Protecting a File With a Password

If you want to protect your spreadsheet from prying eyes, you can add a password to your file. To do this:

• Click the Office button and select Prepare. Click on Encrypt Document.

• Enter the password you have chosen.

• Re-enter the password in order to confirm it.

From now on, whenever you attempt to open the file you will be asked to enter the password before you granted access.

Microsoft recommends using a strong password at least 8 characters long, which includes combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. However, bear in mind that it is important to select a password which you know you will remember, or which you can keep stored in a secure place.

For more information on creating a strong password visit: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/create.mspx

You can also check the strength of your password using the password checker at: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/checker.mspx

Productivity Tip: Alt + Tab

Today I would like to share with you my favourite, and most used, shortcut key: Alt + Tab. You can use it to switch between windows without using a mouse, and it works not just in Excel but in all Microsoft Windows programs. I was amazed when a workmate taught me this shortcut a few years ago, as it is so simple and yet saves me a huge amount of time on a daily basis.

Pressing Alt + Tab will switch you from your current window, to the one you used most recently before. Pressing Alt + Tab again will return you back to your original window.

Holding down Alt and then pressing Tab repeatedly will cycle through all of the windows, starting with the one you used most recently, and working backwards.

Hiding the Ribbon

Some people prefer to hide the ribbon, leaving just the ribbon tabs visible.  Doing this leaves them more room to work in their spreadsheets. I sometimes find this handy when using the small screen on my laptop.

There are two methods for hiding the ribbon:

1.  Double click on one of the ribbon tabs. To unhide the ribbon double click on one of the tabs again.
2.  Press Ctrl + F1. Use the same shortcut keys to unhide the ribbon.

Worksheets: Tab Color

It is possible to change the color of your worksheet tabs.

Right-click on the tab and select Tab Color, and then click on whichever color you like.

I sometimes find it handy to change the tab color of incomplete sheets, or those which contain a problem, to red. That way, when I next sit down to work on that workbook, I’m immediately able to see which sheets need my attention.

Worksheets: Hiding & Unhiding

When I send a report to my manager he likes things kept simple. He is only interested in seeing the final report and really does not want to see all of the behind-the-scenes data. In cases such as this the ability to hide worksheets comes in very handy. I am able to place all of my data on a separate worksheet from the report, and then hide it. Hiding a worksheet is easy. Just right-click on the worksheet tab and select Hide.

Whenever I need to update the workbook with new data, I can unhide the Data sheet. To do this right-click on any tab and select Unhide…. Select the sheet to unhide in the resulting dialog box.

Worksheets: Moving & Copying

Worksheets can be moved or copied within the existing workbook, or to a different workbook.

• Right-click on the sheet you want to move or copy and select Move or Copy… to open a dialog box.

• Use the dropdown box under To book: to select the workbook you want to place your sheet in. If you want to place it within a new workbook, select (new book).
• Under Before sheet: select the location within the workbook where you’d like to place your sheet.
• If you are copying a sheet remember to select the Create a copy tick box at the bottom of the dialog box. If you are only moving the sheet then leave the box unticked.

There is also a quicker option if you only want to move a worksheet within the workbook it is already in. Click on the sheet tab and hold down the mouse button. A little black arrow will appear at the start of the tab.

Still holding the mouse button down, use the mouse to drag the arrow to the desired tab location. Release the mouse button and the sheet will be moved.

Worksheets: Inserting and Deleting Multiple Worksheets

To insert multiple new worksheets you will first need to select the number of worksheets you would like inserted. For example, if your workbook already contains 4 worksheets and you would like to add 3 more, hold down the Shift key and select 3 sheets. Then proceed to use whichever method you prefer to insert new sheets. Three new sheets will be inserted simultaneously.

To delete multiple sheets, hold down the Ctrl key while you select the sheets to be deleted. Then use whichever method you prefer for deleting sheets. All of the selected sheets will be deleted at the same time.

Worksheets: Deleting

You can delete a worksheet by selecting its tab and using either of the following methods:

• Right-click on the sheet tab, and select Delete

• In the Cells group on the Home tab on the Ribbon, select Delete, and then Delete Sheet

Worksheets: Inserting

To insert a new worksheet, use one of the following methods:

• The quickest way is to click on the Insert Worksheets tab, which sits after the tabs for the existing worksheets.

• Right-click on the tab of an existing worksheet and select Insert.

       On the General tab, select Worksheet

• To insert a new worksheet before an existing worksheet, select that worksheet. In the Cells group on the Home tab on the Ribbon, click Insert, followed by Insert Sheet.

Worksheets: Renaming

Welcome to a Week of Worksheets! This next week will consist of posts covering various worksheet basics.

We’ll start with changing the names on worksheet tabs. To do this either right-click on the tab and select Rename from the menu, or double-click the tab. Both of these methods will highlight the current tab name. Type in the new name.