When you create a duration bar in Project they normally come out the same colour. This can be confusing as they all look the same and you could get one mixed up with the other. Project 2007 allows you to change the bar colour and pattern so you can recognise them more easily.

 
1. First when you have created your schedule Right Click on the bar in the Gantt Chart area and choose Format Bar
2. Then change the Shape, Pattern and Size of the bar to your preference.

 

 
Interested in learning more? Then book yourself onto one of our Microsoft Project Courses

Don’t you just hate it when you get loads of junk mail? Anytime you get sent SPAM it just goes straight to your Junk Mail folder until you delete it. They take space and they clog up your folder. Why don’t you configure settings to just automatically delete junk mail? If you don’t want to delete them automatically follow this link Reduce Amount of Junk Email by Using Filters otherwise these steps. 

 
1. First go to Actions, then Junk Email
2. Select Junk Email Options
3. Tick the box that says Permanently Delete Suspected Junk Emails

 

This way you don’t have to keep deleting junk emails as it will be deleted automatically.

Visit our Microsoft Outlook Tips page to get more tips

Whenever creating a database it is important that you create a backup. This is because if the data gets corrupted you will not be able to restore it. To avoid this you should create a copy and Microsoft Access has a built-in functionality to achieve this by backing up your data.

 
1. Click on the Office Button
2. Go to Manage
3. Click on Back Up Database
4. You can then choose a place to store it, and then give the name to a back up file.
5. Click Save

Now that you have saved the file it might be worth opening the file in Access just to make sure it’s working. 
 
 
Interested in learning more? Then visit our Microsoft Access Tips page or come to our Microsoft Access Courses.

If you have an older version of Microsoft e.g. 2003 and you get sent a document from a newer version i.e. 2007 you won’t be able to open the file. If you don’t want this to happen there are three things you can do.

 
1. You can Upgrade to the newer version if you wish

 

2. Or you can ask the sender to Save It In a Older Version and then send it back

 

3. There is also Compatibility Pack which you can download and this will enable you to open newer saved versions and still keep the version that you currently have on your computer. Read more: From Error message to Easy access – Using Earlier Versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, to Open & Save files from Office 2007 programs.

 
If you want them to resend the document back to you in the 2003 version here’s how they can do it.

1. Click on the Office Button then go down to Save As
2. Move your mouse onto the arrow next to Save As
3. Choose the same version that you need (Word 97-2003 Document)
4. Then click on Save

The sender will send it to you in the format you can read.

Visit our Microsoft Word Tips page for more useful Tips.

In Microsoft Publisher if you want to change the brightness and the shade on any of your images look for the Icon on the toolbar.

1. Click the Sun and Upward-pointed arrow icon from the toolbar to make it brighter
2. Click the Sun and Downward-pointed arrow icon from the toolbar to make it darker.
3. If you want to increase the image contrast, click on the icon with two half circles – one white and one black.
4. You can decrease the contrast by clicking the image of two gray half circles.

Visit our Microsoft Publisher Tips page to learn more useful information