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Category: Microsoft 365

Clean up your digital clutter with OneDrive

Digital storage options are endless, but keeping your files organized can feel like an overwhelming task. With OneDrive, you can simplify your digital life, easily access files from any device, and collaborate seamlessly. Here’s how you can clean up your digital clutter and make the most of OneDrive’s features.

Centralize Your Files

One of the most effective ways to start reducing digital clutter is by organizing all your files in one place. OneDrive acts as a centralized hub for your documents, photos, and videos, allowing you to store everything safely online. Say goodbye to scattered files on different devices.

Leverage Automatic Syncing Continue reading “Clean up your digital clutter with OneDrive”

How to Use Microsoft Loop and Teams to manage projects

Start a Loop component to brainstorm and track project work with your team. Everyone’s changes appear in real time.

Group work can get messy, but it doesn’t have to. Microsoft Loop and Teams help streamline feedback, keep updates organized, and bring your team together—all without the inbox overload.

Create a task list in Microsoft Teams

  1. Open Teams and go to the channel or chat where your team is working.
  2. Start a new post.
  3. Give your message a subject.
  4. In the bottom-left corner, click the Loop icon.
  5. At the bottom, click Task List.
  6. Start adding tasks.
  7. Send the message.

Now your team can see the task list and add comments or updates right inside Teams.

Automate weekly email reminders with Power Automate

Do you have to send the same emails over and over? Automate it with Power Automate. If you’ve ever spent a Friday afternoon tracking down project updates or rewriting the same summary email, this is for you.

Set Up a Reminder with Power Automate

  1. Open Power Automate.
  2. Click Create > Scheduled cloud flow.
  3. Give it a name.
  4. Choose the frequency you want the email to be sent.
  5. Click Create.
  6. Click the + action button.
  7. Search for Send an email.
  8. Fill in the email and then on the top navigation, click Save.

Note: It is recommended to send it to yourself first to ensure it works properly.

Automate tasks in Outlook using Power Automate

When you connect Outlook to Power Automate, you’re no longer limited to sorting emails or setting up basic rules. You’re building smart workflows that respond, organize, and collaborate for you. Here are a few ways Power Automate can turn your inbox into a productivity hub:

  • Trigger workflows across your favorite tools.
    Move beyond Outlook’s borders by connecting emails to Teams, Excel, SharePoint, OneDrive and more. You can set up flows that automatically create tasks, log data, or send updates, all from a single email.

  • Handle multi-step processes with ease.
    Instead of applying one action to one rule, flows can follow a full path. For example,  an email arrives from a key contact, the attachment is saved to OneDrive, a flag is set, and a message is sent to your team in Teams.

  • Schedule automations to work for you.
    Want to send yourself a weekly digest of flagged emails every Friday at 3 p.m.? Power Automate can handle that. No more setting calendar reminders or pulling info manually..

  • Build seamless approval workflows.
    Power Automate allows you to build structured approval processes that go far beyond manual forwarding. Whether it’s a request form or a policy update, your inbox can trigger a full review cycle.

  • Create smarter alerts and notifications.
    Instead of relying on inbox rules or pop-ups, set up custom alerts via Teams, push notifications or mobile text when critical messages arrive.

Automate sending a prewritten email 

While Outlook templates are helpful, they do have their limitations. One example is that you can’t put in a subject line or add attachments. Here’s how you can use Power Automate to solve the Outlook template problem. This version sends a ready-to-go email with a subject line, message body, and file attachment—all automatically.

The following is a flow created from scratch, but there are many templates you can choose from to speed up this process.

Continue reading “Automate tasks in Outlook using Power Automate”

Excel tricks that save time

Excel is full of tiny features that can save you time, reduce frustration and make your data look sharp. Whether you’re formatting a budget or organizing project details, these tips will help you work faster.

Select everything all at once

Press Ctrl + A to select all the data in a sheet or click the tiny box in the upper-left corner of the sheet (above the row numbers, left of the column letters).

Paint Cells With Format Painter

Easily copy formatting styles by using the Format Painter.

On the Home tab, click the Paintbrush button. Click the cell where you want to copy the formatting from and then click the cell you want to apply the formatting to.

AutoFill 

Type a few entries and then use the AutoFill handle( small + at the bottom-right of the cell) to drag and extend the pattern.

Text to Columns to break up data

Separate text data into multiple columns.

  1. Select the column.
  2. Go to Data > Text to Columns.
  3. Seltec your separator: Delimited or Fixed Width.

Paste Special to Transpose

Convert rows to columns or columns to rows.

  1. Copy that data and then select Edit>Paste Special.
  2. Check the Transpose box and then click OK.


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Collaborate with Loop Workspaces in Teams

Loop workspaces in Microsoft Teams channels make it easy to bring shared content and conversations together. With just a few clicks, you can:

  • Brainstorm, co-create, organize, and manage content in one space.
  • Give all channel members access to the workspace, automatically updating as team membership changes.
  • Keep everything aligned with the channel topic and workflow.

How to add a Loop Workspace tab to a Teams Channel

  1. Select the plus sign (+) at the top of your Teams channel.
  2. Search for Loop in the app list.
  3. Click the Loop app icon, then select Save.
  4. Name your workspace and click Create
  5. Start creating as usual.

Tips for using Loop Workspaces in Teams Continue reading “Collaborate with Loop Workspaces in Teams”

Accessibility tools in Microsoft 365

Accessibility isn’t just a checkbox. It’s a commitment to connection—ensuring everyone can contribute, learn and thrive.

Microsoft 365 supports that goal with powerful, built-in features that make content better for everyone. These tools don’t just improve how things look. They help your message land in ways that are meaningful, usable and inclusive.

The following are accessibility features in Microsoft 365.

Accessibility Checker

This is your built-in sidekick in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more. It flags issues like missing alt text, low-contrast text and reading order. Think of it as spellcheck but for inclusive design.

Try it: Go to Review > Check Accessibility.

Immersive Reader

Immersive Reader enhances reading comprehension by breaking text into manageable pieces. It can adjust spacing, highlight syllables, read aloud and even translate into other languages.

Try it: Found in Word, Outlook and OneNote. Just look for the Immersive Reader icon under the View menu. Continue reading “Accessibility tools in Microsoft 365”

How to get more out of OneNote

Microsoft OneNote isn’t just a note-taking app—it’s a flexible tool that can help you stay organized and get more done. Whether you’re managing research, meeting notes or to-do lists, these tips will take your skills to the next level.

Create Section Groups to Stay Organized

Section groups keep related sections together. A section group can hold as many sections as you want, along with all their pages, so you won’t lose a thing.

  1. Right-click in the notebook panel.
  2. Click New Section Group and give it a name.
  3. Click Add Section to create a subsection under the group name.
  4. Continue adding as many subsections as needed.

This feature is only available in the desktop apps.  Continue reading “How to get more out of OneNote”

Quick access to Teams Chat, OneNote feed, Day Calendar and To Do in Outlook

On the top Outlook menu bar, you can quickly access Teams chats, your OneNote feed, your day calendar and To Do.

 

 

Teams Chat

If you click the Teams Chat icon, Outlook will display your most recent chats and also give you an option of opening Teams.

OneNote feed

Turn on the OneNote feed

If you click the OneNote icon, your most recently edited notes for your current account will display. You can search for Notes or add additional notes.

Drop a note from the OneNote feed into an Outlook email message

  1. If the OneNote feed isn’t already showing, click the OneNote feed icon on the main Outlook toolbar near the upper right side of your browser.
  2. Click + New message to create a new email message.
  3. In your OneNote feed, click and hold the note you want, and then drag and drop the note into the email message you’re composing.


Want more tech tips to boost your day-to-day? Bookmark the
IT News blog and follow us on Twitter @KStateIT
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Maintain formatting consistency in Word documents by using Styles

Word Styles are a predefined combination of fonts, sizes, colors, and spacing that you can apply to your text with one click. Instead of manually formatting each section of your document, you apply a style to headings, subheadings, body text, and more. This standardizes your formatting and creates a cohesive look.

The following are some of the benefits of using styles:

  • Consistency across documents – One of the biggest benefits of using Word Styles is ensuring consistency across all of your documents.
  • Saves time – Using styles saves you time by not having to manually apply formatting in your documents.
  • Easily generate a table of contents – Using styles allows you to generate a table of contents. Word can recognize your headings and automatically organize them into a clickable list, helping readers jump to specific sections without scrolling through the entire document.
  • Global updates – If you need to change the appearance of your entire document—like switching to a different font or adjusting heading colors—you can do so easily with Word Styles. Instead of updating each section manually, simply modify the style, and Word will update all instances of that style in the document.
  • Supports collaboration – When multiple people are working on the same document, using Word Styles ensures everyone adheres to the same formatting rules. This keeps the document uniform, no matter how many people are involved.
  • Customizable to your needs – While Word comes with built-in styles, you can also customize them to match your specific needs. This flexibility allows you to create documents that align with your unique preferences.

To learn more, see Microsoft’s article on how to customize or create new styles.