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Microsoft is making it harder to enable ActiveX controls in Office apps. Starting this month, Windows versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio will have a new default configuration for ActiveX elements. Previously, Office apps displayed a prompt allowing users to enable ActiveX with minimal restrictions, as described by Microsoft in its announcement in late 2024. Microsoft says this behaviour exposed users to potential risks of dangerous ActiveX controls, which, in turn, allowed malicious files to be deployed through social engineering. Now, with the new default, ActiveX elements are blocked entirely, leaving no easy way to run them to prevent the spread of malware or unauthorized code execution. The updated ActiveX behavior is now available to all Microsoft 365 Insiders in the Beta Channel. It is also rolling out in the Current Channel version 2504 (build number 18730.20030 or newer). After installing the update and opening an Office file with ActiveX elements, you will see a new business bar notification at the top with the following message: "BLOCKED CONTENT: The ActiveX content in this file is blocked." There will be no buttons to enable ActiveX, but you will see a "Learn more" link leading to a support document about ActiveX elements disabled by default in Office 2024 and Microsoft 365. Microsoft adds that the message about disabled ActiveX will only show up if the behavior is not configured otherwise in the Trust Center. In such a case, you will not be able to create and interact with ActiveX elements. However, some of the objects will be visible as static images with no option to interact with them. Should you need to enable ActiveX, you can do that in Trust Center: You can learn more about the updated ActiveX notifications in a post on the Tech Community forums. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

In late 2018, Microsoft announced a big redesign of the icons for its Office apps. The new set replaced the flat and simple variants introduced in 2013 in an attempt to "honor heritage and welcome the future." Now, six years later, Microsoft is cooking another set of icons for its productivity apps, and it wants to know what you think. Reddit user jbgski posted on the Windows 11 subreddit a screenshot of the redesigned Office app icons that Microsoft included in an email survey, asking users to help the company "better understand preferences and opinions about our exploration of different iconography designs for Microsoft 365." To offer users an extra incentive, Microsoft is giving $10 gift cards to each survey participant. Judging by the email's wording, the offered icons are likely not final, and they might ship in a slightly different form (if they ship at all). It also looks like Microsoft wants to align all of the Microsoft 365 apps with the look of the new Outlook app, which so many people openly hate. The offered variants looks more vibrant with more gradients, rounded corners, and volume or depth to each icon. The new icons also align better with the recent redesign that the company announced for its illustrations in September 2024. Microsoft is now leaning towards more skeuomorphic and 3D-like icons and illustrations after over a decade of mostly flat design across its operating systems, apps, and services. You can read more about Microsoft's new design concepts in a post on the Microsoft Design website, where the company also hosts its multiple wallpaper collections, including the recent 50th-anniversary images. Do you like the new icons for Office apps? Share your thoughts in the comment section. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Back in September last year, Microsoft had opened an issue for Office apps like classic Outlook and Word, wherein the company confirmed that users would encounter an MLSL DLL file error. Since then, the tech giant also added PageLayout DLL to the issue. Microsoft had provided no workaround at the time and had only asked affected users to report the problem. After months of investigation, the company has finally managed to figure out what the problem was. Hence, the issue has now been closed as "fixed." Microsoft explains: Microsoft has also added details on how to escalate the problem with corresponding support engineers if the issue pops up again: You can find the support article for the bug here on Microsoft's official website. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

If you are familiar with Microsoft's tactics, you know how the company makes every effort to try and get users on Windows 10 to update to Windows 11. For example, recently we noticed how Microsoft suggested a clean installation of the latter in order to use the Windows 11 exclusive Smart App Control security feature. Quite stupidly perhaps, Microsoft does not seem to make this process any friendlier as it recently blocked the popular BYPASSNRO script used to get by internet and MSA requirements during Windows 11 installs. Interestingly, there is also an official way to do so that is endorsed by Microsoft itself. Like Windows 11, Microsoft also wants users, like business owners, to consider moving on from Office to Microsoft 365. It has highlighted the various limitations of working offline, among other things. It writes: Microsoft thus believes that this is the "perfect time" to get Microsoft 365, and it also has "numbers to prove" why it is right, especially considering Office 2016 and 2019 reach the end of support later this year alongside Windows 10. It explains: You can find the blog post here on Microsoft's official Tech Community website. Microsoft pulled a similar "commissioned study" stunt back in October 2024 in the case of Windows 11 vs 10. If you missed that story, the company actually compared differently-abled devices to prove Windows 11 was better. Unfortunately for Microsoft 365, many IT admins and system admins feel that the New Outlook for Windows app is "hot garbage", and a lot of Neowin readers feel the same way too. Not everything is bad, though, as there is some performance boost in the pipeline too. If you are on Windows 10, it is noteworthy here that users must move to Windows 11 too before November or else all Microsoft 365 updates will stop. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of March): 1,357 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

You can now open shared Office files on your iPhone or iPad without signing in. Microsoft has expanded the number of devices that can view a shared Office file without a Microsoft account. A recent update makes it possible to view shared files on an iPhone or iPad even if you are not signed in. It was already possible to open shared files from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without a Microsoft account if you viewed those files on the web. Now, that same option is available on an iPad or iPhone. With this change, recipients of shared files can now open and view documents in Word, PowerPoint, or Excel more easily. Editing shared documents or leaving comments still requires a Microsoft account. Since Word, PowerPoint, and Excel are the standard for many organizations and users, receiving a shared Office document is common. The recent change to the Office apps on iOS and iPadOS increases the accessibility of those types of files. Microsoft shares the steps to share documents in a Tech Community post: Open a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file that you want to share. Select Share > Link settings (the gear icon in the top-right corner), ensure that either the Anyone with the link can edit or Anyone with the link can view option is selected, and then select the Apply button. To share the link with others, type their email address in the Share dialog box, and then click the Send button, or click the Copy link button and paste it in a message created using an app such as Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Teams. Anyone who uses that link on a supported device will be able to open and view the file. The new behavior rolls out with Version 2.94 (Build 25020422) of the Office apps on iOS and iPadOS. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of February): 874 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Office for Windows is getting a free, ad-supported tier that lets you create and edit documents, but has limited features and only lets you save to OneDrive. Microsoft has quietly launched a new version of Microsoft Office for Windows that can be used to edit documents for free, no Microsoft 365 subscription or Office license key required. This free version of Office is based on the full desktop apps, but has most features locked behind the Microsoft 365 subscription. First spotted by Beebom, the free version of Office for Windows includes ads that are permanently on screen when within a document in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Additionally, this new free version of Office also only allows you to save files to OneDrive, meaning no support for editing local files. To access the free version of Office, just skip the prompt to sign-in when you first run an Office app. From there, you will be given the choice to continue to use Office for free in exchange for ads and limited features. In this mode, you can open, view, and even edit documents, just like you can with the web version of Office. The free version of Office includes a persistent ad banner. (Image credit: Beebom) Limited features include no access to add-ins, dictation, advanced formatting, designer, smartart, and more. The free versions of these apps are literally just designed for basic writing and editing of Office documents. If you want to take advantage of more advanced features in Office, you’ll still need to subscribe. Unfortunately, it looks like this free version of Office is still in limited testing, as we were unable to skip the sign-in prompt when running Office on our test machines. It’s possible that Microsoft is currently only testing this version of Office in specific regions, or is A/B testing it with a small group of people first. The company hasn’t officially announced this version of Office yet, nor does it acknowledge its existence in support documents. Perhaps we’ll hear more about this new free version of Office from Microsoft in the coming days or weeks. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of January): 487 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Microsoft says it will drop support for Office apps in Windows 10 after the operating system reaches its end of support on October 14. "Microsoft 365 Apps will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025, on Windows 10 devices. To use Microsoft 365 Applications on your device, you will need to upgrade to Windows 11," the company said on Tuesday. This announcement also applies to standalone versions without a Microsoft 365 subscription, including Office 2024, Office 2021, Office 2019, and Office 2016. In a separate support document first spotted by The Verge, the company says that Office apps will continue to work even after Windows 10 support ends but said customers might encounter issues until they upgrade their PCs to Windows 11. "After that date, if you're running Microsoft 365 on a Windows 10 device, the applications will continue to function as before. However, we strongly recommend upgrading to Windows 11 to avoid performance and reliability issues over time," Microsoft says. While the company has continuously pushed users to move to Windows 11 since its October 2021 launch, even naming 2025 "the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh" earlier this month, customers aren't willing to switch due to "non-negotiable" TPM 2.0 support requirements. Although Windows 10 will reach the end of support in eight months, over 62% of all Windows systems worldwide still run Windows 10, while less than 35% run Windows 11, according to Statcounter Global data. Windows market share (Statcounter) Microsoft announced in June 2021 that TPM 2.0 is a mandatory requirement for Windows 11 installs or upgrades, saying it makes systems more resistant to tampering and cyberattacks. However, this hasn't prevented users from creating tools and finding techniques to bypass the TPM requirement. Although Windows 10's end of support is rapidly approaching, the company announced on October 31 that Windows 10 home users could delay the switch to Windows 11 for another year if they pay $30 for Extended Security Updates (ESU). Additionally, Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) releases like Windows 10 2016 LTSB and Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) releases like Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 that cater to specialized devices, including industrial and medical systems, will also receive updates beyond October 2025. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Aptos, the new default font for Office apps might not be a welcome change for users. What you need to know Microsoft's new default font for Office apps, Aptos, is rolling out to more users. Multiple users have taken to social media platforms to express how much they dislike the change. Luckily, you can switch back to Calibri if you don't like the new font, though the old Office theme has been renamed to Office Theme 2013 – 2022. Some users have even made tutorials on TikTok showcasing how to switch back to Calibri as the default font on Office apps. After what might have seemed like an eternity (15 years to be precise), Microsoft finally decided to change the default font for its Office apps from Calibri to Aptos (Bierstadt). The company made this announcement last year in July, and the change has been rolling out to users in waves. The new default font for Office apps has seemingly shipped to more users, which has been received with a cocktail of mixed feelings. Several users have turned to social media platforms to express their feelings regarding the font change. It has also turned into an overnight sensation, and is currently trending on TikTok. Users have shared videos highlighting their shock over the change, which could be an indication that not everyone was aware of Microsoft's plans to make this change. Some users have even created turorials showcasing steps to follow for those who'd like to revert to Calbri. It's apparent that this change isn't welcome, at least by most users, if we're to go by the videos and posts shared online. According to Jim Earley, a seasoned life coach, most people are likely to resist change due to several reasons, including mistrust, insecurity, bad timing, and predisposition. He also pointed that forcing changes on people abruptly tends to be counterproductive and ineffective. This is why out of the targeted audience, only 20% embrace the change though with a lot of reservations, while the remaining 80% do nothing. That said, Aptos will now be the default font across Office apps, including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel. The new Office theme also spots a refreshed colour palette, style, and line weights. Aptos also includes variants such as narrow, serif, and monospace. Here are a few steps you can follow to switch back to Calibri if you're not a big fan of the new default font on Office apps: HOW TO CHANGE THE DEFAULT FONT ON OFFICE BACK TO CALIBRI (Image credit: Microsoft) Users can still revert to the old Office theme, though it has been renamed to Office Theme 2013 – 2022. It's also worth noting that the change of the default font won't affect existing documents, just the new documents that you create after the change has rolled out. For purposes of this guide, I'll use the New Outlook desktop client while switching back to Calibri as my default font from Aptos. First, launch the New Outlook app on your PC and click on the Settings cogwheel button on the top-right just before the Tips icon. Next, click on the Mail option on your right and select Compose and reply. Click on the dropdown menu under Message format and change the default font to Calibri from Aptos. Click on the Save button to apply the changes and restart the app. select Calibri as your default font from the dropdown menu on the message format settings on the Outlook app(Image credit: Kevin Okemwa) (Image credit: Kevin Okemwa) The new Office theme also ships with increased default outline weights and enhanced consistency between shapes and lines. The new theme also features better contrast. It's in place to enhance readability while simultaneously promoting professionalism. Source

A while ago, the Microsoft Garage division, which lets company employees develop new apps and services on their own free time, released Script Lab. This was an add-in for Office developers that allowed them to "create, run, and share JavaScript code snippets in Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint." It was also designed as an open source software project that let anyone contribute to its development. The Script Lab add-in has proven to be a popular one for Office developers. However, Microsoft has now decided to officially take over its future development. In a blog post today, the company said it now owns the add-in and will continue to develop and maintain it. The bad news for many developers is that this change means Script Lab will no longer be an open source project. At a result, the add-in's GitHub repository will be archived. The blog post stated: The new version of Script Lab will lack one thing related to its previous open source version. It will no longer have its GitHub gist sharing features. Microsoft says this was removed "to better protect our users and their data". The new version will still let developer copy their code snippets to the clipboard and share the code with other developers, but from now on the scripts will have to be manually imported. For the time being, Microsoft will continue to host the older Script Labs version, in order for developers to export their code snippets as GitHub gists. They can also recover any snippets from the older add-in version that did not automatically transfer to the new version. Microsoft plans to officially end support for the older open sources version on June 3. Source

Microsoft separated Teams from its Office products in Europe last year to address regulator concerns. Now it seems the company will be implementing this change globally. According to a Reuters report, Microsoft will sell its chat and video app Teams separately from its Office product globally. A Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters: The unbundling means Microsoft enterprise customers around the globe will be able to purchase Microsoft 365 subscriptions without Teams, or have to buy a standalone version of Teams. The spokesperson added: The report states that starting April 1, customers will have the option to either continue with their current arrangement, renew their existing license, update it, or switch to the new offers available. As for the pricing, Reuters notes: The decision comes after the European Commission (EC) opened a formal antitrust investigation into Microsoft’s bundling of its Teams software with the Office productivity suite last year. However, the EC first received a complaint against Microsoft regarding its bundling of Teams with Microsoft 365 from one of Teams' competitors, Slack, over three years ago. Slack contended that packaging the products together provides Microsoft with an unfair advantage. Microsoft has yet to publicly announce the changes regarding the unbundling of Teams officially. Source

In November 2023, leaked screenshots showed that Microsoft was internally testing Office 2024, the next stand-alone version of its suite of productive apps. Today, Microsoft confirmed it was working on Office 2024 for both businesses and consumers. In a blog post, Microsoft announced that it will launch a preview of Office LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) 2024 sometime in April for businesses and organizations. It stated: The blog post added that the new Office LTSC 2024 will not include the Microsoft Teams app. It also won't include Microsoft Publisher. The company had already announced that it would shut down support for Publisher in 2026. Office LTSC 2024 will enter general availability sometime later in the year. The blog post added that when that happens, users can expect five years of support. It also said that prices for Office LTSC Professional Plus, Office LTSC Standard, Office LTSC Embedded, and the individual Office apps will be going up by up to 10 percent compared to the previous Office release. Microsoft also confirmed plans for a consumer version of Office 2024, which will launch later this year. It will get the same five-year lifecycle, but there will be no price increases. Microsoft did confirm that Office 2024 will support both Windows 10 and 11, and that there will be both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. A Mac version will also be released. More info on the consumer Office 2024 will be revealed in the coming months. However, the company did confirm it does plan to release another stand alone Office version after the 2024 edition. Source

In March, Microsoft officially announced its plans to launch a new stand-alone version of its Office apps under the branding of Office 2024. Today, the company stated that a public preview of Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 for commercial customers is now available. In a blog post, Microsoft stated that those commercial customers can learn how to install and activate the public preview of Office LTSC 2024 for both Windows and Mac on their respective support pages. The applications that are a part of the preview include: In addition to features found in past Office releases, Microsoft says Office LTSC 2024 will also have "a subset of new features already available in Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise." The specific new features were not revealed. The apps will be supported for five years with software updates when they officially launch later this year. Microsoft added: Microsoft previously said that when the commercial versions of Office 2024 launched, customers would see higher prices, up to 10 percent, for the app collection compared to the previous Office release. Microsoft also confirmed that there will be a consumer version of Office 2024 released this year, but its prices will not be going up. Earlier this week, Microsoft said that support for Office 2016 and 2019 apps will end on October 14, 2025. Source

Microsoft has announced a new section for managing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint add-ins. The updated button is now rolling out to Office apps on Windows and their web-based counterparts. Office add-ins are like browser extensions—they add extra features and third-party integrations to enhance your experience and bring new capabilities. Here is how Microsoft describes them: Office add-ins are software extensions that add extra features to Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. For example, an Office add-in might add a new tool for formatting text, or a new feature for analyzing data. Most Office add-ins are developed by third-party developers and can be downloaded and installed from the Microsoft Office Store. With the updated Windows and web-based Office apps, you can browse and add new add-ins from the Home page. Click the Add-ins button and select the one you need from the list of popular extensions. If the add-in is not there, click the More add-ins button. Alternatively, go to File > Get Add-ins, where you can view or remove installed add-ins by clicking Manage My Add-ins. The new add-ins button is now rolling out to Office apps on Windows with version 2301 (build number 16026.20146) and newer. Note that Microsoft is shipping new Office features in waves to ensure stability and smooth rollout, so it might take a few more days before you get them. You can learn more about Office add-ins on the Microsoft 365 Insider website. In case you missed it, Microsoft recently announced a new default font, Aptos, to replace the aging Calibri. Aptos will soon be available for all users—the recent update on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap page revealed Microsoft's plans to ship Aptos in September 2023. If you want to get it now, enroll in the Microsoft 365 Insider program to preview early updates. Source

Yesterday, Microsoft released its Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 10 (KB5030211) and Windows 11(KB5030217/KB5030219). Alongside that, the company has also released dynamic updates (KB5030326 and KB5030327) for Windows 11 versions 21H2 and 22H2, respectively, which are meant to improve the Setup process. These are installed automatically though you can also manually download them. As usual, Microsoft also pushed security updates for its Office products, both 2013 and 2016 editions. The updates patch Excel and Outlook information disclosure vulnerability, spoofing, and more. The full list of updates alongside their knowledge base (KB) articles are given below: Microsoft Office 2016 Product Knowledge Base article title and number Excel 2016 Description of the security update for Excel 2016: September 12, 2023 (KB5002496) Office 2016 Description of the security update for Office 2016: September 12, 2023 (KB5002100) Office 2016 Description of the security update for Office 2016: September 12, 2023 (KB5002457) Office 2016 Description of the security update for Office 2016: September 12, 2023 (KB5002498) Outlook 2016 Description of the security update for Outlook 2016: September 12, 2023 (KB5002499) Word 2016 Description of the security update for Word 2016: September 12, 2023 (KB5002497) Microsoft Office 2013 Product Knowledge Base article title and number Excel 2013 Description of the security update for Excel 2013: September 12, 2023 (KB5002488) Office 2013 Description of the security update for Office 2013: September 12, 2023 (KB5002477) Word 2013 Description of the security update for Word 2013: September 12, 2023 (KB5002483) SharePoint Server Subscription Edition Product Knowledge Base article title and number SharePoint Server Subscription Edition Description of the security update for SharePoint Server Subscription Edition: September 12, 2023 (KB5002474) Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019 Product Knowledge Base article title and number SharePoint Server 2019 Description of the security update for SharePoint Server 2019: September 12, 2023 (KB5002472) SharePoint Server 2019 Language Pack September 12, 2023, update for SharePoint Server 2019 Language Pack (KB5002471) Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016 Product Knowledge Base article title and number SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 Description of the security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016: September 12, 2023 (KB5002494) SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 Language Pack Description of the security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 Language Pack: September 12, 2023 (KB5002501) Office Online Server Product Knowledge Base article title and number Office Online Server Description of the security update for Office Online Server: September 12, 2023 (KB5002470) You may find more details in the Microsoft support article. Source

Office Add-ins are getting a new entry point, and if you use them a lot in your daily work, then this new feature should let you manage your add-ins more easily, according to Microsoft. We’re excited to announce that a more easy–to–access entry point for Office Add-ins is now available online. By accessing the new entry point in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you’ll have an upgraded experience without worrying about managing all your add-ins or choosing the fit right add-in among the thousands available in AppSource and the Office marketplace. You can find the new Office Add-ins entry point in two places now: On the Home tab. On the File tab. Plus, it seems that Microsoft will now come with add-in recommendations for you, and they will tailored for you, according to your own experience with the Microsoft Office apps. The new feature should be available to you now, but if you don’t see it, don’t stress about it too much. Microsoft says it’s releasing it gradually, so you just have to wait. Not all users are happy about the Office Add-ins’ new entry point However, not all users are happy about it. Some say the entry point occupies space for nothing, especially for those users who don’t use add-ins in their Office apps. So according to them, Microsoft should add the ability to hide the entry point altogether. Please add the ability to hide this button/group in File > Options > Customize Ribbon. For users who aren’t interested in add-ins, it needlessly takes up space on the ribbon. If Microsoft added a new entry point, the Redmond-based tech giant could easily add a feature to hide, because, at the end of the day, the community is right: if you don’t use add-ins, why bother? When you want to use them, you’ll just enable the entry point. What do you think about it? Source

In 2021, Microsoft announced it was planning to replace Calibri as the default font for its Office productivity apps. It presented the public with five competing fonts (Tenorite, Bierstadt, Skeena, Seaford, and Grandview) and asked them to vote for their favorite via Twitter polls, online feedback, and more. Today, Microsoft Design announced the winner. On its Medium page, Microsoft Design stated that the winning font was . . . Bierstadt! However, Microsoft decided to give the winning font a name change, so the new default Office font is now called . . . Aptos! The font itself was created by Steve Matteson who previously worked on the original Windows TrueType core fonts and also created the Segoe font. It was made to work better on higher-definition displays. The name Aptos was also Matteson's idea, as it comes from an unincorporated town in the Santa Cruz area of California that is one of his favorite destinations. The Medium post stated: Similar to mid-20th-century Swiss typography, Aptos is a sans serif. Also referred to as Grotesque or Gothic, sans serif often have simple letterforms, even strokes, and they’re easily readable. Aptos, made of varying geometric shapes, is bold, well-defined, directive, and constrained. It articulates many different languages and tones. Stem ends are clean cut. Subtle circular squares within the letters’ contours allow higher legibility, especially at small sizes. The post also goes into some specific details about some of the letters in the Aptos font: Now the lowercase l has a distinctive tail, separating it from the capital I. The heads of i’s and j’s are circular dots as opposed to grotesque squares. 6 is single stroked while two piled ellipticals make 8. The four losing fonts will still be added to Microsoft's Office apps as optional selections. The Aptos font will also be available under its original Bierstadt name as yet another option. There's also a new font menu that is currently available for web users that will still include Calibri as a pre-pinned font at the top. Source

According to Microsoft, Windows 10 and 11 users may experience a bug preventing Outlook and other apps from launching after installing the latest Patch Tuesday update (KB5027231, released on June 13, 2023). The company has updated its Windows Health Dashboard documentation to provide the necessary details about the problem and offer affected customers a workaround. Microsoft says the bug affects 32-bit Office installed on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 (client versions 22H2 and 21H2, plus Windows Server 2022). Even though Microsoft changed the default Office installation from 32-bit to 64-bit in 2018, many people may still be using 32-bit Office. However, you need a specific antivirus and a specific version to experience the problem—according to Microsoft, the issue occurs on systems using Trellix Endpoint Security version earlier than 35.31.25. After installing KB5027231 or later updates on Windows devices with certain antivirus, antimalware or security software installed, you might not be able to open Microsoft or third-party apps. Some known affected apps are Microsoft Outlook and other Microsoft Office apps. This issue only occurs with 32-bit apps running on 64-bit Windows with Trellix Endpoint Security version earlier than 35.31.25. When attempting to open an affected app, Event Log indicates an access violation with the error "module is unknown". This issue is not likely to be encountered by consumers using Windows devices in their home. Affected customers can resolve the problem by updating Trellix Endpoint Security Agent to version 35.31.25 and newer. Although Microsoft has only mentioned Trellix Endpoint Security Agent, other antivirus apps might cause the same problem. Therefore, the company recommends that those using other anti-malware solutions and experiencing issues with Office apps should contact customer support of the security software they use. You can learn more about the problem with Outlook not opening on Windows 10 and 11 after the June Patch Tuesday update in the official Windows Health Dashboard documentation. Source

Microsoft won't bundle Microsoft Teams with Office in the future anymore, according to a report by the Financial Times (behind a paywall). The European Union has threatened a formal antitrust investigation into the bundling of Microsoft Teams with Microsoft Office. Microsoft Teams competitor Slack complained to the European Union in 2020 about the bundling of the tool with Microsoft's widely used Office application suite. Office customers who install Microsoft Office on their devices had Microsoft Teams installed alongside Microsoft Word, Excel and other common Office applications that come bundled with it. The Financial Times received information from two unnamed sources. According to the information, Microsoft is in talks with regulators from the European Union to find a solution. While a deal appears to be uncertain at this point, the unbundling of Teams with Office is top priority. Companies would be able to buy Microsoft Office without Microsoft Teams eventually, but the how has not been decided on yet. The talks may remind Windows users of Microsoft's previous clash with EU regulators. More than a decade ago, Microsoft agreed to offer other web browsers to Windows users in the European Union. The company was fined €561 million in 2013 as it failed to provide this consistently. This was not Microsoft's only anti-competitive ruling in the European Union. Microsoft was found to have violated European antitrust laws in 2004 by bundling Windows Media Player in Windows. This led to the creation of Windows N-Editions, which are sold in Europe up to this day. There is also a NK-Edition of Windows, which is sold in South Korea. Microsoft could sell a special version of Microsoft Office in countries of the European Union that comes without Teams installed. The N-versions of Windows have not been particularly successful, and it is uncertain, whether special versions of Microsoft Office without Teams will be more successful. Talks are ongoing at this point and there is a chance that both parties do not come to an agreement. The European Union might then go ahead and launch a formal investigation into the matter, which could lead to a fine and a binding decision to split Teams from Office. Now You: what is your take on this? Microsoft returning to old habits? Microsoft reportedly won't bundle Teams with Office in the future

If you thought that Microsoft was going to take a breather after announcing the new Bing with its chatbot AI feature this week, think again. A new report from The Verge, citing unnamed sources, claims that the company is planning to make more AI-related announcements sometime in March. These reveals will be all about integrating chatbot technology inside Office apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Microsoft will likely demonstrate how it will use its Prometheus Model, combined with the ChatGPT-like chatbot in the new Bing, to automate writing tasks in Word, among other things. Indeed, the same article points out that the Prometheus Model can already be used for tasks inside Office web apps, thanks to the new Bing's integration with Microsoft's Edge web browser. The article claims Microsoft is using their AI tech to help create PowerPoint graphs and graphics. Microsoft's surprise announcement this week of the new AI-powered Bing was originally supposed to happen sometime later in February, according to The Verge. However, the company moved up its announcement plans thanks to Google. That company revealed its own AI chatbot, Bard, on Tuesday, one day before Microsoft's own Bing AI reveal. It would appear that the race to be the first with adding AI features to standard apps and technology is well underway, especially between Microsoft and Google. The Verge claims that Microsoft execs are very confident they are currently ahead of Google in AI technology, but also have a fear that other companies could pop up to threaten Microsoft's Office and productivity businesses with AI. Microsoft reportedly plans to reveal ChatGPT-like features for Office apps in March

Microsoft is bringing back a small but important feature for users of its Office desktop apps. In a new post on the official Microsoft 365 blog, it stated that it will make the Quick Access Toolbar visible by default across Office apps. The QAT was previously hidden by default when Microsoft announced a visual refresh of its Office desktop apps in 2021. However, that move was apparently not liked by many Office users. Microsoft stated: Through surveys and in-app feedback, you let us know that this change was disruptive and slowed your workflow. Specifically, you mentioned that the placement of the Undo and Redo commands on the Home tab required extra clicks and tab navigation. Additionally, some of you also missed being able to hide the AutoSave command from the title bar. So Microsoft has now brought the QAT back by default. People who had QAT hidden will now see the AutoSave, Save, Undo, and Redo commands above the ribbon. People who previously had the QAT visible by default should now see the AutoSave, Save, Undo, and Redo commands on the left side of the app. It's available for Office Insiders who have Version 2305 (Build 16403.20000) or later installed. Microsoft returns the Quick Access Toolbar default for Office apps by popular demand

A few days ago, Microsoft released an Office Preview Build for Insiders in the Current Channel, adding several new features and changes. Microsoft has also released a new Office Preview Build for Beta Channel Insiders, though with no new features and changes. The latest Office Preview Build 15407.20000 includes only bug fixes for issues found in Excel, Outlook, and Office Suite. You can check out the complete official changelog to learn more about them. Changelog Microsoft’s recently-released Office Insider Build 15330.20114 for Current Channel Insiders on Windows added new features for Outlook, Office Suite, and Excel. It allows you to add SketchUp files to your Office creations. The latest build also introduces From Dataflows connector, allowing users to connect and import data from dataflows directly into Excel. Microsoft releases a new Office update monthly for Beta Channel subscribers on Windows, adding new features and changes. Microsoft is also expected to release a new Office Insider Build for the Beta Channel Insiders next month. We’ll keep you updated if we find anything interesting in the update. To update the Microsoft Office Insider Preview Build to the latest version, open any Office program and go to File> Account> Update Options> Update Now. Microsoft releases Office Insider Preview Build 15407.20000 for Windows users

Microsoft has released Office Insider Preview Build 15402.20002 for Windows users registered in the Office Insider Beta channel. The latest office build adds some new features for Office Suite and Excel, and is an important fix for Outlook. The latest version of Office allows you to add SketchUp files to your Office creations. This means it’s now easier to create shareable conceptual designs, such as fully textured architectural models and other graphics used in industrial design and product design and civil and mechanical engineering. Excel got a noteworthy new feature in this update. Thanks to the new Data from Picture feature, users can now take a picture of the information and import it into your worksheet. You can go to the Data tab and select From Picture, then choose the source; you can also review and correct the data, if necessary, before inserting it into your worksheet. Furthermore, finding key documents in Visio is now way easier with the new Shared with Me list. To try this feature, simply click on the Home tab or the Open tab and select Shared with Me. You can read the complete official changelog to learn more about these changes. Changelog In related news, Microsoft introduced a redesigned dictation toolbar for efficiency and a cleaner look. The company also released the voice dictation feature in OneNote, a more optimized Microsoft Excel, and more. Recently, Microsoft Office also added the ability to gather five million responses on a single form. You can read more about what’s new in the update here. Microsoft releases a new Office update weekly for Beta Channel subscribers on Windows, adding new features and changes. Microsoft is also expected to release a new Office Insider Build next week. We’ll keep you updated if we find anything interesting in the update. To update the Microsoft Office Insider Preview Build to the latest version, open any Office program and go to File> Account> Update Options> Update Now. Microsoft releases Office Insiders Preview Build 15402.20002 for Windows users

Microsoft has released a new Office Insiders Preview Build for Beta Channel Insiders on Windows. The latest Office Insider version 2206 (Build 15330.20004) comes with no new features and changes, however. Build 15330.20004 comes with many fixes and improvements, which are important too. The latest Office update adds fixes for issues found in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Project, and Access. You can read the complete official changelog to learn more about the fixes. Changelog In related news, Microsoft introduced a redesigned dictation toolbar for efficiency and a cleaner look. The company also released the voice dictation feature in OneNote, a more optimized Microsoft Excel, and more. Recently, Microsoft Office also added the ability to gather five million responses on a single form. You can read more about what’s new in the update here. Microsoft releases a new Office update every week for Beta Channel subscribers on Windows, adding new features and changes. Microsoft is also expected to release a new Office Insider Build next week. We’ll keep you updated if we find anything interesting in the update. To update the Microsoft Office Insider Preview Build to the latest version, open any Office program and go to File> Account> Update Options> Update Now. Microsoft releases Office Insider Build 15330.20004 for Windows users

Microsoft has released a new Office Insider Preview Build for Windows users. The new Office Insider Build 15227.20000 is rolling out to those subscribed to the Beta channel. It comes with several new features for OneNote, Excel, Access, and Office Suite. However, the official changelog includes no performance improvements. The latest Microsoft Office Insider Build adds support for the voice dictation feature in OneNote, making it possible for the users to dictate their notes with the help of their voices. The Dictate microphone icon appears on the home tab. Microsoft Excel is now more optimized for devices with “constrained resources.” Excel will run better on devices that have two cores or less and eight gigabytes of RAM or less because it now runs calculations on a single thread. You can also change the setting in the Advanced tab. Another useful change in this update is that Microsoft has sped up the time required for entering a formula in a cell by reducing memory usage, making more efficient memory allocation calls, and optimizing the redrawing of the visible range around the cell being edited. The faster AutoFilter function is also an important feature of this update. Moreover, Microsoft has introduced a new sign-in option in Office Suite to allow guest users to access documents that have been shared with them on their desktop Office applications. The feature was previously available for Office on the Web and is now available for desktop applications. You can read the complete official changelog below to learn more about these new features. Changelog Microsoft releases a new Office update every week for Beta Channel subscribers on Windows, adding new features and changes. Microsoft is also expected to release a new Office Insider Build next week. We’ll keep you updated if we find anything interesting in the update. To update the Microsoft Office Insider Preview Build to the latest version, open any Office program and go to File> Account> Update Options> Update Now. Microsoft Office Insiders gets several new features with the latest update

Microsoft releases new Office Insider Build 14217.20002 for Windows users Microsoft has released a new Office Insider Preview Build 14217.20002(Beta Channel) for Windows users. The new Office Insider Preview build adds improvements to Outlook but adds no new features. Apart from that, you get a ton of fixes for issues found in Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project. You can read the full official changelog below. Changelog Outlook Improvements for default and mandatory labeling Sensitivity labels let you classify and protect your organization’s data, while making sure that user productivity and the ability to collaborate isn’t hindered. We’ve now improved the functionality for default and mandatory labeling in Outlook. Outlook clients that use built-in labeling will now also enforce the existing PowerShell label policy advanced settings DisableMandatoryInOutlook and OutlookDefaultLabel, previously supported only by the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client. If you have already configured these settings for your organization, they will now be enforced in Outlook clients. Learn more > Notable Fixes We fixed an issue where hyperlinks, including digits, would be broken when composing a message in a right-to-left language. Word Notable fixes We fixed an issue where enabling auto-save could cause recent edits to temporarily disappear. We fixed an issue with scrolling in the comments pane. We fixed an issue where header/footer text was not clearly visible in print preview when the Office theme was set to black. Excel Notable Fixes We fixed issue where chart axis values could not be changed if both the thousand and decimal separators use the same symbol. PowerPoint Notable fixes We fixed an issue related to SmartArt nodes having Change Shape disabled. Project Notable fixes We fixed an issue where engagements created in the Project Web App might not load properly in the Project desktop client if the resource name had special characters, such as a semicolon. We fixed an issue where, when the project option “Project should calculate costs” is disabled, the time-phased cost values might not have been correctly baselined for cost-type resources. We fixed an issue where project-level enterprise custom fields with lookup tables were not showing a value in the Project desktop client. We fixed an issue where saving a local project to Project Web App could change a previously saved baseline. To update to the latest Microsoft Office Insider Preview Build, open any Office program and go to File> Account> Update Options> Update Now. Microsoft releases new Office Insider Build 14217.20002 for Windows users