Windows 10 : Integrate Outlook Calendar with Windows Start Menu Screen

In this blog we will see how to integrate the Outlook Calendar with start menu screen in windows 10 operating system. This will help us keep track of all the day events that we have when we start our day at work place or every time we open the start menu.

• Click on the windows icon at the bottom left corner of the screen.

• Click on the calendar tile in the start menu screen. 

• If calendar tile is not there in the tile area then we need to add it to the start menu. Search for calendar in the search box area in start menu and right click on the calendar and choose pin to start.

• Once you click on the calendar tile it will open up the Welcome to Calendar page. Click on Add account button to configure your account.

• Select the Outlook.com option in the Add an Account pop up. It will allow you to configure Outlook.com, Live.com, Hotmail and MSN accounts.

Enter your account credentials and click on done to finish your account set up in windows 10 calendar tile in start menu.

TIP 20 : MS Excel : Define Named Array Range For Quick Reference

In this blog we will see how to define a name for the array range and refer it in formulas in excel sheet.

• Select the array range which you want to define in excel sheet.

• Enter the name of the array range in Name Box field on the top left corner of excel sheet and press enter key.

• Now you can easily use this named array range in formula and also quickly select the array range by selecting the array range name from the Name Box list.

TIP 19 : MS Excel : Insert/Delete column in excel sheet

In this blog we will get to know the keyboard shortcut to insert and delete the column in excel sheet without using mouse at all.

• Select the column where you want to insert the new column.

• Press Ctrl & +(plus) key, you will observe the new added column. It will always add the new column on the left to selected column.

• Select the column/s which you want to delete.

• Press Ctrl & -(minus) key to delete the selected columns.

TIP 18 : Insert alternate empty lines in large data set in fraction of seconds

In this blog we will see how to see how to insert alternate blank lines in the large data set in excel sheet in fraction of seconds.

• Let us create alternate lines in below data set in excel sheet.

• To create alternate empty lines we need to create a number series in the row that is next to the last row. Easiest way is to use the auto fill feature of MS excel to generate the number series. Enter the two starting numbers 1 and 2 and select the entered number, now double click on the + icon or click on the + icon and drag till end of the row to auto fill rows with number series.

• Use the (Ctrl + Shift +  ↓(down arrow key)) to select and copy the numbers in last row. Now go to the last row of the data set and paste the number series for the next row.

• Go to the first row of the number series and select the cell, now use mouse right click and click on sort and then Sort Smallest to Largest to sort the number series.

• Once the list is sorted you will see the magic and as well the alternate empty lines in between data.

• Select the number series again in the last row and delete the series from the sheet.    

TIP 17 : MS Excel : Merge excel workbooks with single mouse click action

As a team lead you might need to collaborate the data of your team members by requesting data in different sheet and then merging it back in single sheet. Manually merging the details takes lot of time and is a very time consuming activity. In this blog we explain how to create a shared worksheet and merge the data from different sheets with single mouse click.

Let us create a worksheet to merge leave details of team members.

• Create a sheet with leave details template format and save the excel workbook.

• Make this workbook as shared workbook. Go to review tab and click on the share workbook button.

• It will open up Share Workbook dialog window. Select the check box “Allow changes by more than one user at the same time. This also allows workbook merging” and press OK button.

• There will be prompt to save the workbook, press OK to continue.

• You will observer that your sheet now changed to shared sheet as we have shared keyword added next to file name in the header bar.

• This workbook is now ready to be shared among team members. They can fill the details and can save the workbook with different names as well. We can easily merge the sheets using compare and merge feature of excel from quick access toolbar.

Now, share the leave details sheet with all the five employees so that we can have five different sheets to be merged into one single sheet.

Leave_Details_1.xlsx

Leave_Details_2.xlsx

Leave_Details_3.xlsx

Leave_Details_4.xlsx

Leave_Details_5.xlsx

• Add compare and merge option by customizing the quick access toolbar. Click on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar icon and then select More Commands.. from the list or alternatively you can access it from File tab then click on options and select Quick Access Toolbar from the left hand side panel.

• Now select “Commands not in Ribbon” from the Choose commands drop down and then scroll down to select “Compare and Merge Workbooks…” option.  

• Add the Compare and Merge Workbooks… to the toolbar by clicking on the Add button and press OK.

• You will find the Compare and Merge Workbooks option added to the workbook header.

• Click on the Compare and Merge Workbooks icon it will open up file manager window. Select the files to be merged.  

• We can see all files are merged into single file in fraction of seconds.

TIP 16 : Outlook : Add Additional Time Zone to Outlook Calendar

In this blog we will see how to add additional time zone to the outlook calendar that will help in scheduling meetings with reference to local time zone. Also it will save time as we do not have to look for the time conversion in scheduling a meeting rather we have two time zone to take reference. Follow below mentioned steps to add additional time zone in the outlook calendar-

• Go to file tab and chose options.

• It will open up outlook options dialog window. Choose Calendar and scroll down in the right side panel to see time zones information. Select the check box for Show a second time zone. 
• Add name for reference in Label input box and select the time zone from Time Zone drop down.

• Go to Calendar to take a look at the added time zone.

TIP 15 : Outlook : Sync Facebook contacts with MS Outlook

In this blog we will learn how to keep your contacts up to date in outlook. To achieve this Microsoft Outlook has introduced an add-in called outlook social connector that can be sued to connect outlook to social networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Follow below mentioned steps to connect outlook to social networks –

• Go to contacts by clicking on the contacts icon. Click on Connect to a social network link or go to View tab then click on the People Pane drop down button and choose Account Settings…

• It will open up the Social Network Accounts window. Select LinkedIn if it is available in the list and click on Connect Button and if it is not there then click on Connect to another social network link under More, it will open the website to download and install the social media connector. Once add in is installed, restart the outlook and follow above step to sync social media contacts to Outlook.

• Choose Facebook by clicking on the check box button and enter Facebook account credentials then click Connect.

• Click Finish button and wait for the contacts to be synced to outlook. You will observe the Facebook folder created in My Contacts section of outlook with the synced contacts.