Excel: Change the Default Number of Worksheets

Personally, I don't like having Excel create three worksheets for me every time I make a new workbook. It seems like a random number, and I quite often either need more or less. I've set Microsoft Excel to default to only create one worksheet when I make a new workbook.

Here's how you can change this on your own computer, so that Excel will open however many sheets you want. Go to the 'File' tab, and click on 'Options'. Now look in the 'When creating new workbooks' section, and you'll see there's a 'Include this many sheets' option. This is where you can type in any number between 1 and 255. Click the 'OK' button when you've finished, and you're all set! The next time you create a new workbook, Excel will put in the number of sheets that you specified here in your Excel Options.

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Word: Tab Key Not Changing Levels in Multilevel Lists

Working with a multilevel list in Microsoft Word and your tab key isn’t allowing you to change list levels the way you’d like it to? It’s a frustrating problem, with a solution that is thankfully quite simple.

Go to the ‘File’ tab, and click on ‘Options’. From the list on the left, choose ‘Proofing’. Now, under ‘AutoCorrect options’, click on the ‘AutoCorrect Options…’ button. In the window which appears, click on the ‘AutoFormat As You Type’ tab. Select the ‘Set left- and first-indent with tabs and backspaces’ checkbox. Press the ‘OK’ button twice, and you’re done!

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Outlook: Export Contacts List

In this post I'm going to let you know how you can export your Contacts list in Microsoft Outlook. There are many different reasons why you might want to do so. It might be that you need to share the contacts with someone else, or that you are wanting to import them into another application.

Start by clicking on the 'File' tab on the ribbon in Outlook, and choosing 'Open'. Now, click on the 'Import' button.

As a side note, yes... I realize these steps seem bizarre, given that you are wanting to export and not import. It doesn't really make sense to me either, but it works.

The 'Import and Export Wizard' window will appear. From the list, choose 'Export to a file', and then click the 'Next' button.

Now, you need to decide which kind of file you would like to export. The one that you want depends entirely on what you are using it for. As an example, I would select Microsoft Excel 97-2003 if I wanted to open the list in Excel. Figure out which type of file you need and choose it from the list, and then click the 'Next' button.

The next list you will see appear shows all of the different folders you have in your Outlook. Click on the Contacts list you wish to export (if it's the default one, just click 'Contacts'). Click the 'Next' button.

Next, click the 'Browse' button to choose a name and location for the file you are exporting. For example, you could navigate to your Desktop and name it 'Exported Contacts'. When you're ready, click the 'OK' button and then the 'Next' button.

The last step is just to confirm your export. If you're ready to proceed, click the 'Finish' button.

After everything is done, you will see your exported file in the save location that you chose. It's important to note that this doesn't remove those contacts from your list, but is simply a copy of them in the format of your choosing. If your intention was to also remove the contacts from your Outlook, you'll need to go into Outlook and delete the contacts after exporting them.

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OneNote: Keep Notebooks Synchronized Across Multiple Devices

Addicted to Microsoft OneNote? I sure am. As someone who uses a number of different computers both at home, at work, and on the road, I rely quite heavily on my OneNote notebook to keep things organized.

From a student perspective, I have often found it frustrating in the past that I had to lug all of my notes around with me. Any electronic files needed to be saved to a memory stick or crudely e-mailed to myself in an attempt to ensure that I had access to them wherever I went. Thankfully, technology has reached a point where this is no longer an issue.

Say hello to Windows Live SkyDrive, your best friend when it comes to securely synchronizing your OneNote notebooks across a number of devices. With my current setup, and at no extra cost, I can access my notes from any computer that has Internet access. It doesn’t even have to have OneNote 2010 installed!

How did I do it? First, make sure you have a Windows Live ID. If you don’t have one, go to http://www.live.com and register for an account.

Next, open up your notebook in OneNote 2010. Click on the ‘File’ tab on the ribbon, and choose ‘Share’. Click on the notebook you want to save, and then click ‘Web’. Next, click ‘Sign In’ and enter your credentials to log into your Windows Live account. Select the folder in your SkyDrive to which you would like to save the notebook, then click ‘Share Notebook’.

Once everything has been uploaded, you’re free to access your notebook from other computers. Open a Web browser and go to http://www.skydrive.com. Once you’ve logged in to your account using your Windows Live ID, navigate to the folder in which you store the OneNote notebook.

Hover your mouse over the notebook in SkyDrive, and you will be presented with a few different options. Click on ‘Edit in browser’ to open up the notebook right in your Web browser. This will allow you to view and edit the notebook within the Web browser, even if the computer you’re on doesn’t have OneNote 2010 installed. Alternatively, you can click on ‘Open in OneNote’ to use the OneNote application on your computer to view it and to make changes.

I just love being able to do this. I can be on my netbook at the library making changes to my notes, and then easily open up the same notebook at a friend’s house who doesn’t even have OneNote 2010. It also gives me some peace of mind knowing that my files are backed up on the Web*. Give it a try today and see how neatly OneNote integrates with SkyDrive.

*I would like to point out that backing up your files is a very important thing to do! I back my files up online and I also have an external hard drive which automatically backs everything up from my computers. The effort that you put into protecting your data will be quite worth it should any mishaps occur. If you aren’t currently taking any measures to back up your data, I highly recommend that you put some thought into it.

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