How businesses can save money when everyone needs Office to work from home

 Companies have scattered to the wind, once-formidable armies of workers enclosed in glass buildings now sundered, each employee at his or her own outpost, whether kitchen table, home office desk or lap in a quasi-quiet corner.

Flinging employees off the workplace carousel may have been as simple as a single "Go home" order, but ensuring that those workers can do their work from home and be productive at it (or even partially productive), takes work — a lot of work.

The suddenness of the exodus from the office may also have left management, IT and even employees unprepared for the shift. Core and work-critical tools, Microsoft Office among them, may be missing. But money doesn't grow on trees, not in times of cholera or coronavirus.

Getting Office to sent-home employees won't be simple. If the firm has stuck with on-premises, perpetually-licensed solutions, beginning to hybridize infrastructure by moving some of it to the cloud will be rough. And if IT hasn't had a lot of experience dealing with remote workers, there's a steep learning curve ahead.

But there are ways to cut costs and save money when the first order of business is to get everyone working on business. Computerworld has compiled several of the best options, some for shops that rely on Office 2010, 2013, 2016 or 2019, others for enterprises partly or completely in on Office 365.

Stay healthy. Stay in business.

If your company relies on Office (perpetual)

Office's perpetual version is the one that a firm purchases once with an up-front payment, typically as part of a volume licensing deal. That payment provides the rights to run the suite as long as one wants, long after Microsoft stops serving security updates if you're willing to take risks. It can be installed on just one PC or Mac, and so is tied to that device, not to its current user.

That means if these devices stayed at the workplace when employees were sent home to work, there are no Office licenses available for the worker to install on his or her personal laptop.

Subscribe to Office 365 E1 or Office 365 Business Essentials

These two plans — the former for firms of all sizes, the latter only for companies that purchase 300 or fewer seats — are among the least expensive Office 365 subscriptions. Office 365 E1 runs $8 per month per user (when paid for in a single lump sum for an entire year; more on that later). Office 365 Business Essentials costs $5 per user per month (again, when bought in an annual lump sum).

Neither plan provides the desktop Office applications found in Office perpetual, instead offering the web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Both also provide Teams, Microsoft's collaboration/video conferencing software, which many businesses have begun using — or are using much more often now — to communicate and meet with now-at-home employees.

The idea here is that these Office 365 licenses are considerably less expensive than purchasing, say, a second Office 2019 license for an employee to use during the crisis. And while the web apps are not the equal of the desktop applications, they should serve for the unknown-but-not-infinite time workers will work from home.

Pay on a month-by-month basis

No one knows exactly when it will be prudent to return to working in large groups. Even experts are wary of guessing.

With that in mind, it seems smart to pay for "bridge" Office 365 plans like Enterprise E1 or Business Essentials on a month-by-month basis, not in a lump sum for a full year.

Office 365 Business Essentials, for example, costs $6 per user per month when paid month-by-month (and thus with only a monthly commitment). If the work-at-home stretch for employees needing the plan runs nine or fewer months, then, month-by-month payments will save money over the annual rate and commitment.

Partake of free-trial offers

Small businesses that were mulling moving to Office 365 and its always-updated/rent-not-buy model before the COVID-19 pandemic upended everything — and are still pondering the change — should take advantage of Microsoft's free one-month trials.

Office 365 Business Premium, a subscription plan that includes the desktop Office applications — Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook for both Windows and macOS; Publisher and Access for Windows only — costs $12.50 per user per month (when paid for in an annual lump sum) or $15 per user per month (when paid on a month-to-month basis). Microsoft offers a 30-day free trial to the plan for up to 25 users.

If your company relies on Office 365

Organizations already armed with Office 365 — the by-subscription service whereby customers pay Microsoft an ongoing fee annually or monthly for the right to run the suite and numerous services — have an edge when their workers get spread from here to Timbuktu. That's because the subscription is licensed per user, not per device, allowing each employee to install the applications on multiple devices, including personal hardware they have at home. (There are many more reasons to give Office 365 the advantage here, but that's enough for now.)

Get the Office each worker can use

Not everyone who has been suddenly told to work remotely will have a PC or Mac at home. But virtually everyone has a smartphone.

"The first challenge of shifting to working remote — especially on short notice — is being disconnected," Yana Terukhova, who leads product marketing strategy for Excel, wrote in a March 19 post to a company blog.

She then ticked off the mobile apps licensed to most users of Office 365, including the Outlook email app for iOS or Android, and the new Word-Excel-PowerPoint combo app for the two operating systems.

Even entry-level Office 365 plans, such as Office 365 Business Essentials, which costs $6 per user per month when paid on a month-to-month basis, include rights to iOS and Android Office apps.

Depending on the employee's role in the organization, a personal smartphone may be all someone needs to do the job — or a large portion of it.

Get Teams for free for employees without it

Although Teams is included with most Office 365 Business and Office 365 Enterprise plans, there are exceptions, including Office 365 Business and Office 365 ProPlus. And then there are the employees who aren't assigned an Office 365 license because of their work roles.

The company needs a way to communicate with everyone on the payroll.

Microsoft has a program called "Microsoft Teams Exploratory" that lets employees with an Azure Active Directory-managed email address request a Teams license. (The request must be initiated by the user; it cannot be claimed by an administrator for a user.) The no-charge license will be good until the company's next enterprise agreement anniversary or subscription renewal, during or after January 2021.

More information, including how administrators can manage the Teams license, can be found in this support document.

More Teams for free

Another way to equip employees with Teams — and other Office bits, including commercial rights to the web and mobile apps — is with a Microsoft free offer of Office 365 E1. The deal, which Microsoft first mentioned earlier this month, awards E1 for a six-month stretch.

The lowest-priced Enterprise plan — $8 per user per month when paid for in an annual sum — includes Teams, as well as online storage (OneDrive), email (Exchange), and the web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Also part of the plan: Mobile Office apps for iOS and Android.

This offer is aimed at enterprises or other organizations with existing relationships with Microsoft sales or a reselling partner. "Contact your Microsoft partner or sales representative," said Jared Spataro, a Microsoft executive, in a March 5 post to a company blog.

Microsoft has also waived the usual requirements for its FastTrack support for the free Office 365 E1 trial. FastTrack will assist customers getting workers on board E1 from March through August of this year, the company said.

Tell workers to self-install Office on their PC or Mac

When employees suddenly at home freak out that they can't work without Office, then get on the horn with the also-working-from-home help desk asking what to do, the answer may not cost the company a dime. That's because an employee already covered by an Office 365 plan can self-install Office on his or her own Windows PC or Mac machine.

IT staffers can point users to this support document, which describes the steps of signing on to office.com, downloading and installing the suite.

5 Easy Ways to Speed up Your Internet on Windows 10

 Everyone longs for a fast internet connection. Waiting several minutes to load a web page is quite frustrating. To get rid of this problem, people often buy expensive internet plans without realizing that the problem may be with their computer’s operating system.

In this article, we will discuss some simple tips that will help you improve your Internet speed on Windows 10, as long as you have an active connection. If you are still looking for a service provider, we highly recommend Spectrum Internet, which is extremely fast and reliable. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

How to Speed up internet on windows 10

Here we provide you 5 easy ways to speed up your internet connection in Windows 10. If you use tricks, you can undoubtedly increase internet speed in Windows 10. Check out the fastest way to improve internet speed.

1. Change your computer’s power settings

The first step to improve your Internet connection and computer speed on Windows 10 is to change the battery settings. Battery saving function drastically reduces the performance of your system; Therefore, it is recommended to change the settings from battery saver to high performance to get the most from your computer. Settings can be changed from the control panel or directly by clicking on the battery icon in the right corner of the taskbar.

2. Disable programs that run automatically at startup

Programs running in the background slow down your computer. Therefore, it is important to close any app that you rarely or never use. To stop all unnecessary programs, launch Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc in your Windows 10 search box or simply typing in Task Manager. Once Task Manager appears on your screen, choose Programs. If you are not using and press end task. In Task Manager you will also see a Startup tab. This tab will show you a complete list of all the applications that run automatically when starting your computer. Disable programs you may or may not use occasionally. When you have completed this process, you can feel a lot different in your personal computer performance and your Internet speed.

3. Disable Windows Tips, Tutorials, and Tips

Windows 10 monitors your activities and gives you suggestions on the tasks you want to do on your operating system. These tips and tutorials can also slow down your system. So, to speed things up, turn off the tips and tricks provided by Windows. Go to the Start menu, click System, then Notifications and Tasks. You no longer need to “get tips, tricks and suggestions when using Windows”. Therefore, uncheck and disable this notification. enough …! Your computer will run much easier than before.

4. Disable One Drive from Syncing Files

Microsoft’s cloud service is built into Windows 10 and keeps all files updated on all your devices. Although it is a useful application, it consumes a large portion of your RAM which makes your computer system sluggish and inefficient. To improve your system performance, you can temporarily turn off One Drive to synchronize your files, and before turning off your computer, you can turn it back on to sync your data. Huh. Hover the mouse in the lower right corner of the taskbar and you will see a cloud icon, which is One Drive. Right-click on this icon and you will see a list of tasks you can take. Just choose to Pause Sync. You can stop synchronization for 2 hours, 8 hours, or 24 hours, depending on what time you want to use the computer with better performance. Before stopping, start the syncing again and all your data will be returned immediately.

5. Deactivate Search Indexing on Windows 10

Windows 10 continuously indexes your hard drive in the background so that you can find files faster. However, this feature is not as useful as it sounds. Your computer gets a serious performance impact with search indexing. Therefore, to get the most from your Windows, turn off search indexing. To do this, simply type service. msc in the search box and press Enter. When the Services application appears on your screen, scroll to Indexing Services, double-click it and click Stop. After that restart your computer. You may experience slow searches, but your computer performance and the Internet speed will improve dramatically.

Finish

Keep the above suggestions in mind and whenever you face slow speed, give them a try. You will see a significant improvement in the speed of your computer and your internet connection. Catch more window hacking by subscribing to our mailing lists.

Microsoft to shift SMBs' Office subscriptions to 'Microsoft 365' brand

Microsoft today announced name changes to the Office 365 subscription plans in the Business line, substituting "Microsoft 365" instead.

The Redmond, Wash. developer did not touch subscription plans aimed at enterprise, education and government.

Plan names will automatically change on April 21, Microsoft said in an online statement. Prices of the plans will not change.

• Office 365 Business Essentials, the lowest-priced plan in the Business line, will become Microsoft 365 Business Basic.

• Office 365 Business, the middling plan in the trio that provides the Office applications and OneDrive, but no other services, will become Microsoft 365 Apps.

• Office 365 Business Premium, the most capable and most expensive subscription plan of the three, will become Microsoft 365 Business Standard.

Microsoft will change the moniker of Microsoft 365 Business to Microsoft 365 Business Premium to fit it into the Business line as the top-dollar $20 per-user per-month plan. That subscription adds security and management tools to Office 365 Business Standard, née Premium. (Currently, this is the lowest-priced plan in the Microsoft 365 line. After the name changes, though, it will fall somewhere in the middle.)

Finally, the orphan of Office 365, the Office 365 ProPlus deal, which like Office 365 Business limits the bits to the Office applications and OneDrive, will get the same Microsoft 365 Apps nameplate. (Microsoft said if it needed to differentiate the two, it would append "for business" and "for enterprise" on the offerings.)

Subscription label changes aside, everything will remain untouched. "There are no price or feature changes to plans at this time (emphasis added)," Microsoft said in a short Q&A embedded in the announcement.

"We want our products to reflect the range of features and benefits in the subscription," the company noted, again in the Q&A. Specifically, Microsoft pointed to past additions to Office 365 Business Essentials and Business Premium plans, notably the Teams collaboration, video conferencing and online meeting software, as justifying a step up in naming.

"Second, we're always looking for ways to simplify," the company continued. "This new approach to naming our products is designed to help you quickly find the plan you need and get back to your business."

Microsoft's second reason was the weaker of the two.

Ever since the 2017 introduction of Microsoft 365 as a subscription plan label, Microsoft has had an identity problem, with that line and the much older Office 365 crossing streams. Just what was Microsoft 365? How was it different -- better than, by price anyway -- from the original?

Initially, Microsoft 365 was an über-suite, an über-subscription, for it started with Office 365, then added more, most importantly a subscription to Windows 10. Microsoft 365, then, was Office 365 + Windows 10. (It was more, but those pieces were the most important.)

Microsoft could be applauded by bringing more of its subscriptions under the Microsoft 365 moniker - that's clearly the name that will rule all at some point - but the brand remains scatter-brained. Some subscriptions are for consumers, as Microsoft also today announced an Office 365-to-Microsoft 365 name change for its Personal and Home deals; others are for business but sans Windows 10; yet more are for enterprises wishing for the kitchen sink, Windows included.

That's not a brand, that's just a mob.

And a large swath of Microsoft's plans will remain, at least for now, tapped as Office 365, including all the enterprise-, education- and government-aimed subscriptions, ranging from Office 365 A1 to Office 365 E5. To crowd those plans under a Microsoft 365 umbrella will take some doing, as the company will have to figure out how to untangle the duplicate x3 and x5 suffixes.

10 Common Windows 10 Issues and Solutions

 It has been almost 4 years since Windows 10 became available to the public user base, which was ready to be moved from Windows 8. But despite the reforms, some issues remained to be resolved.

Take a look at these 10 Windows 10 problems and solutions that any user can use to improve their time with this operating system.

Windows 10 problems and solutions

There are problems at all levels of an operating system, from installation to specific applications and processes. Some solutions may affect the way the operating system is running due to visual changes. If you take the time to change it, Windows 10 can be modified to meet some very specific requirements.

1. Installation

If you recall some time ago, Microsoft offered Windows 10 for free. Partly because many users became addicted to Windows 7 due to the changes made in Windows 8. Another reason was that some problems were on the way.

Before installing the operating system, there are a few things to check. The first is whether your current hard drive has enough space. However, the requirement of the previous two Windows operating systems is the same and almost none use such a small hard drive.

The second problem is the power of your system. Since Windows 7, many visual upgrades and background processes have been implemented. Don’t be surprised if your old Windows XP laptop can’t handle the upgrade.

2. Forced Updates

The forcing update was an idea with potentially good intentions. Some users, like the elderly, do not know that regular updates help secure their systems. Therefore Microsoft has forcibly applied the update.

Unfortunately, this also meant that some users were receiving updates at inconvenient times. Sometimes updates have made the computer unusable. It was so bad that people sued.

The user can now disable these updates as he did before:

1. Open the start menu
2. Type gpedit.msc in the search bar and choose the top option
3. Follow the folder path: Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components \ Windows Update
4. Configure and Configure Open Automatic Update Policy
5. Select disabled
6. Click apply
7. Click OK

Be sure to update regularly when you have time via the Settings menu. Check for Settings / Updates and Security \ Windows Update \ Updates. Keeping up-to-date helps to keep your information secure.

3. Block Pop-ups in Edge

Nobody likes pop-ups while browsing. They can range from annoying pests to possible destruction of the system. Blocking these can also increase the loading speed of a website.

The default web browser for Windows 10 is Edge, which has a built-in pop-up blocker. It can be disabled by default but it is very easy to work with:

1. Open edge
2. Click three points on the top right
3. Scroll until you get advanced settings
4. Click block pop-up

Remember that some websites require pop-ups in your browser to function properly. To reactivate the popup window, simply repeat the steps and deactivate the blocker.

4. Create a System Restore Point

Another feature that is not enabled by default is that it allows you to restore your system to the state you were in when you set the restore point. If something goes wrong, you may want to set a restore point before a major update.

Activating it is quite simple:

1. Open the Start menu and search for System Restore.
2. Create a restore point and click to open the system properties panel
3. Choose the System Protection tab
4. Choose drive C: and click Configure
5. Make sure the Enable System Security option is checked.
6. Use the slider to choose between 5% and 10% of your hard drive to use for restore points.

5. I can not play DVD

By the time Windows 10 was released, most people had moved from DVD and other physical media to digital distribution. Since most computers do not come with a dedicated DVD player, the software allows your computer to read them. However, a better option is to download a free media player that can play DVDs instead of purchasing an external player or an expensive player.

6. Change the default application

Sometimes Windows 10 will try to open a new file type with the wrong application. Or, you have installed a separate application to open the files and need to change the default application. If Windows 10 does not know a new file type, it will ask you how you want it to run when you try to open it.

But if you want to change a default application before attempting to open a file type or if you need to change multiple default settings at once, you will need to use the settings:

1. Open windows settings
2. Click on default application then the application
3. Choose the application you want to modify
4. Select from the drop-down list

If you need to reset the default apps, you can always reset from the menu. If you run a company that makes apps and needs to know how to get people to choose your default, consider software QA.

7. Hide notifications

You’ll probably get tired of seeing them later, so you can also choose the ones you want to see now. Open the Settings menu again:

     In the Settings window, click System

     Click on Notifications and Actions

     Select the information you want to display.

8. Add or remove icons from the taskbar

You want your most-used apps available at all times and the best place to do this is right in the taskbar. You can open them with one click, even if you have another window open. But if there are too many icons, your taskbar will close quickly.

To remove an icon, simply right click on it and select Detach from the taskbar. To add an icon, open the app and right-click on its tab and choose Pin to taskbar.

9. Synchronization with other devices

If you have a Windows 10 computer, phone, and tablet, you can synchronize your information with all of them at once. Using your Microsoft account, you can configure all your devices to share bookmarks, applications, and settings so you don’t have to do it one by one. Just go to https://login.live.com/ and configure your sync settings, then log in on each device.

10. Stop Sharing

One of the biggest issues facing Windows 8, and now 10, is the amount of information they collect. If what you want to do for yourself, check the Privacy tab in your settings. Many people disable everything unless a specific application needs to access it.

Become an experienced user

These are just a few Windows 10 problems and solutions. Windows 10 offers many options and settings that will allow you to take ownership when you take the time.

See our other articles on how you can optimize your operating system.

Word for Office 365 cheat sheet

 

Word has always been the workhorse app of the Microsoft Office suite. Nearly everyone who uses Office ends up using Word at some point, whether it be for writing memos, typing up agendas, creating reports, crafting business correspondence or any of a thousand other uses.

Microsoft sells Office under two models: Individuals and businesses can pay for the software license up front and own it forever (what the company calls the “perpetual” version of the suite), or they can purchase an Office 365 subscription, which means they have access to the software for only as long as they keep paying the subscription fee.

When you purchase a perpetual version of the suite — say, Office 2016 or Office 2019 — its applications will never get new features, whereas Office 365 apps are continually updated with new features. For more details, see “What are the differences between Microsoft Office 2019 and Office 365?”

This cheat sheet gets you up to speed on the features that have been introduced in Office 365’s Word for Windows desktop client since 2015. We’ll periodically update this story as new features roll out. (If you’re using the perpetual-license Word 2016 or 2019, see our separate Word 2016 and 2019 cheat sheet.)

Use the Ribbon

The Ribbon interface is alive and well in the current version of Word. Since it has been included in Office applications since Office 2007, you’re probably familiar with how it works.

In September 2018, Microsoft overhauled the way the Ribbon looks. It’s now flatter-looking, cleaner and less cluttered, and has high-contrast colors, which makes the icons and text on the Ribbon easier to see. The blue bar at the top has been reduced as well, with the tab names now appearing on a gray background. But it still works in the same way, and you’ll find most of the commands in the same locations as in earlier versions.

One minor change to the Ribbon layout is that there’s now a Help tab to the right of the View tab. And there are slight variations in the Ribbon’s appearance between editions of Word in Office 365. For instance, the Search box is located to the right of the Ribbon tabs in consumer editions but above the Ribbon tabs in enterprise editions.

To find out which commands live on which tabs on the Ribbon, download our Word for Office 365 Ribbon quick reference. Also note that you can use the search box on or above the Ribbon to find commands.

Just as in earlier versions of Word, to make the commands underneath the tabs on the Ribbon go away, press Ctrl-F1. (Note that the Ribbon tabs — File, Home, Insert and so on — stay visible.) To make the commands appear again, press Ctrl-F1.

You’ve got other options for displaying the Ribbon as well. To get to them, click the “Ribbon display options” icon at the top right of the screen, just to the left of the icons for minimizing and maximizing Word. A drop-down menu appears with these three options:

• Auto-hide Ribbon: This hides the entire Ribbon, both the tabs and commands underneath them. To show the Ribbon again, click at the top of Word.
• Show Tabs: This shows the tabs but hides the commands underneath them. It’s the same as pressing Ctrl-F1. To display the commands underneath the tabs when they’re hidden, press Ctrl-F1, click a tab, or click the Ribbon display icon and select “Show Tabs and Commands.”
• Show Tabs and Commands: Selecting this shows both the tabs and commands.

And if for some reason that blue on the title bar is too much color for you, you can turn it white, dark gray or black. To do it, select File > Options > General. In the “Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office” section, click the down arrow next to Office Theme and select Dark Gray, Black, or White from the drop-down menu. To make the title bar blue again, choose the Colorful option from the drop-down list. Just above the Office Theme menu is an Office Background drop-down menu — here you can choose to display a pattern such as a circuit board or circles and stripes in the title bar.

There’s a useful feature in what Microsoft calls the backstage area that appears when you click File on the Ribbon: If you click Open, Save a Copy, or Save As from the menu on the left, you can see the cloud-based services you've connected to your Office account, such as SharePoint and OneDrive. Each location now displays its associated email address underneath it. This is quite helpful if you use a cloud service with more than one account, such as if you have one OneDrive account for personal use and another one for business. You'll be able to see at a glance which is which.

In the works: A simplified Ribbon

Microsoft is also working on a simplified version of the Ribbon for all Office applications. Like the existing Ribbon, it will have tabs across the top, and each tab will have commands on it. But it’s more streamlined and uses less space than the existing Ribbon.

For now, only Outlook for Windows uses the simplified Ribbon in Office 365. However, some users can get a preview of what it will look like in Word by going to the online version of Word. Use the slider next to Simplified Ribbon at the top right of the screen to toggle the simplified Ribbon on and off. If you don’t see the slider at the top of the screen, go to the Ribbon’s View tab and check the box next to Simplified Ribbon. To revert to the regular Ribbon, uncheck the box.

In the simplified Ribbon, all the commands are still there for each tab, but only the most commonly used are visible. Click the three-dot icon at the far right end of the Ribbon to show the rest of the commands in a drop-down menu.

In the Outlook desktop client, you can toggle between the streamlined and traditional Ribbon by clicking a small caret icon at the right edge of the Ribbon. We assume this will work the same way in Word, but at this point we have no details. We’ll update this section when the simplified Ribbon rolls out to Word for Windows.

Collaborate in real time

The biggest feature that’s been introduced in Word for Office 365 subscribers since 2015 is real-time collaboration. It lets people work on documents together from anywhere in the world with an internet connection, a feature that Google Docs has long had. Microsoft calls this “co-authoring.”

There are only three requirements for collaboration in Word for Office 365: You must be logged into your Microsoft or Office 365 account; the document must be stored in OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint Online; and AutoSave must be turned on.

To collaborate on a document, first open it, then click the Share icon in the upper-right part of the screen. If you haven’t yet saved your file in OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint Online, you’ll be prompted to do so. What happens next depends on whether your document is stored in your own OneDrive or with OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online.

If your files are stored in your personal OneDrive, you’ll share documents via the Share pane. But if your files are stored in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online, you’ll use a newer interface that Microsoft rolled out to enterprise Office 365 users in May 2017. A Microsoft representative told us that the company intends to roll out the newer interface to consumers with an Office 365 subscription at some point, but it hasn’t announced timing yet. So we’ll give instructions for both interfaces below.

If your document is stored in your personal OneDrive: After you’ve saved the document to OneDrive and clicked the Share button, the Share pane will open on the right-hand side of the screen — this is command central for collaboration. At the top of the pane, type in the email addresses of the people with whom you want to collaborate on the document, separated by commas. As you type, Word looks through your address book and displays the matches it finds; click the person you want to invite. If you’re on a corporate network, you can click the address book on the right to search through your corporate email address book. If a person isn’t in your address book, just type in their complete email address.

ocument.

There’s another way to share a file stored in a personal OneDrive for collaboration: At the bottom of the Share pane, click “Get a sharing link,” and from the screen that appears, choose “Create an edit link” if you want to create a link to the file that will allow people to edit the file, or “Create a view-only link” if you want to create a link that will allow them to view the file only. Then copy the link, write an email using any email program, paste in the link, and send the email.

If you want to instead send the file but don’t want to let people collaborate on it, at the bottom of the Share pane click “Send as attachment.” You can then send the file either in Word format or else as a PDF. When you do this, it won’t reflect any changes you make to it after you send the file.

If your document is stored in SharePoint Online or OneDrive for Business: Clicking the Share button pops up a Send Link window. Here you can send an email with a link where others can access the document. 

By default, only the people whose email addresses you enter will be able to edit the document. If you like, you can click “People you specify can edit” to call up a “Link settings” screen, where you can expand access to anyone with the link, people in your organization with the link, or anyone who already has access to the file.

On this screen you can also uncheck the “Allow editing” box to set any of those permissions to read only. If you do that, you can optionally block people from downloading the file by toggling the “Block download” slider on. Finally, if you choose the “Anyone with the link” option, you can set an expiration date after which they won’t be able to access the file. When you’ve made your selections, click Apply.

Back in the main Send Link window, enter the recipients’ email addresses (as you type, Word will suggest people from your address book whom you can select), optionally type in a message, and click Send. An email is sent to all the recipients with a link they can click to open the document. Note that depending on how your IT department has set up permissions for users, you may not be able to send the invitation to people outside your organization.

(If you’d rather send recipients a copy of the workbook as an Excel file or a PDF, and thus not allow real-time collaboration, click Send a Copy at the bottom of the Send Link screen.)

To begin collaborating: When your recipients receive the email from you, they click a button or link to open the document, which opens in Word Online in a web browser rather than in the Word desktop client. Depending on a variety of factors, including whether recipients are signed into an Office 365 account, whether the file being shared is stored in a personal OneDrive or in OneDrive for Business/SharePoint, and whether the sender and recipient are from the same organization, recipients may or may not be able to start editing the document in their browser right away. Some users will have to click an Edit in Browser button first, and some will be able to choose between editing the doc in the browser or editing it in their desktop Word app.

The web version isn’t as fully featured as the client version — for instance, there aren’t as many formatting options and you can’t insert shapes, take screenshots, use mail merge, or use several other features. But for basic editing, it works fine.

When any collaborators open the document, you’ll see a colored cursor bar for each person that indicates their presence in the document. Each person gets their own unique color. Hover your cursor over anybody else’s cursor bar to see their name. Once they begin editing, you can see what each collaborator does as they do it, including deleting, editing and adding text. They see what you do as well.

Collaboration includes the ability to make comments at specific places in a document without actually changing the document’s contents. To do it, place your cursor in the document where you want the comment to appear (or select a word or phrase), click the Comments button in the upper right of the screen, and select New Comment. A new comment box appears in the right margin; type in your comment there. If you want to draw a colleague’s attention to a comment, @ mention them in the comment, they’ll receive an email notification with a link to the document.

Everyone collaborating can see all comments in the right margin. To reply to a comment, hover over it, click the Reply button, and type your response. There’s also a Resolve button that grays out the comment.

Be aware that how well real-time collaboration works depends on the strength of your internet connection. On slow or flaky connections, you won’t immediately see edits that other people make and they won’t see yours immediately — there will be a lag. So it’s always best, when possible, to have the strongest connection possible when collaborating.

If your document is stored in your personal OneDrive, the Share pane shows a list of all people currently collaborating on the workbook or who have been given access to it. If you don’t see the Share pane, click the Share button at the top of the screen to open it.

Double-click any name in the pane, and a screen appears that lets you communicate with them as you work. Email is always available, although that’s not particularly useful for simultaneous collaboration, since back-and-forth may take a while. Instant messaging and making voice calls using VoIP are available, but only via Skype and only if both of you are signed into Skype while you’re working on the document. Click the three-dot icon to the right of their email address, and you’ll be able to add the person to your address book, schedule a meeting with them, and add them to your favorites.

If the Share pane distracts you, click the X on its upper right and it goes away. To make it appear again, click the Share button at the top of the screen.

As noted previously, if your workbook is stored in SharePoint or OneDrive for Business, you won’t have a Share pane. But you can still see who has access to the file by clicking the Share button. In the Send Link screen that opens, click the three-dot icon in the upper right and select Manage Access to see a list of people who can access the file. Here you can change edit/view permissions, revoke someone’s access, or remove the sharing link altogether.

Search to get tasks done quickly

A very useful addition to Word 2016 was called Tell Me — basically, an enhanced search feature for finding commands in Word. Now renamed simply Search, it’s extremely helpful when you want to do a task that you haven’t done before or have forgotten how to do.

To use it, click in the Search box — for some Office 365 subscribers, it’s located on the Ribbon to the right of all the tab headers; for others, it’s above the Ribbon in the blue title area. (Keyboard fans can instead press Alt-Q to go to the Search box.) Type in a task, and you’ll get a list of possible matches. Click the task you want to get instructions on how to do it.

For example, I typed “address an envelope” and chose the “Envelope” result, and the screen you use for addressing envelopes appeared. When I typed in the more general query “write an essay,” it popped up a link to Word’s Researcher feature that lets you do research from right within Word, add sources from the research you find, and then cite the sources in the document properly. If you type in a query and hover your mouse over a result instead of clicking it, you’ll see a screen describing what you can do if you click the results.

It’s a big time-saver, because you don’t have to hunt through the Ribbon to find the command you want. And it remembers the features you've previously selected in the box, so when you click in it, you first see a list of previous tasks you've searched for. That way, tasks that you frequently perform are always within easy reach.

Search is gaining more capabilities, too. Some users of enterprise and education editions of Office 365 are now able to use the Search box to find people in their organization, SharePoint resources, and other personalized results from within Word. (These features are being rolled out in stages, so you might not have them yet.)

How to fix Windows update error 0x8024a000 in a few steps

 This software will fix common computer errors, protect you from file loss, malware, hardware failures and optimize your PC for maximum performance. Fix PC problems and remove viruses in 3 simple steps:

• Download this excellent PC repair tool from TrustPilot.com.
• Click Start Scan to find Windows problems that may be caused by PC problems.
• Click Repair All to solve problems with patented technologies (special discounts for our readers).

When you get the error code 0x8024a000, remember that it is related to Windows Update. When you try to update Windows from Microsoft site, you can see it.

There is nothing wrong with using the latest features and technologies. This error may be caused by an interruption in the connection between your computer and the Windows Update server.

To solve this problem, note that initially, a lost Internet connection can also cause the reception of error 0x8024a000 that you are currently trying to correct. The list extends to faulty hardware components, a system infected with malware, file corruption, and more.

You can try to fix this Windows Update error yourself. However, it is recommended to follow the advice of experts to simplify the process. Look for a solution here and you will not be disappointed.

How can I get rid of Windows Update error 0x8024a000?

1. Exclude faulty cable, router or modem

Check your modem, router, cable, etc. To ensure that all these components are working properly. You should also reboot the router and try to complete the update again.

If there is nothing cloudy here, please proceed to the next step.

2. Run an antivirus scan

What to do if your system is infected with malware? Also, eliminate this possibility by running a Windows Defender program built into your PC to scan for malware or viruses.

If it identifies the malware, then you should remove it from your PC and return what you were doing when you received the error code.

Need help with that? We have listed the best virus removal tools for Windows 10 to choose from.

3. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

• Type troubleshooting in the Windows search bar.
• Click Troubleshooting.
• Then, in the left pane of the window, select Show All.
• Alternatively, you can select Start> Settings> Updates and Security> Troubleshooting.
• Select Windows Update from the Computer Troubleshooting list.
• Follow the on-screen instructions and answer any specific questions.
• Run Windows Update Troubleshooting.
• Then restart your PC.

Let us keep this scenario in mind as well. Corrupted download or incomplete installation of the Windows Update software is causing this error. The same goes for possible overload or deleted system registry files of the operating system.

We just showed you above how to let the Windows Update troubleshooter do all this. At the end of the process, try to install updates that were not fully installed before.

Can not open the Settings app? Take a look at this article to fix the problem.

4. Clean the Windows Update temporary cache folder

• Press the Win + R keyboard shortcut key, then type services.msc.
• Press enter.
• A new window will open on your system containing all Windows services. Find Windows Update.
• Right-click on it.
• After this click on the Stop button.
• You are now ready to clean the Windows Update Temporary Cache folder, so hold down your Windows key and press the R key at the same time.
• A new window will then appear, so type% Windir% SoftwareDistributionDataStore.
• Click OK.
• This will open Windows Explorer. Now you can delete the entire contents of the given folder.

If the above troubleshooter does not work, you may suspect that the problem is related to a corrupted old Windows update that is being downloaded to your system.

Refer to the procedure described here to clear the temporary cache folder. Then you can go back to Windows Services.

Find Windows Update, right-click on it and choose Start. In this way, your problem should be solved now.

5. Run Deployment Image Servicing and Management

• Press the Windows key + X, then choose Command Prompt (Administration).
• Enter the following command in cmd: DISM.exe / online / cleanup-image / restore.
• Press enter.
• After the process is complete, type the following in cmd: sfc / scannow.
• Let the system file checker run.
• Finally, restart your PC.

If you are having trouble accessing the command prompt as an administrator, you will have a better look at this guide.

If the error is corrected, then running DISM is now your best bet.

DISM.exe / online / cleanup-image / restore command
Does not work, try typing it instead:

Dism / Image: C: offline / Cleanup-Image / RestoreHealth / Source: c: testmountwindows
Dism / Online / Cleanup-Image / RestoreHealth / Source: c: testmountwindows / LimitAccess
Looks like everything loses when DISM fails on Windows? Check out this quick guide and get rid of worries.

Another effective solution is to reinstall Windows 10. This method should be used as a last resort because it can sacrifice your data and all applications on your drive.

We hope that our suggestions have proved useful in trying to get a new download for the update and reinstall it. now you can fix Windows update error 0x8024a000

If you still have other questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.