tips & tricks
Excel
Tips
Tricks
AUGUST 2017
WINDOWS & OFFICE
01 Windows
Browse Windows with shortcuts
Windows can be operated very effectively
with the help of clever shortcuts. This
is also applicable to switching between
opened windows with the help of the
following three shortcuts.
[Alt] + [Tab]: after pressing this shortcut,
a small overlay appears in the centre of
the screen, in which you can see all the
active windows. Holding onto the [Alt]
key and tapping [Tab] will allow you to
scroll through the active windows. Once
you release the [Alt] key, the selected
window will open.
[Windows] + [Tab]: this shortcut opens a
slightly larger view compared to the [Alt]
method. To scroll through the windows,
let go of the [Windows] key and scroll
using [Tab], once you reach your desired
tab, just hit the [Enter] key.
[Ctrl] + [Tab]: if you have opened multiple
instances of a single programme, you can
switch between them using this shortcut.
This function can be used, e.g. in case
of multiple opened tabs or windows in
Firefox or Google Chrome.
Windows 10
02 Disable
unauthorised logging-off
the computer
If your computer is repeatedly logging off
independently in Windows 10, it is time
to find out the cause of this annoying
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02
Change your Settings to "Never” to stop automatic
PC sleep
behaviour. To do this, you first need to
open the Control Panel and navigate
to "Appearance and Personalisation |
Personalisation | Change Screen Saver”.
Ensure that no screen saver is selected
and the checkbox for "On resume,
display logon screen” is not checked. In
addition, take a look in the "Settings |
Power & Sleep”. All the options should
be set to "Never” there. If this is already
the case, open the Control Panel again,
go to "Hardware and Sound | Power
Options” and select "High performance”.
To eliminate a virus attack, also start a
search run of your virus scanner. Finally,
check the auto-start programmes under
the "Startup” tab in the Task-Manager.
Ensure that only known programmes
appear there. Software that you do not
know or seems to be suspicious must be
deactivated immediately.
03 Rule out incorrect entries with data
validation
03
Validate your data easily with "Data Validation”
With the help of "Data validation”, you
can allow only specific values as entries
in cells in Excel. This helps you ensure,
at the time of data recording itself,
that incorrect entries are not made at
all – this is particularly helpful if multiple
people are editing one file. Select a cell
or an area that Excel should check at
the time of entering data. Subsequently,
navigate to the task bar or to the ribbon
to "Data | Data Tools | Data Validation”.
In the next window, specify the criteria
for the validation under the "Settings”
tab. In the "Allow” field, select between
"Whole number”, "Decimal”, "List”, "Date”,
"Time”, "Text length” and "Custom”.
04 Windows 10
Save website in a selected folder
Even in Internet Explorer, one had to first
trace the "File” menu to be able to save
websites in a specific folder. You get
access to it in Internet Explorer using the
"Tools” button right above. After selecting
the "File” entry in the following window,
you reach the "Save As …” command.
Clicking it opens the "Save Website”
window where you can specify any folder
as the storage location. In Edge, the
successor of the Internet Explorer, you
need to take a detour. You first need to
press the "More” button there with the
three points right above. In the drop-
down box, scroll up to the "Open with
Internet Explorer” entry and repeat the
"Tools | File | Save As …” path. You can

04
You can easily specify where to you want to place your downloaded files in
at least individually specify the default
storage location for downloads in Edge.
Via "More”, open the "Settings”, navigate
in the following window below to the
"Advanced Settings” and click the "View
Advanced Settings” button. An alternative
storage location can be selected in the
"Downloads” area using the "Change”
button.
Word
05 Subscript and superscript numbers
in the text program
You need to occasionally write subscript
numbers in Word, e.g. in case of
05
Validate your data easily with "Data Validation”
chemical molecular formulas or company
names such as "O2”. To do this, type
the number as usual, select it and open
the "Home” tab. In the menu ribbon,
select the "Font” field and click the "x2
(subscript)” icon in the centre of the field.
The selected number will now appear
as a subscript. If you need superscript
numbers, e.g. for indicating comments,
you can continue to remain in the "Font”
field. Select the number that Word is
supposed to superscript, and press the
"x2 (superscript)” button.
tips & tricks
each case, it will lead to the optimum
Windows 10 power settings via the "Power Plan” of
06 Calibrate screen
using built-in
your Windows-10 computer. To check it,
enter "Power options” in the search field
tools of the start menu and subsequently click
the search result. Alternatively, you can
You do not require also right-click the Windows icon and
additional software to select the corresponding entry there.
adjust your monitor The "Recommended” option is set there
in Windows 10. For by default for a compromise between
example, if you wish performance and power consumption,
to activate the "High while the "Power saver” plan is used
Contrast” function, to extend battery life. This mode turns
press the keyboard off the screen earlier for instance and
shortcut [Shift] + [Alt] sends the computer to the Standby
+ [Print Screen] and mode sooner. To customise the power
answer "Do you want to turn on High plan of Windows 10, click the "Change
Contrast?” by clicking "Yes”. You can start plan settings” link. In the following
06
Swap to and from High Contrast mode easily with a shortcut combination
a complete "Power plan settings” window, you can
optimisation now change the specified times or also
run that also completely turn off different options. You
comprises the can then stop the screen from turning
gamma values off completely. After clicking "Save
using the changes”, your entries are activated
Windows-10 immediately.
tool "Screen You can see additional setting options
Colour under "Edit plan settings” by clicking
Calibration”. "Change advanced power settings”. For
After pressing the shortcut example, you can decide at this point
[Windows] + [R], enter "dccw.exe” in whether the hard disk should log off
the "Run” window and press "OK”. Now after a specific time without any activity
follow the wizard in the "Screen Colour by the user. This saves power; however,
Calibration” window. you must then always factor in a few
seconds of waiting time for the start-up
of the storage medium. Use the "Power
Windows 10 buttons and lid settings” option to
7 Optimise power options in line with
the intended use
specify what should happen on closing
the lid of the notebook or on pressing
the power button. You can choose
By optimising the power options in between "Shut down”, "Hibernate”,
Windows 10, you can significantly extend "Turn off the display” and "Do nothing”.
the battery runtime of your notebook and Windows shifts notebooks to ‘Hibernate’
on the other hand, you can get maximum after three hours of inactivity –
performance out of your desktop PC. In irrespective of the notebook being ‘On
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 tips & tricks

09
Using the console tool REGsvr32 will allow you to
07
register your new DLL files into the system
Optimise your power options on PC or Laptop

battery’ or ‘Plugged in’. If you wish to
turn this off, you will find the "Hibernate
after” option in "Power plan”; select
"Never” there. Confirm your changes by
clicking "OK”. By pressing the "Restore
default settings To do this plan” link, you
can undo all changes.
8 Word
Modify font effects using a shortcut
[D] after selecting the text passage will
nevertheless open the "Font” window.
Now move to the tab of the same name
using the touchpad in the "Effects” field,
place a checkmark in front of the first
option "Strikethrough” and confirm by
clicking "OK”.
Windows
9 Register DLL file using a console
tool
the DLL, press the shortcut [Windows]
+ [R]. The "Run” window will now open
in which you need to enter "cmd”. The
Windows console will open after clicking
"OK”. Enter the "regsvr32 C:\Windows\
System32\Test.dll” command there and
press [Enter]. The command line tool
Regsvr32 will now register the DLL file.
When entering the name, replace "Test.
dll” with the name of the DLL file to be
registered.

To strike through individual words or

text sections in Word, you usually select
the text passage, select the "Font”
group in the menu ribbon and press the
"Strikethrough” button. However, if you
are working on a notebook without a
mouse connected to it, you would find it
easier to do this using a shortcut. There
is no direct shortcut to strike through
text in Word; but the shortcut [Ctrl] +
08
You can also enable "Strikethrough” via Font Menu under the Home tab in Microsoft
Word if you have easy access using a mouse
DLL files (Dynamic-Link Library) are
important elements of the operating 10 Excel
Retrieve the lost taskbar
system. During the installation of
programmes, you may come across cases If you are missing the taskbar or
where the application requires a specific multifunction bar in Excel, it can be due
DLL. You need to download it, copy to two reasons. At best, you might have
it in the system and register it. After minimised it inadvertently. To display
downloading, the DLL is generally saved the taskbar again, click the small arrow
as a ZIP file on the computer. Unzip it at the top left in the toolbar. This will
and copy it open the quick settings for the menu.
to the target The least probable option – "Minimise
directory. In multifunction bar” – is activated there.
Windows, most By clicking this entry, you can view the
of the DLL files taskbar again. In Excel 2016, You can
are saved on trigger the minimisation by pressing the
"C:\Windows\ small arrow button to the extreme right
System”. If an in the menu ribbon. Subsequently, the
older version arrow button will disappear so that the
of the file menu ribbon can only be displayed using
is already the [Ctrl] + [F1] shortcut.
available, If the taskbar or the menu ribbon
replace it. As is still missing, there is an error in the
a precaution, Excel settings. Close all the programmes
you can copy and check in the TaskManager whether
the old DLL to the MS-Office operations have stopped
your desktop. completely. Then search for the "com.
Then, restart microsoft.Excel.prefs.plist” file. It will
your computer. mostly be located in the "Preferences
To register | Office 2010” folder (or another Office

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10
Retrieve your minimised menu ribbon using Ctrl + F1
version). Drag the file to the desktop
and restart Excel. If you can now access
the taskbar, delete the file copied on the
desktop; otherwise you need to reinstall
office.
11 PowerPoint
Brighten up presentations by
inserting images
PowerPoint presentations are much more
visually appealing if they contain images
on the slides rather than just text.
Illustration can be done easily. Open the
PowerPoint file and select a slide. Then,
activate the "Insert” tab and click the
"Images” button. In the "Insert graphics”
window, you have access to every photo
that is saved on your hard disk. Select
an image, press the "Insert” button and
the photo will appear in the PowerPoint
slide. You can also drag an image from
the desktop or a folder using the mouse
into the slide. Subsequently, place the
photo at the desired point and adjust
the size at the corners if necessary.
The "Format” tab that has now opened
contains options for effects, borders and
alignments. Use the "Crop” button in the
"Size” field to bring the image into the
correct shape.
11
Spice up your presentations with images
tips & tricks
13 Windows
Repair corrupted system files using
a console tool
Windows 10
12 Activate the Favourites bar in
Microsoft Edge
In the new browser Edge, you can
13
activate the Favourites bar just like in
Repairing corrupted system files
Internet Explorer. Start Edge, click the
"More” icon to the top right with the
three dots and select the "Settings”
The error message "0x8000ffff
(E_UNEXPECTED)” appears in Windows
entry. Activate the "Show Favourites bar”
usually after updates or system restores.
option there. You can now drag individual
Corrupted system files are generally
bookmarks to the Favourites bar and
responsible To do this error. To repair
save them there. In "Import Favourites”,
the system files, you first need to open
you can also transfer bookmarks from
the command prompt with administrator
another browser into Microsoft Edge.
rights. To do this, enter "Command
prompt” in the Windows search window
in the start menu.
After right-clicking
the search result,
call the "Run as
Administrator”
context command.
Now enter "sfc /
scannow” in
the console and
press [Enter]. The
Windows service
programme sfc
(System File
Checker) will then
12
check the system
Easily access your favourite sites on Microsoft Edge
files for integrity
and replace
corrupted files with a buffered copy. You
can then use the DISM tool (Deployment
Image Servicing and Management) to
carry out further repairs to the Windows
image. To do this, enter the "Dism /
Online /Cleanup-Image /Scan Health”
command, followed by the "Dism /
Online /Cleanup-Image /Check- Health”
and "Dism /Online /Cleanup- Image /
RestoreHealth” commands.
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 tips & tricks
14 Word
Activate and setup hyphenation
Since Word 2007, Microsoft has
deactivated the hyphenation feature by
default. If you think that it’s important
that the text programme separates the
words automatically at the end of the
line if required, to maintain a harmonious
type face without major breaks, a few
steps need to be carried out. You first
need to open the "Layout” tab and select
the "Page Setup” field in the menu
ribbon. After clicking the "Hyphenation”
option, the relevant menu expands, in
which you need to select the "Automatic”
option. You can specify additional details
in "Hyphenation Options ...”, e.g. ‘Limit
consecutive hyphens to’; we recommend
3.
14
Reenable the deactivated Hyphenation on Microsoft Word
15 Windows
Secure folders with a password
In Windows 7 and Windows 10, it is
not very easy to protect folders with a
15
Secure important files/folders with passwords Using WinRAR
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16
Using Notes, you can now enter notes that can only be seen by you during presentation
password. However, this process is still
quite uncomplicated if you use a small
tool. We use the data compression tool
WinRAR (http://www.rarlab.com/) for
setting up the password protection. After
installing the tool, open it and navigate
to the folder that you want to protect
with a password. Now,
right-click the folder and
call the "Add to archive”
command from the context
menu. Then press the "Set
password …” button and
enter a preferably safe
password. After you have
re-entered it, confirm the
process by clicking "OK”
and close the second
window with "OK”. WinRAR
then compresses the
archive, which can then be
opened and unzipped in future only after
entering the correct password.
16 PowerPoint
Add hidden speaker notes to the
presentation
With the help of hidden notes, you can
conduct a PowerPoint presentation and
still have the most important key words
at your disposal at all times, should you
lose your key points suddenly. To create
the hidden speaker notes, open your
presentation, click the "View” tab and
press the "Notes” button. This opens a
new window with an additional text field
in the lower half. Now enter your speaker
notes in this field. Here, you need to
ensure that the text is formatted in a
way that you can easily read during the
presentation, without anybody noticing
it. It is thus recommended that the
notes are formatted with a sufficiently
big font size and are in bold and bullets
are used as well. After selecting the
notes, PowerPoint immediately offers
you the most important formatting
options; after right-clicking the selected
text, the context menu shows additional
options. Once you have formatted your
speaker notes, go back to the "View” tab
and press "Normal”. Your notes are now
linked to the slide, in order to restrict it
to only you – and not even your audience
– seeing the speaker notes, you also
need to change the view in PowerPoint.
To do this, connect the projector to your
notebook and select the "Expand View”
option. Then, open PowerPoint and go to
the "Slide Show” view and press the "Set
Up Slide Show” button. Under "Multiple
Monitors”, select the "Show on Monitor
2” option and click "Use Presenter View”.
The moment you start your presentation,
your audience will see the full-size
presentation; you, on the other hand,
will also see a smaller section with the
speaker notes.
 tips & tricks

HARDWARE
18 PlayStation 4
Allow the console to download
mode, such as downloading games.
After you have started downloading the
games in standby mode
17 External hard disk
Operate an undetected drive
games, press the PS button for at least
one second and select "Enter Standby
Mode”. PlayStation 4 will then turn off
If you connect an external hard disk to the screen and the console will require
your computer as a backup for important less power. To leave the Standby mode,
data, it is possible that Windows could press the Power or PS button. The
not detect the drive and accessing it indicator light will then flash blue and
is not possible. In this case, you first subsequently light up in white.
need to check whether the drive letter is
allocated correctly. To do this, open the
Windows start menu, enter "Computer
Management” in the search field and 19 External hard disk
Restore inadvertently deleted data
confirm with [Enter]. Now click in the using a recovery tool
left menu below "Storage” on "Disk 18
Management”, on which you can view all Let your PS4 download games when you sleep on
Standby Mode When deleting something on an external
the disks connected to the PC. Search hard disk, you might accidentally delete
for the external hard disk, right-click it the incorrect data. If you react fast in
and call the context command "Change To save power, such a situation, the damage can still
Drive Letter and Paths”. To assign a you can download
drive letter to the external hard disk, games onto your
click "Add” and select an alphabet in the PlayStation 4 in
expanded menu. There can also be other Standby Mode.
potential causes for the non-detection of You first need to
an external hard disk. For instance, the check the settings
drive is possibly not connected correctly for standby mode.
or the USB port is faulty. Therefore, try To do this, open
connecting the hard disk to the other the "Power Saver
USB ports of your PC. Finally, the drive Settings” and call
itself could be faulty. Hence, ensure the "Adjust the
whether the little lamp on the device functions available
lights up or whether you can hear any in Standby mode”
significant noise. command. You can
now decide what
the PlayStation
4 is supposed to 19
execute in Hibernate Using Recuva to recover deleted data

be contained. Immediately abort all data

transfers to the external hard disk, as
this reduces the probability of the data
being overwritten. During the deletion,
the system marks the storage space as
free to overwrite, it's only when new data
is transferred that the file there would
be gone. If that hasn't happened, the
use of a recovery tool such as Recuva
(on https://www.piriform.com/recuva)
is worth trying. It searches for files that
are marked as deleted, but have still
not been overwritten. Install Recuva on
your computer and connect the hard
disk containing the deleted data. Open
the tool and select the relevant drive.
Recuva now searches for the files that
17 can be restored. After the search is
Figure out the error plaguing your undetected drives complete, place a checkmark in front of

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 tips & tricks
the files that you want to restore and
press "Restore …”. If the external hard
disk makes scraping or clattering sounds
while starting, you should immediately
remove it. A 'head crash' is responsible
for these sounds in most cases – a
collision of the write-read head with the
hard disk. In such cases, it is advisable to
use a data recovery service if important
data has been affected.
WEB, TOOLS, PHOTO
20 Photography
Add individual captions to images
Whether for presentations or websites,
a caption automatically puts the focus
on photos. You don’t even need an
image editing programme such as Gimp
or Photoshop for the captioning. This
is because, this job can also be carried
out using a free of charge Web tool.
Pixlr Express (pixlr.com/express) is a
very convenient solution. For the tool to
work, you need the free of charge Adobe
Flash Player (on https://get.adobe.com/
flashplayer/). On the homepage, you
can decide whether you want to upload
a photo from your PC ("Browse”) or
import it from a website ("Open URL”).
After you have opened the photo that
you want to caption, click "Type”. Seven
buttons will now appear with typefaces
from "Dotted” to "Grunge”, "Handwritten”,
"Novelty”, "Retro” and "Sans” to "Serif”.
By clicking an entry, you can decide on
20
Pixlr allows you to add captions to your pictures
online
124 august 17 chip malaysia
the desired typeface. A menu
ribbon will now open in the
lower area, through which
you can now change the font,
alignment and colour, as well
as enter your caption in the
field that states "Type your
text here ...”. Subsequently
move the textbox to the
desired point in the image
and save the changes by
clicking "Apply”. Finally, press
"Save” at the top left in the
web application, decide on a
storage folder and confirm
21
Stream YouTube videos on VLC Media with an easy command
your selection with "Save”.
21 YouTube
Solve problems during YouTube
streaming using the VLC Media 22 Flight Tracker
Monitor the global airspace using
Player clever Web services
If you play back YouTube videos with the Tracing the route of aeroplanes and
VLC Media Player, you may encounter obtaining varied information about it
problems occasionally. However, they has become extremely easy thanks
are relatively easy to resolve. You first to the Internet. The biggest web
need to check whether the Firewall or platforms for aeroplane tracking are
your anti-virus software is blocking currently Flightradar24, RadarBox24 and
the VLC Player. If so, turn off both the Flightaware. The services ascertain the
features temporarily. If the YouTube flight position either via ADS-B Data
streaming starts working after this, add live or via FAA Data with a five-minute
the VLC Player to the Firewall or the delay. Which of the two standards is
anti-virus software as an exception. To used depends on the respective airline.
rule out problems, you should always To start the flight search, first you need
use the latest version of the VLC Player to enter the flight number in the search
(on https://www.videolan.org/vlc/). You field. You can find out this as well as the
should also ensure that the video of departure and destination airport on the
your choice is not set to "Private” and website of the airlines – or with a simple
is available in all countries. The entry of Google search. The flight trackers also
an incorrect video URL also quite often inform you what is currently going on at
prevents it from starting. Prevent this a random airport. To do this, enter its
by right-clicking in the video and calling IATA code in the search bar, for example
the "Copy Video-
URL” command.
Subsequently, add
this link to the
"Network” tab in the
"Open Media” window
of the VLC-Player
("Media > Open
Network Stream”). In
stubborn situations,
it can be helpful to
replace "https” with
"http” in the Video-
URL, before you open
the video with the 22
VLC-Player. Track the flight of your loved ones using Flightradar24

"KUL” for the KLIA. Other interesting
information that you can access online
are like the average delay on the flight
route, the time on the runway, photos
of the aeroplane, as well as speed and
flying altitude.
23 Photography
Use the flash in the Sony compact
camera flexibly
Normally, the flash in compact cameras
is firmly directed forwards. This has the
disadvantage of blinding any opposing
view and gives attention to interfering
highlights in the subjects occasionally.
Sony’s compact cameras RX100, RX100
III, RX100 IV and RX100V, however,
offer more flexible flash options. This is
because their flash is mounted flexibly,
though only so that it disappears smartly
into the housing. However, this design
can also be used to pull the flash back a
little when taking photos using the index
finger. Almost like the pros, you can then
23
Using a finger trick to redirect the flash on your
Sony camera
aim the light at the ceiling with the small
Sony model and illuminate the room
diffusely. The compact camera obviously
cannot produce the same amount of light
of a professional flash, but the index
finger trick is certainly much better than
aiming the light directly at subjects.
However, this does not work in the
successor model of RX100 - RX100 II aka
RX100 M2.
URL shortener
24 Shorten lengthy Internet links to a
convenient size
Links of websites such as YouTube are
generally very long and unmanageable.
24
Shorten pesky long URLs
A URL shortener reduces gigantic
links quickly and reliably. The most
popular link shortener is called bit.
ly (http://www.bit.ly/). You need to
copy the original URL in the field on
the homepage and will get a shortened
version with just one click. Bit.ly can also
be linked to services such as Tweetdeck
to maintain Twitter accounts with it.
With goo.gl (https://goo.gl/), the search
machine giant also has a URL shortener
in its portfolio. The online tool works like
bit.ly. You can use the service to create
shortlinks; however, additional functions
are also available if desired. If you are
logged in with your Google account, the
tool shows you all the short links created
in the past.
25 Photoshop
Enlarge photos without
compromising the quality
With Photoshop, you can enlarge photos
without any blocks or blurs in the picture
and design a beautiful poster from
small photo templates as well. Before
you enlarge the image, first remove all
the noise using "Filter | Noise | Reduce
Noise”. Subsequently, go to "Image |
25
Enlarge your photos and reduce noise on enlarged pictures using Adobe Photoshop in a few steps
tips & tricks
Image Size” to change the size and
resolution. While modifying the size,
update the values for height and width
of the photo. However, you can also
address the pixel dimensions. To do
this, it is best if you make a conversion
from "Pixel” to "Percent”. If necessary,
you should also increase the resolution
to achieve a good result. 300 dpi is
generally a good choice. You can achieve
the best result if you enlarge the image
to the desired dimension in multiple
processes, e.g. in ten-percent steps.
The most important decision in the
settings is the choice of the calculation
algorithm. "Bicubic” is set by default.
However, "Bicubic Smoother” is
significantly better suited because
Photoshop uses it to calculate
intermediate pixels with cross-fading.
Finally, take care of the edges because
enlarged images lead to non-sharp edges
mainly in case of fonts, and the image
appears extremely soft. You can rectify
this using a filter. Open "Filter | Sharpen
| Unsharp Mask”. In the mask, you can
test different values and check the result
in the preview. Higher setting values are
recommended in case of a large aspect
ratio.
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