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Saturday, October 22, 2011

How to Use Borders in Microsoft Excel

Instant Borders
1. Launch Microsoft Excel and create or open a workbook with some information entered into some cells.
2. Click in a cell that contains information to highlight the cell.
3. Click the 'Home' tab on the tool bar.
4. Click the small pull down arrow to the right of the 'Border' button in the 'Font' group.
5. Click on the desired border style to instantly apply the selected border to the currently highlighted cell. Alternately click on 'No Border' to remove the existing border from the cell, or click on one of the more advanced alternatives from the 'Draw Borders' section of the pull down menu.
Format Cell Borders
6. Click on a single cell to select that cell, or click on a cell and hold the left mouse button down while dragging the mouse across a range of cells and then release the mouse button to select the entire range of cells that is highlighted.
7. Click the small symbol in the lower right corner of the 'Fonts' menu on the 'Home' tab. Alternately right-click on any one of the selected cells and click 'Format Cells' or hold down 'CTRL' and 'Shift,' then press the letter 'F' once and release all keys. This will bring up the 'Cell Properties' dialog box. Click the 'Border' tab.
8. Click on the desired line style for the border. Click on the color pull down box and select a color.
9. Click on the various border buttons along the outside of the preview pane to show what the border would look like if chosen. Click the same button again to toggle the border item off. Click 'OK' to save the settings and apply the border to the work book.

How to Create a Simple Drop

1. Click on the cell in the workbook where you want your drop-down list to appear.
2. Select the 'Data' tab. From the 'Data Tools' menu, click 'Data Validation.' The Data Validation dialog will appear.
3. From the 'Settings' tab, click the 'Down Arrow' and select 'List.'
4. For a simple list, type the items in the Source box in the order you want them to appear in the drop-down, separating them by a comma. Click 'OK.'
5. At the insertion point, click the 'Down Arrow' to display the options, clicking on an option to select it.

How to Change an Active Cell to Another Cell in Excel 2003

1. Open a new or existing file in Microsoft Excel.
2. Click the 'Tools' menu. Click 'Visual Basic Editor' to open the VBA coding editor. Click the 'Insert' menu item and select 'Module.' This option opens a module that 'attaches' to the Excel spreadsheet. The module is the VBA code that runs in the spreadsheet.
3. Type the following code in the module editor:Range('A1').SelectIn this example, the 'A1' cell is activated. Replace this value with your own cell you want to activate. You can also activate a range of cells. For instance, the following code activates cells from A1 to C1:Range('A1:C1').Select
4. Click the 'Close' button to close the VBA editor. Click 'Save' in the Excel toolbar to save the changes to the spreadsheet.

How to Make Assumption Charts in Excel

1. Click the 'Insert' tab and then click 'Header and Footer.' This inserts a header and footer into your document.
2. Type a name for your chart into the header. For example, type 'World Market Information.'
3. Click cell 'B1' and type a heading for column B. For example, you might type 'United States' if you want an assumption chart for world interest rates.
4. Click cell 'C1' and type a column header for column C. For this example, type 'Europe.'
5. Continue entering column titles in row 1, beginning at cell 'D1' until you have entered all of your column titles. In this example, type 'U.K.' into cell 'D1' and then type 'Japan' into cell 'E1.'
6. Click cell 'A2' and type a descriptive name for the row. In the interest rate example, you might type 'Headline inflation.'
7. Click cell 'A3' and type a descriptive name for the next row. For example, type 'Core Inflation.'
8. Continue entering row headers in column A, starting at cell 'A4' and working downward. In this example, type 'GDP' into cell 'A4.'
9. Fill in the information in the rows and columns of your chart. For example, click cell 'B2' and type the headline inflation for the United States.

How to Rename a Legend in Microsoft Excel 2007

Edit Legend Directly
1. Open a Microsoft Excel 2007 document. To rename a legend in Excel, you need an existing document with data and a chart.
2. Select the chart whose legend you want to edit. The 'Chart Tools' will appear in the Ribbon, including the 'Design, Layout and Format' tabs.
3. Click the 'Design' tab. Click 'Select Data' in the 'Data' group. The 'Select Data Source' dialog box appears.
4. Click the legend entry you want to edit listed in the 'Legend Entries (Series)' box. Click 'Edit.' The 'Edit Series' dialog box appears.
5. Select a new worksheet cell you want to use as the legend text by clicking the 'Collapse Dialog Box' button next to 'Series Name' and selecting the cell from your worksheet. Click the button again to go back to the box. Click 'OK.'
6. Type a new name for the legend entry (instead of selecting a worksheet cell). Enter the name in the 'Series Name' field. If you type a new name, the legend won't be linked to a cell entry. Click 'OK.' You'll see the change immediately in the chart legend.
7. Click the 'Microsoft Office Button' and click 'Save as' to save the changes.
Edit Legend Via Worksheet
8. Open the Excel worksheet on which you want to rename a chart legend. Select the worksheet cell that has the same entry as the legend.
9. Type a new name and press 'Enter.' The new name will immediately appear in the chart legend.
10. Click the 'Microsoft Office Button,' and select 'Save as' to save the changes.

Friday, October 21, 2011

How to Calculate the Number of Days Between Dates

Hand Calculation
1. Subtract the year values. If the more recent date is earlier in the year than the other date, subtract 1 from the difference. Multiply the result by 365. Add 1 for each leap year in between the 2 years. A leap year occurs in every year divisible by 4, except years divisible by 100 that are not divisible by 400. Example: 2010 -- 1982 = 28 years * 365 = 10,220 plus 7 (for the leap years 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008) = 10,227.
2. Sum the days in the whole months between the two dates and add to the previous number. For example, from February, 1982, to May, 2010, adds 31 days for March and 30 days for April. Summed to the previous number, that is 10,227 61 = 10,288.
3. Add the days remaining in the earlier month and the days past in the more recent month to the previous total. For example, from February 7, 1982, to May 21, 2010, add 21 days of February and 21 days of May. Summed to the previous number, that is 10,288 42 = 10,330.
Excel Spreadsheet
4. Open an empty spreadsheet and format the first column (A) as a date. Click on the column header. Choose 'Home' from the toolbar, click on the format drop-down list and change the column format from 'General' to 'Date.'
5. Type the more recent date (5/21/2010) in cell A1. Type the earlier date (2/7/1982) in cell A2.
6. Create a formula in cell B2 that performs the subtraction. Type = A1 -- A2 and press 'Enter.' The answer will appear automatically.
Google Documents Spreadsheet
7. Visit http://docs.google.com/. Sign into an existing Google account (gmail, igoogle, etc.) or create a new account.
8. Click the 'Create New' button near the upper left-hand corner and choose 'Spreadsheet' from the drop-down list. Depending on browser and settings, Google will open a blank spreadsheet in a new window or tab.
9. Click on the header of column A to highlight the column. Click on the down arrow next to the '123' in the toolbar and choose 'Date' from the drop-down menu.
10. Type the more recent date (5/21/2010) in cell A1 and the earlier date (2/7/1982) in cell A2.
11. Create a formula in cell B2 to perform the subtraction: type = A1 -- A2 and press 'Enter.' The answer will appear automatically.

How to Import a PDF Into Excel 2007

Turn Off Protected Mode
1. Launch Adobe Reader by clicking 'Start' in the lower-left corner of your screen and typing 'Adobe Reader' in the search field. Click 'Adobe Reader' when it appears in the search results.
2. Click the 'Edit' menu at the top of the screen, and then click 'Preferences.'
3. Select 'General' in the left pane.
4. Click the check box to remove the check beside 'Enable Protected Mode at startup.' This option is in the 'Application Startup' section near the bottom of the 'Preferences' window. If the 'Protected Mode' option is not listed, your version of Reader does not have this option, so you do not need to take any action.
5. Click 'Yes' in the window that appears, and then click 'OK' in the 'Preferences' window.
6. Close Adobe Reader.
Insert the PDF
7. Open the Excel document into which you're going to put the PDF.
8. Select the cell you want the PDF on. The PDF's upper-left corner will align against the cell's upper-left corner. You can, of course, move the PDF later, if you prefer.
9. Click the 'Insert' tab at the top of the window, and then click 'Object' in the 'Text' group.
10. Select 'Adobe Acrobat Document' from the 'Object type' section.
11. Click 'OK' to display the 'Open' window.
12. Locate the PDF you want to insert in the document.
13. Select the PDF and click 'Open.' The PDF will open in Adobe Reader and insert into your Excel document.
14. Turn 'Protected Mode' back on in Adobe Reader using 'Preferences' in the 'Edit' menu.

How do I Recover a Forgotten Excel Password?

1. Click on the 'Free Word Password / Excel Password Recovery Software' link (see Resources). The completely free download can help you recover your Excel password. The software package works by trying different passwords against yours. This is called 'brute forcing' and may take hours or even days to accomplish. If you think your password is relatively simple, without complex characters like % or !, then this may be the software for you.
2. Click on the 'Password Recovery Engine for Excel' link (see Resources). The software can instantly recover any XLS file in just a few mouse clicks. The software uses a combination of brute force and dictionary attack (using different words from the dictionary) to try and guess your password. Options include setting different characters you might have used in your password (including Latin characters and digits) and specifying minimum and maximum password length.
3. Navigate to Lost Password's Excel Key (see Resources). Excel Key can find a password for any version of Excel, up to Excel 2010. The software uses a combination of dictionary, brute force and Xieve. Xieve boosts the speed of brute force by looking for combinations of words like sweetgirl or mydoc. If you are in a hurry, the software can instantly remove the password so that you can access your document.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

How to Create a Pivot Table From Multiple Excel Worksheets

1. Open the Excel workbook you want to insert a pivot table in.
2. Press 'ALT D P' to start the Pivot Table Wizard.
3. Select 'Multiple consolidation ranges' when the Pivot Table Wizard asks which type of data you want to analyze. Click 'Next.'
4. Choose whether you want the pivot table to have one or more page fields and click 'Next.'
5. Use your mouse to highlight the ranges you want to enter on the pivot table. Click 'Add' after selecting a range from each worksheet.
6. Click 'Next' and select where you want to place the pivot table. You can insert the table on a new worksheet or on an existing worksheet. After choosing, click 'Finish.'

How to Make a Checklist in Excel 2007

Make a Checklist with Form Controls
1. Click on the letter 'B' at the top of the second column to select the entire column. Click the 'Align Text Left' button in the Alignment section of the Home tab to align the text in your checklist to the left of the column.
2. Click inside the first cell in column B. Type the first item for your list into the cell. Enter your second checklist item into the next cell in column B, and continue entering your checklist items down the column.
3. Display the Developer tab if it does not display at the top of your ribbon. Click the Office icon at the top left of your window and select 'Excel Options.' Select 'Show Developer Tab in the Ribbon' under the Popular category. Click 'OK.'
4. Go to the Developer tab. Click 'Insert.' Click the 'Check Box' button. Click inside the first cell in column A to insert a check box.
5. Right-click the check box control and select 'Format Control.' Go to 'Alt Text' and delete the sample text. Go to the Control tab. Select 'Unchecked' under Value. Click 'OK.' Click on the spreadsheet away from the control. To enter a check into the box, click on it. Add check boxes in each cell in column A to correspond with the list in column B.
Make a Printable Checklist from a Template
6. Click the Microsoft Office button at the top left of the Excel window, then click 'New.'
7. Type 'Checklist' into the Search Office Online box.
8. Preview a checklist by clicking on it once. Click 'Download' when you find a checklist template you wish to use. The checklist will open as a new Excel file.
9. Click on a cell containing sample text. Select the text by dragging your mouse over it. Type your checklist information over the sample text. Change a sample picture if desired. Right-click the picture and select 'Change Picture.' Choose the picture you wish to use instead and click 'Insert.'
10. Click the 'Save' button on the Quick Access Toolbar to save your changes to the checklist template. Enter a name for the file and click 'Save.' Print the checklist as needed.

How to Install DEC2HEX on Excel 2003

1. Click 'Tools' on the toolbar. Click 'Add Ins.'
2. Click the 'Analysis ToolPak' box in the 'Add-Ins available' list.
3. Click 'OK.'

How to Read XML Data in Excel 2007

Import an XML data file into Excel 2007
1. Open the Excel 2007 application.
2. Click on the Microsoft icon on the top-left corner of the application's screen and click 'Open.'
3. Locate the XML data file on your hard drive.
4. Click on 'Open' to launch the Open XML or the Import XML dialog box. The Open XML dialog box will be displayed if the XML file does not have a style sheet reference. If the file does have a style sheet reference, the Import XML dialog box will be displayed.
5. Click on one of the three options if the Open XML dialog box is displayed on the screen. For example, the 'As an XML table' option imports the contents of the file to the workbook and applies an inferred schema to the data if the file does not refer to one. The 'As a read-only workbook' option causes the XML data file to be converted into a table containing rows and columns. The root node of the file is displayed as a heading in the first cell. The data is displayed in a read-only file with the tags as column headings. Any other tags are sorted alphabetically and shown on the second row. No inferred schema is applied to your data in this case. The 'Use the XML Source task pane' option displays the schema of the XML file in a task pane to the right of your application screen. Drag elements from the pane to the Excel worksheet in order to map them.
6. Click on one of the two options if the Import XML dialog box is displayed on the screen. For example, the 'Open the file with the following style sheet applied (select one)' option allows you to choose one of the style sheets shown. The selected style sheet will be applied to the data. The 'Open the file without applying a style sheet' option displays the data in the worksheet in columns and rows with the XML tags as column headings. The root node is displayed in the first cell. The rest of the elements are sorted and placed in the second cell.

How to View Comments in Microsoft Excel 2003

1. Scroll to the “View” tab on the command bar to open the View menu.
2. Turn on the View Comments feature. Under the “View” tab, scroll to and left-click on “View Comments.” This will allow you to see all comment callout boxes and their text within the workbook.
3. Disable the View Comments feature by accessing the “View” tab and left-clicking on the “View Comments” selection, which is highlighted when active and appears as normal text when inactive.
4. View comments by right-clicking on cells that contain them. When you have the View Comments feature turned off, you can tell which cells contain comments: They will have a red comment arrow in the upper right corner. To view these comments, simply right-click on the cell and select “Show/Hide Comment.” You can undo this by right-clicking on the cell again and selecting “Hide Comment” to hide the comment callout box.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Microsoft Excel: How to Protect My Formulas in Excel Sheets

1. Open Excel and type a formula in cell A1. Right click on the cell and select 'Format Cells.' Select the 'Protection' tab. Check the option for 'Hidden.' Click 'OK.' The hidden option lets you hide the content of the cells but it requires that the worksheet be protected for this to be activated.
2. Select the 'Review' tab and locate the Changes group. Within the Changes group, select 'Protect Sheet.' Make sure the 'Protect Worksheet and contents of lock cells' option is checked. Type a password in the 'Password to Unprotect Sheet' field. Confirm the password at the 'Confirm Password' prompt. Write this password in a secure location so you don't forget it. Click 'OK' to confirm the password protection.
3. Verify the password protection by going to cell A1. Look at the formula bar and notice it is blank. If you send this workbook to other users, they will get the same result. Your formula is protected and not visible unless they have the password. Do this for each cell or range where you want to protect your formulas.

How to Manage Range Names in Excel

1. Start Microsoft Excel and open an existing spreadsheet that contains range names that you would like to manage, filter, edit, delete or create additional range names.
2. Choose the 'Formulas' tab to display the 'Formulas' ribbon. Click the 'Name Manager' button to open the 'Name Manager' dialog box.
3. Click the 'New' button in the 'Name Manager' dialog box to open the 'New Name' dialog box. In this dialog box, you can provide a name, scope, comment, and cell reference for the new range name that you create.
4. Select a range name you would like to edit from the 'Name Manager' list and click 'Edit' to open the 'Edit Name' dialog box. Here you can rename the range, change the scope, edit the comment or change the cell reference.
5. Identify a range name you would like to delete from the 'Name Manager' list and click the 'Delete' button. A dialog box will come up and ask you to confirm that you want to delete the name range. Click the 'OK' button to delete the name range from the 'Name Manager' dialog box.
6. Highlight and click the 'Filter' button on the top right of the 'Name Manager' dialog box to display the filter options available for the name manager. You can filter to find range names that are located in the current workbook, that are located in the current worksheet, that have errors, that don't have any errors, defined names and table names.
7. Complete the process by clicking on the 'Close' button. This will close the 'Name Manager' dialog box after you have finished managing the range names.

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