Microsoft Office 2013 prioritizes productivity over playfulness. Earlier versions hid Easter eggs—like the 11 weird Windows errors and Easter eggs you must see. There are always some bugs and hidden Easter Eggs in every Windows version. Would you mind discovering 11 of them? Read More. Trusted Computing initiatives removed much of that fun. We've explored creative Excel uses in 7 Weird Fun Things You Can Create With Microsoft Excel. Imagine Excel was fun! Excel offers ample scope for projects that go beyond its intended use. The only limit is your imagination. These are the most creative examples of how people use Excel. Read More.
You can even use Microsoft Office for free: 6 Ways You Can Use Microsoft Office Without Paying For It. Do you need Microsoft Office but don't like the price? Here are some ways you can use Microsoft Office for free! Read More. As seasoned Office power users, we've uncovered eight practical tips that streamline daily tasks without compromising professionalism.
Customize Office's search by swapping Bing for Google via a quick Registry edit—a straightforward five-step process we've relied on for years.
Press Windows key + Q, type Regedit, and press Enter. Approve the UAC prompt if it appears.
In Registry Editor, navigate the left pane to the appropriate Office key. In the right pane's empty area, right-click > New > String Value, and name it SearchProviderName.
Double-click SearchProviderName and enter Google as the value.
Next, create another String Value named SearchProviderURI (note the capital I). Enter Google's search URL: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s, then click OK.
Close Registry Editor, restart Office 2013, and test your search. To revert to Bing, delete these values. Microsoft details similar processes in their support articles—for DuckDuckGo fans, see 10 Helpful DuckDuckGo Instant Answers That Save You Time and a Few Clicks. Instant Answers is a collection of DuckDuckGo products that potentially make your search online a little easier. Here are ten from a huge list that you can try on this alternative search engine. Read More. What is Windows Registry Editor? Learn more here: What is the Windows Registry Editor and how do I use it? [MakeUseOf Explains]. The Windows registry can be scary at first glance. It's a place where advanced users can change a wide variety of settings that aren't exposed elsewhere. Read More.
Contextual understanding powers modern search. Office Online's Insights feature—previewed ahead of Office 2016 (A Preview of Microsoft Office 2016: Smart and Subtle Changes. Office 2016 for Mac was recently released and the Windows version will follow in the fall. We show you the new look and features of the world's most popular productivity suite. Will you update? Read More)—delivers relevant info from Bing, Wikipedia, dictionaries, and more, right in your document.
In Word Online's Editing View, right-click selected text or use Review > Insights, or type in the Tell me box.
Results appear in a side panel for seamless integration—no browser tabs needed. The Microsoft Blog offers deeper insights.
The Mini Toolbar offers quick formatting on text selection in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (mouse-only). Useful for some, distracting for others—like when hiding Excel cells.
To disable: File > Options > General, uncheck Show Mini Toolbar on text selection under User Interface options.
Access it anytime via right-click. Does it save time or clutter your view?
Listen to your documents using built-in TTS in Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote. English voices install automatically.
Add Speak to the Quick Access Toolbar: Click the dropdown > More Commands > All Commands > Speak > Add.
Select text and click Speak—perfect for proofreading emails, notes, or slides hands-free.
Word's Calculate handles basic math anywhere in a document, outperforming Google for inline needs.
Add it: File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar > All Commands > Calculate > Add.
Select an expression (add, subtract, multiply, divide, %, powers, roots), click Calculate—result shows in the status bar.
Example: "Entourage includes 5 helpers, 2 stylists, and 12 bodyguards." Learn more: How to do simple calculations in Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007. More information has been around since Microsoft Word 2003. It is useful for small everyday uses. Read More.
Transform standard comment boxes into custom shapes for visual appeal.
Add Change Shape: Quick Access Toolbar dropdown > More Commands > Drawing Tools | Format Tab > Change Shape > Add.
OneNote excels beyond notes—use it for projector-friendly presentations. See 5 Ways to Take Advantage of Microsoft OneNote. Read More.
Open your page, View > New Window, maximize the new one (double-arrow), and project it distraction-free.
Control from the original: Use Pen as pointer like a laser—annotations vanish automatically.
Match 16:9 widescreens (1280x720 or 1920x1080) to avoid black bars.
Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size > Widescreen (16:9).
For show: Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show > Multiple Monitors > Primary Monitor > Resolution, apply.
Export as HD video via packaging options.
Office follows the Pareto principle: 80% of users leverage 20% of features. Share your top discoveries in the comments—we're always learning from the community.
