Decide whether to trust a database (Access 2007)

I have had many questions regarding this topic from a number of users. Now that I've found this article from Microsoft Office Online, I wanted to share.

"Microsoft Office Access 2007 uses a new security model that is simpler than earlier versions. In Access 2007, you indicate whether you trust a database, and all other security decisions are made for you automatically, based on your trust decision. This article contains an overview of how trust works in Access 2007, how it differs from security in earlier versions, and what factors you should consider when you decide whether to trust a database." Read the rest of the article.

Word 2007: Remove Extra Space between Paragraphs

Word 2007 offers many improvements over previous versions of Word. But, the program still has its annoyances. For example, Word 2007 will add a space between paragraphs by default. If you don’t want Word to add the extra space, you can turn it off.

1. On the Home ribbon, in the Paragraph group, click the Paragraph dialog box launcher.
2. Select the check box for Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style.
3. Click the Default… button to apply to all future documents.
4. Click OK.

View a video demonstration.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Access 2007: Hidden Menu in the Navigation Pane

There is a hidden menu in the navigation pane of Access that is quite useful. Right-click the navigation pane title bar and click Search Bar (CTRL+F). The search bar performs a Like *value* filter on the object name. This is really handy if you have a naming convention and want to quickly narrow down the displayed list.

View a video demonstration.

PowerPoint 2007: Guides, where are my Guides???

This one took me months to find. I could turn on the grid, but just could not find where the guides had gone. I often use them when I create greeting cards. The guides become my fold lines so I know which quadrant to put what part into. Yes, I use PowerPoint to make my greeting cards for holidays and birthdays for all my co-workers.

On the Home ribbon, Arrange group, click Grid Settings… (or right-click off the slide and choose Grids and Guides) and select the check box for Display grid on screen (ALT+F9). You can click and drag a guide to move it, or hold down the CTRL key and drag a guide to get additional guides.

View a video demonstration.

Excel 2007: Show percentages with a little color

Percentages interpret your data as smaller parts of a larger piece. This is why pie charts are often a popular way to demonstrate percentages. However, if you want to conserve space and still present an attractive, effective visual of your percentage data, Excel 2007 offers a great alternative.

1. Select the data range (values) to format.
2. On the Home ribbon, Styles group, click the drop-list arrow next to the Conditional Formatting icon.
3. Choose any formatting option in the Data Bars section.

When you apply data bars, the bars visually demonstrate the percentage or number in comparison to the other numbers in the data range, much like a bar chart would. If you widen or contract the column’s width, the data bars remain proportionate.

View a video demonstration.

Word 2007: Use the new Alignment Tab feature to align text with margins

With Word 2007's new Alignment Tab feature you no longer need to adjust tabs when a document's margin changes. Alignment Tabs align data relative to the margin, so if you change the margin, Word realigns the text automatically. By default, Alignment tabs can only be placed in the Header or Footer section of a document (Insert ribbon, Header & Footer group). But, you can use this feature in the body of your document by adding the Insert Alignment Tab command to your Quick Access toolbar.

1. On the Header & Footer Tools, Design ribbon, Position group, click InsertAlignment Tab.
   Right-click the Insert Alignment Tab command and select Add To Quick Access Toolbar.
2. Select the appropriate options for your document and then click OK.
3. Type your tabbed text. Now, if you change the margin size, the tab stops readjust automatically to align with the margins.