QUICK HITS FOR MICROSOFT USERS

1. Presented by Sheila Gee (Northwestern Mutual) Vice President of IAAP Downtown Milwaukee Chapter January 10, 2012 QUICK HITS FOR MICROSOFT USERS

2. Introduction • Working on a slow, disorganized computer can be frustrating – and it happens to all of us • A few easy-to-follow guidelines within Microsoft Office • General PC organization to keep your computer on the right track. • Microsoft Office is your go-to program for getting everyday home and work tasks accomplished

3. PC Organization – Clean it Up • Email • Productivity • Tasks • Good PC Habits • Manage Files and Folders Most suffer from PC overload 2012 – Let’s get organized, it starts with clean up

4. Take Control of your Email Do you have an effective way to process and organize your email so that you can get to an empty Inbox on a routine basis? If you have lots of email in your Inbox (we know people with as many as 7,000 messages), you might want to rethink your processing methods. Really, it is possible to empty your Inbox. The key is to evaluate how you are processing and organizing your email and then make some changes. • Email Reference System • Reference – no action needed • Action or Must Do – complete a task • Schedule Uninterrupted time to organize • Same time each day • Make recurring appointment on calendar • Process each item one at a time; start at the top • Four D’s (Delete it, Do it, Delegate it, Defer it) • 4 D’s – Decision Making model • Decide what to do with each message first • About 50% email can be deleted, 30% can be delegated or done in 2 mins, 20% can be deferred • If the info is not meaningful, mandatory, need it to refer back in 6mos, or can’t be found elsewhere, delete it • Complete the email task w/in 2 minutes • Defer it, only if you cannot complete in 2 minutes or you can’t delegate it Reference (about 1/3 messages) – no action required, store in reference folder (My Docs) in case you need later Action – must complete a task, store in to do list, calendar, or action folder

5. Email Control (cont.) • A cluttered or disorganized mailbox makes it hard to find the email you are looking for • Group Similar - By creating new mail folders, you can group messages related to each other • Search – look up pre-defined collections of emails - are a quick and convenient way to look at predefined collections of email messages. • Rules – you can automatically perform actions on incoming and outgoing messages based on criteria you establish (conditions and actions need to be stated) • Junk Filters – send email flagged as junk to separate mail folder • Color Cat – allow you to easily identify interrelated emails, contacts, and meetings • Flag – for follow-up feature to flag email messages and tasks to help categorize them or to mark them for action. Flags can remind you to follow up on an issue, indicate a request for someone else, or set a reminder for a message or contact • Sort Email Quickly • ( Click View, Arrange By, Custom) • Group Similar Emails • (Click File, New, Folder) • Create Search Folders • (File, New, Search Folder) • Use Mailbox Rules • ( Click Tools, Rules & Alerts, New Rule) • Email Junk Filters • (Click Tools, Options, Email Opts, Tracking Opts, indicate response to Internet Mail) • Color Categories • (Click Categorize, All categories, New, Add New Cat.) • Flag Email for Follow-up • (Click File, New, Mail Message, Follow-up)

6. PC Productivity • Information Overload – How do you process it? • Don’t let data quantity drive you • Need to Keep Everything Together…Why? • Clarify useful information, let the rest go • Organization…Cramps Your Freedom? • Organization fosters creativity and spontaneity • Not Enough Time • Do what you can, when you can

7. Productivity in Windows • Print from Windows Explorer • Pin Programs to the Start Menu • Start, All programs • Use Small Icons on the Start Menu • Right Click Start Menu, Properties, Customize, Unclick “Use Large Icons”/ Click “Small Icons” • Search a Folder • Send Email Attachment from Anywhere • Print from Windows Explorer instead of opening a word document • Pinning programs to start menu will save time, they will open when you start your pc • Search for file/folder, insert full name or part of file name • Right click on file’s icon, Click Send To, Mail Recipient

8. Streamline Tasks • View Task Status at a Glance • Customize Task Current View • Click View, Current View, Custom • Create Simple List • Create Detail List • Create To-Do List

9. Good PC Habits • Organize file and folders, clean up the data with • Disk Cleanup (compress old files and free storage space), • Disk Defrag (scan hard drive and consolidate files that are scatter all over the place – automatically scheduled, you can turn it off) • Organize your Files • Think it through, use subfolders, clean files • Click New, Folder • Clean your Hard Disk – compress, consolidate • Disk cleanup, disk defragment • Use System Restore when Necessary • Create System Checkpoint • Keep Windows & MS Office up-to-date • Get FREE Microsoft Updates (sign up) • Run Antivirus Software • Use system restore to bring PC back to same state it was in before data was lost • Good habit to back up files/folders to disk, DVD, or network location • Start, programs, accessories, system tools, system restore, program will open, click create a restore point, next Plan the organization, after set up of files, inspect and clean them up

10. Manage Your Files and Folders • Take advantage of this documents feature to customize your docs, photos, music, etc. • If it works for you, do it • Build a structure to avoid lengthy names • Archive completed work or move it to different location • Sort by criteria • Use subfolders to avoid large structures – alphabetize them if necessary • Shortcuts can link multiple files from different locations together • Right click file/folder, shortcut, drag shortcut to new location • Put daily used files/folders on your desktop in a folder or create a folder called Daily use • Use SharePoint, Windows Live SkyDrive or Office Web Apps to access files outside of work • Use the My Documents Folder to Customize • Be Consistent in Your Method for Naming • Keep Name Short for Files • Separate Ongoing Work from Completed Work • Store Like Files/Folders Together • Avoid Large Folder Structures • Use Shortcut Links Instead of Multiple Copies • Get Items Used Daily Quickly • Store Documents Online (use SharePoint)

11. Manage Files and Folders (cont.) • Use Abbreviations • Use Thumbnails/Icons • Uses Common Names • Don’t Save Unnecessary Files • Use Recent Items • Put Documents on the Desktop • Organize Files by Date • Color Code your Folders (3rd party software) • Abbreviate the file name (i.e.: Msg = Message, Mtg = Meeting) • Go to Views, Thumbnail or Icons • Make it easy on yourself, simple it better • Delete files you do not need • Go to Start Menu, My recent files • Put shortcuts on your desktop

12. Additional Information • Work Faster with a Slow Connection • 12 Tips for Creating Better Documents • 12 Tips for Creating Better Presentations • PC Shortcuts • Backup Files and Recover Data

13. QUESTIONS???