I try to drag a file to a different folder in Windows Explorer, it accidentally touches the My Sharing Folders, a message appears, and the copying freezes solid. Forever. Actually, I get tired of waiting [...]

Filed under: Windows | 4 Comments »

Occasionally I work with long Word documents, and want to get from one section to another as quickly as possible. To do this, I use one of Word’s best hidden features — the Document Map. It lists all the headings in your document, and to go to a section you just click on its name [...]

Filed under: Excel, Keyboard Shortcuts, Time Management, Word | No Comments »

As summer comes to an end (well in the Northern Hemisphere), people are huddled over their spreadsheets, assessing their careers, and cooking up plans of world domination, one co-worker at a time. This week’s Twitters show that thoughts have also turned to food and drink, with spreadsheet on the side. A long winter is ahead [...]

Filed under: Excel, Twitter | 2 Comments »

Although the title of today’s blog pretty much describes my meeting notes (what the heck do those scribbles mean?), I’m referring to a couple of utilities I found this week. Both have been very helpful already, so you might find them useful too.
Print What You Like
First is Print What You Like, a web site that [...]

Filed under: Browsers, Twitter | 1 Comment »