Manually Adjust the Size of Periods in Word

If you have only certain periods that you want to adjust, it’s as easy as changing the font size for each one. You have more than one method to change the font size depending on your preference.

Use the Font Size Menu

1. Select a period by dragging your cursor through it or double-clicking it. You’ll then see it highlighted.
2. Go to the Home tab and choose a size in the Font Size drop-down menu.

3. You’ll see a preview in your document as you move your cursor through each size until you land on the one you want.

Use the Increase Font Size Button

You can also select a period and use the Increase Font Size button which is also in the Font section of the ribbon on the Home tab. If necessary, you can continually use the button to increase the size even more.

Use the Format Font Dialog Box

Maybe you’d like to make additional font changes along with the period size. In this case, you can use the Font dialog box.

1. Select the period and do one of the following:
2. On Windows, open the Font launcher using the tiny arrow in the corner of the Font section on the Home tab.

3. On Mac, go to Format > Font in the menu bar.

4. When the box opens, confirm you’re on the Font tab and use the Size menu to pick the size. You’ll see a preview of the new size at the bottom allowing you to adjust further if you wish.

5. Select OK to apply the size and any other changes you make.

Use the Floating Toolbar on Windows

In Word on Windows, you can also use the Font Size drop-down box in the floating toolbar. Select a period and the toolbar will display.

Automatically Adjust the Size of Periods in Word

If you prefer to change the size of all periods in your Word document, you don’t have to do this one by one, which is time-consuming. Using Find and Replace and the feature’s advanced options, you can increase the size of every period.

1. Open the Find and Replace tool one of these ways:
2. On Windows, go to the Home tab and choose Replace in the Editing section of the ribbon.

3. On Mac, select Edit > Find > Advanced Find and Replace.

4. When the dialog box opens, confirm you’re on the Replace tab. Then, type a period in the Find what and Replace with fields.

5. Select the More button (arrow button on Mac) to display the advanced options. Then, use the Format button to pick the Font option.

6. In the Font box, choose your desired font size in the Size box and select OK.

7. When you return to the Find and Replace box, you should see the new font size below your period in the Replace with field.

8. Use Replace All to change them all at once. Alternatively, you can also use the Replace button to see each replacement one at a time.

9. When you finish, you’ll see how many replacements were made. Depending on your cursor’s location in the document, you may be prompted to search from the beginning. Otherwise, you’ll see the total number of replacements.

You should then see all periods in your document using the size you picked.

While there isn’t a current setting to change the default font size of punctuation marks in Microsoft Word, these methods work perfectly for increasing the size of the periods along with commas or question marks in your document.

Now that you know how to make periods bigger in Word, look at how to apply small caps to fonts.

For your next conference, kick-off, or update, here’s how to schedule a meeting in Outlook.

How to Schedule a Meeting in Outlook

When you want to schedule a meeting using Microsoft Outlook, you have a few different ways to display the new event window. Open Outlook and head to a spot below.

From Your Outlook Inbox

When viewing your inbox, go to the Home tab, open the New Items drop-down menu, and choose Meeting. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Q.

Want to create a meeting from a specific email in Outlook? Select the Other Actions button (three dots) on the message and choose Meeting.

Alternatively, select the email, go to the Home tab, and choose Reply with Meeting in the ribbon or use Ctrl + Alt + R.

From Your Outlook Calendar

If you’re viewing your Outlook Calendar, go to the Home tab and select New Meeting in the ribbon. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Q.

Alternatively, choose the date you want to use and right-click the time. Select New Meeting Request or New Recurring Meeting per your preference.

Note: If you double-click the time in a calendar view, this creates an Appointment rather than a Meeting by default.

Enter the Meeting Details

Once the new meeting window opens using one of the above methods, you can add the details in any order.

1. Enter the Title, select the Start and End meeting times and optionally pick the time zone, or check the box for an All Day meeting. You can also enter a location or link to an online meeting, or use the buttons for Location or Room Finder if you have these types of items saved.

2. You can also make the meeting repeat, which is handy for meetings you plan to have on a regular basis. Select Make Recurring (unless you chose New Recurring Meeting above).

3. Then, pick the Start and End times, the recurrence pattern, and the range of the recurrence. Choose OK when you finish to pop this information into the meeting window.

4. If you’d like to attach a file, insert a picture, schedule a Microsoft Teams meeting, or draw an illustration, use the additional tabs and ribbon options at the top.

How to Add Attendees

Similar to creating the meeting in Outlook, you have more than one way to add attendees. You can include the participants at any point during the meeting setup. To invite attendees after you schedule the meeting, head to the following section.

Enter Meeting Attendees

You can quickly add attendees to your meeting by entering their names or email addresses next to Required (those who must attend) or Optional (those who may attend) at the top of the window.

1. To add participants from your Outlook address book, select the Required or Optional button.

2. In the pop-up window, choose an Address Book at the top if you have more than one. Then, select a contact and use the Required or Optional button at the bottom to add them to the meeting.

3. Choose OK, and you’ll see the contacts added to your meeting request.

Use the Scheduling Assistant

Another way to add meeting attendees is to use the Scheduling Assistant. This feature is available to Microsoft 365 and Exchange account users.

Go to the Scheduling Assistant tab and do one of the following:

• Enter the names or email addresses below All Attendees on the left. You’ll notice sections for Required Attendee and Optional Attendee, so be sure to enter the name(s) in the correct area(s).
• Select Add Attendees in the ribbon to choose participants from your address book.

When you finish using the Scheduling Assistant, select the Meeting tab to return to your meeting setup.

How to Track Attendees

To see who has accepted, declined, might join (tentative), or has not responded to your meeting request, head to the Calendar in Outlook.

Double-click the meeting to open it and go to the Tracking tab. You’ll see each invitee, if they are Required or Optional, and their Response to your meeting invitation on the right.

How to Edit Existing Meetings

Things come up all the time that may require you to change a meeting you’ve scheduled. As examples, you may want to add or remove attendees, change the date or time, or include a file.

1. Select the Calendar icon in the left-hand navigation and double-click the meeting on your calendar to open it.

2. You can add attendees as described above by entering their name or email address, using the Required or Optional button, or with the Scheduling Assistant. You can also remove a participant by deleting their name next to the Required or Optional field.
3. Make any other changes to the event as needed and select Send Update when you finish.

4. Depending on the changes you make, you may be asked if you want to send updates to added, deleted, or all attendees. Pick an option to send your update.

Edits for Non-Meeting Organizers

If you’re not the meeting owner but want to update the event by adding more participants, this is an option.

1. To add an attendee, open the meeting on your calendar and go to the Meeting tab. Either select the Forward drop-down menu in the Actions section and choose a Forward option or select the Respond drop-down menu and pick Forward.

2. Choose the attendee from your address book or enter their name or email address in the Required or Optional field and hit Send.

3. The meeting organizer will receive a notification that you forwarded the meeting to another person and should see any other changes you made.

Note: If the meeting organizer disabled forwarding, you cannot send the meeting request to another participant.

How to Start Late or End Early

Outlook for Microsoft 365 provides a convenient feature for automatically starting meetings late or ending them early. This is helpful for giving everyone a few extra minutes between meetings.

1. Select the File tab and choose Options. Then, pick Calendar on the left of the Calendar Options window.
2. On the right, go to the Calendar Options section and check the box for Shorten appointments and meetings. Use the drop-down menu to pick End early or Start late.

3. Then, choose the number of minutes for meetings less than one hour long and meetings one hour or longer.

4. Select OK when you finish. You’ll then see the Start time or End time automatically update to accommodate the selected timing when you create a new meeting.

Get Ready to Meet

Setting up a meeting in Outlook is easy to do. You can add multiple attendees, attach items, and make changes before the meeting if needed.

Now that you know how to schedule a meeting in Outlook, check out how to add Zoom to Microsoft Outlook for video calls.

Thankfully, there are several ways to insert dates into your Word documents. You can insert the current date as plain text, as a field that updates automatically, or as a drop-down list. You can also use a keyboard shortcut to insert the date and time quickly.

We’ll show you how to use these four methods to insert dates into Microsoft Word documents below.

How to Insert the Current Date as Plain Text in Microsoft Word

One of the simplest ways to insert the current date into your Word document is to use the Date & Time button. This will insert the date as plain text, which means it won’t change or update unless you manually edit it.

To use this method, follow these steps.

1. Place your cursor where you want to insert the date in your Word document.
2. Select the Insert tab on the ribbon bar, then press the Date & Time button in the Text group.

3. The Date and Time box will appear with a list of date and time formats. Choose the format you want and click OK.

4. The current date will be inserted as plain text at your cursor position.

How to Insert the Current Date as a Data Field that Updates Automatically in Word

If you want to insert the current date as a field that updates automatically whenever you open or print your document, you can use the same Date & Time command. You’ll need to change how it works, however.

1. To do this, open your Word document and place your blinking cursor where you want to insert the date or time value.
2. Select Insert > Date & Time on the ribbon bar.

3. The Date and Time box will open with a list of date and time formats—choose the format you want to use from the Available formats list.

4. Press the Update automatically checkbox at the bottom. This will ensure that the date value always updates.
5. Press OK to save the changes.

6. The current date will be inserted as a custom data field at your cursor position with a gray background when you select it. Select the field and press the Update button to update the field manually.

Formatting and Customizing Date Fields in Word

After you insert the dates into your Word document, you can format and customize them according to your needs. For example, you might want to change the date format, language, or style.

To format and customize the dates in Word, follow these steps.

1. Select the date that you want to format or customize. If it’s a field, you’ll see a gray background when you select it.
2. Right-click the field and press Edit Field from the menu.

3. In the Date formats box in the Field menu, edit the ISO date format to a format that you prefer.

4. Alternatively, press the Field Codes button at the bottom left corner. You’ll see the field code for the date on the right, which looks something like this: { DATE @ “MMMM d, yyyy” }.

5. To change the date format, edit the text inside the quotation marks. You can use different symbols and letters to represent different parts of the date. For example, you can use “d” for day, “M” for month, “y” for year, etc., which reflects typical ISO date time formats.

6. After editing the date field, press OK to close the dialog box.

7. Select the field again and select the Update button. The date will update according to the changes you’ve made.

How to Insert a Date in Word Using a Date Picker Drop-Down

Another way to insert a date into your Word document is to use a date picker drop-down field. This is a field type that allows you to choose a date from a calendar without relying on complex field codes.

This is useful if you want to create forms or templates that require inputting dates, for instance.

1. To do this, place your blinking cursor on the document where you want to insert your date.
2. Check that the Developer tab is visible on the ribbon bar. If it isn’t, you can enable it by pressing File > Options > Customize Ribbon and enabling the Developer checkbox before saving the changes.

3. Next, press the Developer tab and select Date Picker Content Control in the Controls group.

4. A date picker drop-down field will be inserted at your cursor position. You can click on it to choose a date from a calendar.

5. The date will be applied immediately. To change it again, select the downwards arrow next to the field to show the calendar again, then choose a new date.

6. To change the format or color of the field, select the field first, then press the Properties button in the Controls group to make your changes.

How to Insert the Date and Time Using a Keyboard Shortcut in Word

You can also use keyboard shortcuts in Word to help you quickly insert the date or time into your Word document. The information will be inserted directly where your blinking cursor is positioned—no extra steps are required.

1. To do this, open your Word document and place your blinking cursor where you want the date and time to appear.
2. Next, press Alt + Shift + D on your keyboard. This will insert the current date in the format of Month, Day, Year (for example, January 12, 2023).
3. Alternatively, press Alt + Shift + T on your keyboard. This will insert the current time in the format of Hour:Minute AM/PM (for example, 3:26 PM).

You can combine these shortcuts to insert the date and time simultaneously. Make sure to leave a gap between them, however.

Using the Date and Time in Word Documents

Thanks to the steps above, you can quickly insert dates into Microsoft Word documents. Depending on your preferences, the information can be static or ready to change whenever you open your document.

Remember, however, that features like the Date Picker won’t work if you open your Word document outside of Word in a tool like Google Docs. If you want to convert your Word document, you’ll need to insert your date and time as plain text to ensure that it converts properly.

The #SPILL error can be frustrating to deal with, especially if you’re working on a large or complex spreadsheet. However, there are a few fixes you can try to resolve the problem

To fix the #SPILL error in Microsoft Excel, follow these steps.

What Is the #SPILL Error in Excel?

The #SPILL error in Excel occurs when a formula returns a large number of values that Excel isn’t able to display in one place—it’s reached a boundary that it can’t cross. This usually happens when the adjacent cells are not empty, or when the formula spills over into already occupied cells.

For example, if you’re using an Excel function (such as an array formula) that fills multiple cells, but one of the cells it wants to fill already has data in it, the #SPILL error will appear. This is because the cell it’s trying to fill isn’t empty, and it can’t overwrite data that already exists.

There are a few ways you can fix the #SPILL error in Excel, depending on the cause and situation. These typically include emptying or moving cells that are obstructing the results from your function.

However, you may also need to move the function causing the #SPILL error to another location or use unique functions like IFERROR to handle (or hide) the error from view.

Clear or Move the Obstructing Cells

The simplest and most obvious solution to the #SPILL error in Excel is to clear or move data from any cells that are blocking the spill range. To identify the obstructing cells, you can click on the formula cell and see a dashed border around the intended spill range. Any data inside that border is an obstacle.

Alternatively, you can click on the warning icon next to the formula cell and choose the Select Obstructing Cells option. This will highlight the cells that are causing the problem.

Once you’ve identified the obstructing cells, you can either delete them or move them to another location. This should allow the formula to spill correctly and display the results.

Resize or Relocate the Formula

Another option is to resize or relocate the formula causing the #SPILL error so that it doesn’t spill into occupied cells. For example, if your formula is expected to return more than one value, but there is only one cell available below it, you can either move it to another column or drag it down to create more space.

To resize or relocate a formula, you can select it and drag it from the top-right corner (where the arrow is pointing upward) to another cell and location that isn’t obstructed. To be clear, don’t drag the fill handle in the bottom-right, as this will copy the cell formula to other cells, not move it.

Alternatively, you can right-click the cell and select Cut to place it in your clipboard, then right-click an empty cell (that isn’t obstructed) and press Paste.

However, be careful that the references in your formula aren’t changed when you move it. You may need to use absolute references (with dollar signs) or named range of cells to keep them consistent.

Can You Hide or Ignore the #SPILL Error in Excel?

The #SPILL error is designed to alert you to a potential problem. You may want to hide the error from view, however. Typically, you could use IFERROR to bypass errors in functions and display a custom error message, but unfortunately, IFERROR doesn’t work with a #SPILL error.

The only way to hide or ignore a #SPILL error in Excel is to do so via the error-checking pop-up that appears when you select the cell. This won’t hide the message itself, but it will hide the warning arrow that appears in the top-left, as well as hide the warning icon that appears when you select the cell.

To hide a #SPILL error in Excel, follow these steps.

1. Open your Excel file and select the cell that contains the #SPILL error.
2. Hover over and select the warning icon that appears while the cell is active.
3. From the pop-up, select Ignore Error.

This will hide the warning icons until you make any further changes to the cell. It will also reappear if you exit and reload your spreadsheet—you’ll need to repeat these steps to hide the error again at that point.

Managing Errors in Microsoft Excel

The #SPILL error in Excel isn’t a bad one—it indicates that your formula is returning multiple results, but it stops it from overwriting other (potentially important) data. However, if you want to avoid or correct this error, you need to make sure that there is enough space for your formula to fill properly.

This is all part of ensuring that the data in your Excel spreadsheet is correct. If you want to take a closer look, you may need to search your Excel sheets for specific subsets of data.

Trying to deal with multiple datasets across multiple spreadsheets? You could always merge your Excel data together to make it easier to handle. Just remember that the larger the spreadsheet, the more resources your PC will need to open and handle the file. Otherwise, Excel might stop responding entirely.

Scrollbars in Windows 11 are no different. You might find that the scrollbar in Windows 11 is too thin to use, or doesn’t appear at all, appearing hidden by default. If you want to change this behavior, you’ll need to know how to customize the scrollbar on your Windows 11 PC (especially if you’re using a touchscreen device).

There are a few ways you can customize your Windows 11 scrollbars, from making them always visible to changing their size and behavior. We’ll explain how below.

How to Make the Scrollbars Always Visible

The default behavior in most Windows 11 applications is for the scrollbar to appear hidden. You’ll have to hover your mouse over the edge of the window or swipe your finger on the screen to reveal them. This can be frustrating and time-consuming, especially if you’re actively trying to scroll through a long document or website.

To make the scrollbars always visible on Windows 11, you can use the accessibility settings. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the Start menu and press Settings.

2. In the Settings app, select Accessibility from the left-hand sidebar. On the right, select the Visual effects section.

3. In the Visual effects menu, toggle the Always show scrollbars option.

This will make the scrollbars appear permanently in supported Windows apps including Notepad, WordPad, and other default Microsoft apps. To hide them in the future, return to the settings menu and disable the Always show scrollbars slider.

It may also impact how scrollbars appear in other non-Microsoft apps. However, this will depend on the application you’re using, and your experience may vary.

How to Change the Size of Windows 11 Scrollbars

If you want to customize the Windows 11 scrollbar so that they appear smaller or larger than the default size, there’s only one way to do it without third-party software—via the Windows Registry. By modifying the Registry, you’ll be able to set the size of your scrollbars via a Registry key change.

A word of warning, however. Making changes to the Registry is potentially dangerous to your computer, as the wrong change can cause your PC to become unstable or stop working.

Before you begin, make sure that you backup your Registry to allow you to restore it. You should also create a new System Restore point to ensure you can restore your PC if something goes wrong.

To change the size of the scrollbars on Windows 11 (or Windows 10) using the Registry Editor, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Start menu and select Run to open the Run dialog box. Alternatively, press the Windows key + R together.

2. Type regedit in the Run box and click OK.

3. If prompted, press Yes to accept the User Account Control prompt.

4. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics key using the navigation tree menu on the left or the bar at the top.
5. On the right, double-click the ScrollHeight value. This will allow you to modify the scrollbar height on your Windows 11 PC.

6. In the Edit String dialog box, change the Value data to a negative number between -100 and -1500. The lower the number, the bigger the scrollbar. For example, -1000 will make a very large scrollbar, while -150 will make a very small scrollbar. The default value is -255.
7. Click OK to save your changes.

8. Repeat these steps for the ScrollWidth value, setting the value between -100 and -1500. This will modify the Windows 11 scrollbar width.

9. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

You should now see that your scrollbars have changed their size. If you’re unhappy, repeat these steps to increase (or decrease) the scrollbars, or revert back to the default size by changing the ScrollHeight and ScrollWidth values back to -255.

How to Adjust Mouse Scrolling Behavior on Windows 11

Most users don’t actively drag a scrollbar up or down—they use their mouse to achieve the scrolling effect they want. Another way to customize the scrollbars on Windows 11 is to adjust how they behave when (or how) your mouse interacts with them.

For instance, you can enable or disable scrolling on inactive windows, which means that you can scroll through any window without clicking on it first, and thus making it the ‘active’ window. This can be useful for multitasking or when you’re comparing different documents or web pages (as long as mouse scrolling works on your PC).

To adjust the scrolling behavior on Windows 11, you’ll need to adjust your mouse settings. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.

2. In the Settings app, open Bluetooth & devices > Mouse using the left-hand sidebar.

3. On the right pane, under the Scrolling section, toggle the switch for the Scroll inactive windows when hovering over them option to enable or disable the feature.

The change will apply immediately—you won’t need to restart your PC. If you want to revert back, return to the menu and disable (or re-enable) the feature.

Customizing Your Windows 11 PC

There’s no right or wrong way to scroll through pages or applications on your Windows 11 PC. If you want to customize the scrollbar on Windows 11 to suit your own requirements, the steps above will help you to get the job done.

Did you know that you didn’t even need to scroll yourself to work through a webpage? You can set your mouse to scroll automatically by using different browser extensions or add-ons.

If you’re using a touchscreen device, however, scrolling might be a lot easier, thanks to two-finger scrolling. However, if two-finger scrolling isn’t working, you’ll need to troubleshoot the problem next.