Category: Tech Tip

Tech Tip : Make Important Emails Stand Out Automatically

Posted on by Paul Stradling

If important emails sometimes get lost among everything else in your inbox, Outlook can automatically make messages from particular people, or about particular subjects, appear in a different colour so they immediately catch your eye.

Why Is This Useful?

Unlike an Outlook rule that moves messages into another folder, Conditional Formatting leaves emails in your normal inbox but changes how particular messages appear.

For example, you could make emails from an important customer appear in red, messages from your manager appear in blue, or emails containing a particular project name appear in green. This makes important messages much easier to spot when quickly scanning a busy inbox.

How To Set It Up In New Outlook

In new Outlook:

  1. Click Settings.
  2. Select Mail > Conditional Formatting.
  3. Click + Add rule.
  4. Give the rule a name, such as “Important Customer”.
  5. Choose the condition you want to use, such as a particular sender.
  6. Choose the colour you want those messages to appear in.
  7. Click OK, then Save.

New Outlook has fewer conditional formatting options than classic Outlook, but it is ideal for straightforward rules such as highlighting messages from particular people.

How To Set It Up In Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook gives you more control:

  1. Select View > View Settings.
  2. Click Conditional Formatting.
  3. Click Add and give your rule a name.
  4. Click Font and choose the colour, font or style you want Outlook to use.
  5. Click Condition and tell Outlook which emails should receive that formatting.
  6. Click OK to save your changes.

For example, you can highlight messages from a particular person or make emails containing certain words in the subject stand out automatically.

A Simple Way To Make Your Inbox Easier To Scan

Once configured, Outlook applies the formatting automatically whenever a matching email appears, helping important customers, projects or colleagues stand out without moving messages around or requiring you to remember to flag them manually.

Note: Conditional Formatting is available for work or school accounts with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. The feature is more comprehensive in classic Outlook, so some of the more advanced options may not be available in new Outlook.

Tech Tip : Protect Chrome Autofill With Windows Hello

Posted on by Paul Stradling

If you save personal information in Google Chrome to speed up completing online forms, you can now require Windows Hello verification before Chrome autofills it, helping prevent anyone else using your PC from accessing your saved details.

Why It Works

Chrome’s Enhanced Autofill can now securely store more types of personal information, including your home address, phone number, date of birth and payment details, making it much quicker to complete online forms. By turning on “Verify it’s you when filling sensitive info”, Chrome will ask for your Windows Hello fingerprint, face recognition or PIN before autofilling sensitive information, even if your browser is already open.

How To Turn It On

  1. Open Google Chrome.
  2. Click the three-dot menu and select Settings.
  3. Go to Autofill and passwords > Autofill settings.
  4. Turn on Verify it’s you when filling sensitive info.

The next time Chrome autofills sensitive information, you’ll first be prompted to verify your identity using Windows Hello or your Windows sign-in method.

Why It Matters

This simple setting adds an extra layer of security with very little inconvenience, making it much harder for anyone else using your computer to view or autofill your saved personal information while still keeping the convenience of Chrome’s Autofill feature.

Tech Tip : Find Email Attachments Faster In Outlook

Posted on by Paul Stradling

If you’re trying to find a PDF, Word document or spreadsheet someone emailed you weeks or even months ago, Outlook’s search tools can narrow down the results in seconds, saving you from scrolling endlessly through your Inbox.

Why It Works

Rather than searching every email, Outlook lets you filter messages that contain attachments, making it much quicker to locate important files without remembering exactly when they were sent or who sent them.

You can then narrow the results even further by searching for a particular attachment type or combining the search with other keywords.

How To Do It

Click in Outlook’s search box.

Type hasattachments:yes and press Enter to display only emails that contain attachments. This works across Outlook versions.

If you’re using classic Outlook for Windows, you can narrow the results even further by searching for a specific attachment type. For example:

  • ext:pdf – finds emails with PDF attachments.
  • ext:docx – finds emails with Microsoft Word documents.
  • ext:xlsx – finds emails with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

You can also combine these searches with other keywords or a sender’s name to pinpoint exactly the attachment you’re looking for.

Things To Remember

The hasattachments:yes search works across Outlook versions, while the ext: search operator is available in classic Outlook for Windows. Even if you only use the attachment filter, it’s a quick and easy way to track down important files without remembering when they were sent.

Tech Tip : Quickly Find Every Photo On Your PC

Posted on by Paul Stradling

Finding an image you saved weeks or even years ago can be frustrating if you can’t remember which folder it’s in. Fortunately, Windows includes a simple search feature that can locate every picture within a folder and all its subfolders in seconds.

How It Works

Instead of searching by filename, File Explorer can search by file type. By using the search term kind:=picture, Windows looks for recognised image formats, including JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP and others, regardless of what the files are called.

This makes it an easy way to find screenshots, downloaded images, scanned documents or photographs without manually browsing through folders.

How To Find All Your Photos

  1. Open ‘File Explorer’.
  2. Browse to the drive or folder you want to search.
  3. Click in the ‘Search’ box in the top-right corner.
  4. Type ‘kind:=picture’ and press ‘Enter’.
  5. Windows will display every recognised image in that location and its subfolders.

One Thing To Be Aware Of

The search only looks within the folder you currently have open. If you’re unsure where an image is stored, start your search from ‘This PC’ or your main ‘Pictures’ folder to search a much wider area.

Tech Tip : Instantly Find Microsoft Office Commands

Posted on by Paul Stradling

If you can’t remember where a command is in Word, Excel or PowerPoint, Microsoft Office includes a built-in Search feature that can take you straight to it in seconds, saving you from hunting through menus and Ribbon tabs.

This can be particularly useful when using features you don’t access very often, such as Track Changes, Mail Merge, Page Breaks or PivotTables.

How To Find Any Command Quickly

In Word, Excel or PowerPoint:

  • Click the Search box at the top of the window, or press Alt + Q.
  • Type the name of the command or feature you’re looking for.
  • Select it from the list of results.

Office will either take you directly to the command or carry out the action immediately, depending on what you’ve selected.

Why This Is Useful

The Microsoft Office Ribbon contains hundreds of commands spread across multiple tabs, making it easy to forget where less frequently used features are located.

Using the Search box is often much quicker than browsing through menus and can also help you discover features you didn’t know were available.

Tech Tip : Check If Windows Backup Is Saving Your Settings

Posted on by Paul Stradling

Microsoft is making Windows Backup automatically switch on for many Windows 11 devices, so it’s worth checking what is being backed up and deciding whether you’re happy with the setting.

What Windows Backup Does

Windows Backup, now called Windows settings backup and restore, saves your Windows settings and a list of your Microsoft Store apps to your Microsoft account. If you replace or reset your PC, those settings can be restored to help you get up and running more quickly.

It does not create a full backup of your files, programs or entire computer.

How To Check Or Change The Setting

On a personal Windows 11 PC:

  • Open ‘Settings’.
  • Select ‘Accounts’.
  • Choose ‘Windows backup’.
  • Review which options are switched on, such as preferences and app settings.
  • Turn the options on or off as required.

You can also open the ‘Windows Backup’ app to see your current backup status and start a backup manually if you wish.

One Thing To Be Aware Of

If your work PC is managed by your organisation, these settings may be controlled by your IT department and you may not be able to change them yourself. Also, remember that Windows Backup is designed to preserve settings and app information, not replace a proper backup of your important files, so it should still be used alongside your normal backup strategy.

Use Chrome To Send Someone Directly To The Important Part Of A Web Page

Posted on by Paul Stradling

If you need to share a particular sentence or paragraph from a long web page, Google Chrome can create a link that takes the recipient directly to that section and highlights the relevant text.

This is useful for sharing technical instructions, online guidance, policies, supplier terms or lengthy articles without making the recipient search through the entire page.

How To Create A Link To Highlighted Text

On a computer:

– Open the relevant web page in Chrome.

– Highlight the exact text you want to share.

– Right-click the highlighted text.

– Select Copy link to highlight.

– Paste the link into an email, Teams message or document.

When the recipient opens the link in a compatible browser, the page should open at the relevant section with the selected text highlighted.

Why This Is Useful

Ordinary web links usually take someone to the top of a page, leaving them to find the relevant information themselves. Copy link to highlight makes sharing more precise by taking them straight to an important paragraph, instruction, clause or other piece of information.

One Thing To Be Aware Of

The feature may not work with all selected content. If the option is unavailable or the link doesn’t work as expected, send the normal page link and explain where the relevant section appears.

This simple Chrome feature can save time, reduce confusion and make it easier to direct colleagues and customers to the exact information they need.

Tech Tip : Use Windows 11 Point-In-Time Restore To Recover From Problem Updates

Posted on by Paul Stradling

If a Windows update, driver, application or settings change leaves your PC unstable or unable to start properly, Windows 11 now includes a built-in Point-in-Time Restore feature that can roll your computer back to an earlier working state in just a few minutes.

Unlike the older System Restore feature, Point-in-Time Restore automatically creates full restore points every 24 hours by default. These include Windows, installed applications, settings and local files, making it much easier to recover from software problems without rebuilding your PC.

To Check Whether The Feature Is Enabled

– Open “Settings”.

– Select “System > Recovery > Point-in-Time Restore”.

– Confirm that the feature is turned on. On many Windows 11 Home and Pro PCs with drives of 200GB or larger, it is enabled automatically.

If Your PC Develops A Serious Problem

– Restart your PC into the “Windows Recovery Environment”.

– Select “Troubleshoot > Point-in-Time Restore”.

– Enter your “BitLocker recovery key” if prompted.

– Choose a restore point created before the problem occurred.

– Confirm the restore and allow Windows to roll your PC back to that earlier state.

Before using Point-in-Time Restore, remember that any applications, settings or local files created after the selected restore point will be removed. Files stored in OneDrive or another cloud service remain safe, although they may need to synchronise again afterwards.

Point-in-Time Restore provides an excellent safety net when updates or software changes go wrong, but it’s still important to keep your important files backed up to the cloud or another secure location.

Tech Tip : Turn Off Gemini AI Distractions In Google Docs

Posted on by Paul Stradling

If Gemini AI prompts in Google Docs are getting in the way of your writing, there’s a quick way to turn them off and regain a cleaner, more focused workspace.

Why This Matters

Google has been steadily integrating Gemini into Google Docs, Sheets, Gmail, and other Workspace applications. While many users find the AI features useful, others prefer a cleaner writing environment without AI prompts appearing on screen.

Reducing these prompts can make documents feel less cluttered, help you focus on writing, and give you more control over when and how you use AI tools.

How To Hide The Gemini Bottom Bar In Google Docs

If you see a Gemini prompt box at the bottom of your document, you can hide it:

  • Open your Google Doc.
  • Click Gemini in the menu bar.
  • Select Bottom Bar Preferences.
  • Turn off the Gemini bottom bar.

This removes the AI prompt panel from the bottom of the document while allowing you to access Gemini manually if you need it later.

How To Reduce AI Features Across Google Workspace

You can also disable some Workspace smart features that power AI-driven suggestions and personalisation.

  • Open Gmail.
  • Click the Settings cog.
  • Select See All Settings.
  • Scroll down to Google Workspace Smart Features.
  • Click Manage Workspace Smart Feature Settings.
  • Turn off Smart Features in Google Workspace if you no longer want these features enabled.

This setting affects several Google Workspace applications and may reduce some AI-powered suggestions and prompts.

Things To Keep In Mind

Turning off Workspace smart features does not necessarily remove every Gemini capability from your Google account. Some Gemini features may still be available depending on your Google Workspace subscription, administrator settings, and the specific applications you use.

However, these settings can significantly reduce AI prompts and create a cleaner, less distracting workspace for users who prefer to write and work without constant AI assistance.

A Cleaner Way To Work

AI tools can be useful when you need them, but many people don’t want them appearing every time they open a document. Taking a few moments to adjust these settings can help create a simpler, more focused Google Docs experience while still allowing you to use Gemini when you choose to.

Tech Tip : Use A Separate Windows Desktop For Presentations

Posted on by Paul Stradling

One of the easiest ways to avoid accidentally revealing emails, Teams chats, confidential documents, browser tabs, or other sensitive information during a presentation is to create a separate desktop in Windows just for screen sharing. Here’s how to do it.

Why It Works

Windows includes a built-in Virtual Desktop feature that lets you create multiple separate workspaces on the same PC.

Instead of sharing your normal desktop, where emails, notifications, and work files may be visible, you can create a clean desktop containing only the applications you want your audience to see.

This is particularly useful for Teams meetings, Zoom calls, webinars, training sessions, customer demonstrations, and presentations.

How To Create A Presentation Desktop

Press:

Windows + Tab

Click:

New Desktop

A new, empty desktop will be created.

Open your presentation, browser window, application, or demonstration materials on this new desktop.

You can switch between desktops at any time using:

Windows + Ctrl + Left Arrow

or

Windows + Ctrl + Right Arrow

Why This Matters

Accidentally exposing confidential information during screen sharing is surprisingly common. A separate presentation desktop creates a cleaner, more professional environment and reduces the risk of unintentionally revealing emails, Teams messages, customer information, internal documents, or other sensitive business data.

It only takes a few seconds to set up and can help prevent an embarrassing and potentially costly mistake.