10 most useful Excel Tips and Tricks for beginners

In spite of having several spreadsheet tools and other similar applications, we still prefer to work along with Microsoft Excel itself. This is because this spreadsheet program makes your job pretty handy if you know the way to use it. Whether you are a small businessman or working in a corporate office, Excel worksheet has now become a quite helpful and essential resource for daily users.

This application is mainly used for recording and manipulating numerical data for various purposes. Because of its straightforward functions and easy-to-use features, it has been always the primary means of every corporate user. In this guide, there are the 10 major helpful excel tips and tricks that one must need to know.

In this post we will cover the following Excel Tips and Tricks, which we think are the most useful ones:

Let us start and know each one in detail.

Sometimes you might need to make some massive changes to your Excel worksheet. In such a case, you can select all the cells in your worksheet using the square box that is available in the extreme top-left corner of the spreadsheet.

When you select the square box, it highlights all the cells in the worksheet even the empty cells as well. As an alternative, you can also use the Ctrl+A keyboard shortcut to select all the cells on the worksheet.

Read: Microsoft Excel Tutorial for Beginners

While working on the MS Excel with a large amount of data record, often it becomes complicated to resize each column cells according to its text. In order to resize the columns in an easy way, you can use the AutoFit column width feature that is an inbuilt feature in Excel.

All you need to move your mouse pointer to the boundary of the column you want to autofit and then double click on it. And if you have to adjust the entire columns then select them all and double click on the boundary of any column.

Alternatively, you can also resize the column width by using the Autofit Column width option. To do this, select the column you want to adjust and then navigate to the Menu bar > Home tab. In the Cells section, click on the Format option and then select Autofit Columns Width from the drop-down menu.

Read: List of best free Excel Add-ins you should be using

Some people create Excel spreadsheets where the main fields go across horizontally in a row. Others put the data vertically. Sometimes these preferences lead to a scenario where you want to transpose Excel data. Transpose is an Excel function that allows you to switch Excel columns to rows without retyping the data.

Transpose function is a great feature you will get in the MS Excel spreadsheets. It becomes very helpful when you need to switch the data columns from horizontal to vertical without retyping the data.

In the above picture, the data are arranged in a tabular form where the figures of the subjects are showing vertically. If we need to rearrange the data horizontally in a manual way then it would be quite difficult. But with the help of transpose function, you can do it in a couple of seconds.

So, you first need to select the data from the table and copy them. Now, place your mouse pointer where you have to transpose the data, do a right-click and select Paste Special option from the context menu. When the Paste Special window opens, check the Transpose function and click on the OK button.

Read: Top 15 Financial functions in Microsoft Excel

Excel filter function allows you to hide the unwanted data and to display only certain important data in the spreadsheet. Using this feature, you can easily filter the names, dates, and numbers from the huge dataset or table. However, it doesn’t remove or modify the original data. It becomes very useful when you need to focus only on some special kind of information.

In the above dataset, you can see there is a list of students whose marks are different, their address is different. It can be large even more. So, if you need to filter any specified data then it can be quite difficult.

To make it in an easy way, you can use the filter command. So, all you need to select the header of the table and then navigate to the Editing section. In the corresponding section, select the Sort & Filter and then choose the Filter tool.

Click on the down-arrow option that comes to appear near the header of each column. It allows you to sort your data in alphabetical order or to arrange the numbers by smallest to largest. Furthermore, you can use the text filter to filter the data as per your requirement.

It is quite an easy job to locate and remove duplicates entries for a spreadsheet having a small set of data. But if it has to be done with a large dataset where the columns and rows are in hundreds then it would be indeed a challenging task.

In the above table, there are ten records in which two entries are totally similar and a common name has been used in three rows. So, in order to find out the duplicate entries, you need to select the table. After that, navigate to the Data menu, select the Data Tools category, and then click Remove Duplicates.

In the dialog box, mark the checkbox near the My data has headers. And, under the columns section, remove the mark of the serial number as it is different for each entry. Finally, click on the OK button and you will see the duplicate entry gets removed from the table.

Sometimes you might have noticed the blank cells or rows in your spreadsheet that are mostly undesirable. Users commonly do a right-click on the specified row and delete them one by one. But what will you do if their numbers are in hundreds? In that situation, deleting them one by one would really be a tedious job.

Therefore, in order to delete them in one go, press Ctrl+G shortcut key and when the Go To dialog box comes to appear, select the Special button. On the following page, mark the Blanks radio button and click on the OK button. You will notice that all the blank cells get selected.

Now, press the Ctrl+minus button. When a pop-up menu appears, select Shift cells up and click on the OK button. You will see, all the blanks cells get removed and the dataset also arranged suitably.

As I aforementioned that blank rows are mostly undesirable but sometimes it works as well. So, if you need to insert them, you can do a right-click on the specified row and add them one by one as I stated while removing blank rows.

So, to insert the blank rows in each separate record, make a series of the mentioned serial number. After that, select all the data set and then click on the Sort tool available on the Data tab.

In the following dialog box, click on the Sort by drop-down menu, and arrange them by serial number.

Clicking on the OK button, it will insert a blank row between each separate row.

Sometimes it happens that you need to use the data in another sheet which you enter in the first sheet. To do so, you commonly use the traditional copy and paste method. But, when you need to change some data in one sheet then it again has to change it on the other sheet as well. It becomes a bit complicated when you have to change the same data on both sheets one by one.

In excel, there is an option that automatically copies the data of the first sheet into other sheets in a real-time process. However, for copying the data automatically to other sheets, you need to first make a connection between them.To do so, go to the status bar of the first sheet. After that, keep pressing the Ctrl key and click those sheets on which you have to copy the data automatically. That’s it.Now whatever data you enter on the first sheet, it automatically gets copied on the other sheets.

It has always been said that “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Accordingly, sometimes you may need to add a screenshot within your Excel worksheet so that you could explain the things in a better way.

However, you don’t need to use any third-party application to capture a screenshot. Excel has an inbuilt camera command that helps you to take the screenshot in a single click.

To use this feature, you first have to enable the camera command. So, all you need to navigate to the quick access toolbar and click on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar. After that, click on the drop-down menu of Choose commands from > All commands > Camera. Now, select the Add button and hit OK.

After following the above procedure, you will notice a Camera icon is now added to the quick access toolbar. Now, select the cells or data for which you need an image. After that, click on the Camera icon and then click anywhere on the worksheet. You can also drag and resize the image to adjust according to your requirements.

In the excel worksheet, you can easily create a hyperlink to your Gmail address.

To do so, you first need to select the cell where you want to insert the link. After that, press Ctrl+K shortcut. When the dialog box prompts on the screen, select the E-mail Address from the left pane. Add your email address and then hit the OK button.

That’s it. I hope these tips and tricks may be helpful while using Excel worksheets on your computer.

Now read: Advanced Microsoft Excel Tips and Tricks for Windows users

Tips and Tricks

Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Tips And Tricks

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes you on a wild ride across many regions. Naturally, there are countless things you'll want to learn and discover. Here's our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom beginner's guide with tips and tricks for various activities in the game.

We've split up our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom beginner's guide/tips and tricks article into several categories. We've included a few suggestions and tidbits that you can try as you play.

Surface, Sky, and Depths - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is divided into three major "worlds" (as we call them). The Surface region is the good ol' land of Hyrule and nearby surroundings. The Sky region, meanwhile, is made up of floating island chains. It's actually where you'll start your journey, as we've noted in our Great Sky Island guide.

As for the Depths, it's a dark and foreboding region with its own challenges. In a way, it mirrors what you see on the Surface world, meaning it's just as huge as the land of Hyrule. You can learn more in our Depths and Chasms overview guide.

Tag those Skyview Towers - The Skyview Towers give you a fast travel point for easy teleportation. Moreover, activating one's launch pad reveals landmarks in surrounding areas. You can learn about their locations and related tasks in our Skyview Towers guide.

Pins and markers - Speaking of Skyview Towers, as Link is launched into the air, you might see points-of-interest in the distance. You can open your binoculars by pressing the right thumbstick, then press the A button to place a pin. Alternatively, you can open your map and place the pin there as well.

Shrines and Lightroots - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has over a hundred Shrines for you to discover in both the Surface World and Sky World. Not only do they act as fast travel points, but they'll also reward you with Blessings of Light if you complete their respective challenges. The Depths, however, lack Shrines. Instead, you'll find Lightroots down below.

Here's the important tidbit: Shrine locations correspond to Lightroot locations - they're basically mirror versions. As such, if you see a Shrine named "Gatakis" on the Surface, you can open the Depths map to see the "Sikatag" Lightroot below it. The same is also true if you find a Lightroot first. You'll know that there's a Shrine above that. In any case, you can learn more in our Shrine locations guide.

Getting around with mounts and vehicles - Early on, you should be able to acquire your own horse mount. You might even find Epona, too. However, if you're tired of traditional mount controls, you can always turn to makeshift vehicles by way of the Ultrahand. We discuss this feature in the section below.

Use the Shield Surf - If you're not using mounts or vehicles, you could try Shield Surfing. Basically, you'll want to do this either when Link is jumping (X button) or while falling from a great height. Simply hold the ZL button, and press the A button. You'll use your equipped shield to get around, which is quite useful if you're making your way down an incline or steep hill.

Chase down shooting stars - If you see a shooting star in the distance, head to where it landed. You might find a material, such as a Star Fragment.

Oddly curious scenery might have Koroks - If you see something that looks a bit odd, chances are, you'd find a Korok hiding there. These include puzzle blocks with missing pieces, tree trunks with hearts, floating leaves with a sparkle, and small stones arranged in a pile. There are hundreds to find, so keep your eyes peeled.

Visit the Geoglyphs - Geoglyphs are large patterns on various terrain. The patterns themselves aren't noticeable if you're just exploring on the ground. However, they'll be quite visible when viewed from the sky. You can learn more in our Geoglyphs guide.

Get creative with the Ultrahand - You'll receive the Ultrahand early in the campaign. With it, you can grab objects so they can be lifted, rotated, realigned, and attached. While there are some obvious solutions to problems, you could always try to get creative when coming up with your own solutions.

For instance, if you have to cross a gap, you might think that the only way is to glide, grab onto a ledge, then climb up, all while eating stamina food in the process. Then again, it might be possible to just cut down some trees, attach the logs end to end, all to have a makeshift bridge. You can learn more in our Ultrahand tips guide.

Bring out those Zonai Devices when needed - There are times when you'd see Zonai Devices lying around. In others, you might even pick them up while they're still in containers. Try to make the most out of them. You've got everything from Zonai Fans that blow gusts of wind, Flame Emitters that cast jets of fire, Hover Blocks that can be suspended in mid-air, Stakes that can be driven into walls, and so on. We've got an article that discusses all the Zonai Devices in the game.

DIY vehicles - We mentioned vehicles a while ago, but it really goes without saying that a common Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom tip is to design your own vehicle. Here are some examples:

Upgrade your Energy Cell or use Batteries - While Zonai Devices are being powered, Link's Energy Cell will slowly get drained. You could always find the resources to upgrade its capacity. Alternatively, just attach a Battery or Big Battery to keep that contraption running.

Pick/respec hearts or stamina - Most of the Blessings of Light that you obtain will come from Shrines, though there are other sources which we won't spoil here. You'll then need to talk to a Goddess Statue, such as the one in Lookout Landing, your main hub in Hyrule. You can exchange four Blessings of Light for either one heart or one stamina segment. You may also respec from hearts to stamina, or vice versa, depending on your needs.

Increase your inventory slots via Korok Seeds - You have very limited inventory space for your melee weapons, bows, and shields. However, the Korok Seeds that you've found can be traded to Hestu. You'll then be able to choose which inventory type gets another slot.

Cook food for buffs - Ideally, you'll want to cook ingredients in a pot, as opposed to an open fire, as the former will let you turn the combined ingredients into a meal. Try to bring meals that aid you in a given situation, such as attack-boosters when you're about to fight a boss, or meals that use Spicy Pepper as an ingredient if you're heading to snowy regions.

Farm ingredients and materials using the Purah Pad Sensor - Since we've talked about food, now would be a great time to mention that you'll likely farm ingredients. To make the process easier, get the Purah Pad Camera and Sensor+ upgrades. You'll be able to take a picture of a particular plant, ingredient, or material, so you can track it later.

Managing weapon degradation via the Fuse system - Yes, weapon degradation can be annoying, but there's really not a lot we could do about it. Thankfully, the Fuse system can alleviate this issue. Basically, some items have a "Fuse attack power," which essentially denotes their DPS. You can then Fuse these items (or even actual weapons) onto your weapons. As such, even a weak club or stick can be viable, especially if it has a Fused material with decent DPS. You can learn more in our best early-game Fuse options guide.

Use Gloom weapons as Fuse Materials - Gloom weapons are dropped by a particular boss, which we won't spoil here. Needless to say, you'll see a few of these much later in the campaign. They do high damage, but you'll be affected by Gloom with each strike. This debuff locks out your heart, preventing it from being healed (sort of like lowering your max HP). But, if the Gloom weapon is the one that's being Fused onto an equipped armament, that debuff itself is negated.

Sneakstrikes, parries, and Flurry Rush - There are many concepts to learn as you're fighting foes in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Here are some examples:

Attach materials to your arrows - Instead of just firing a boring ol' arrow, you can attach various materials. Some examples include Keese Eyeballs, which will home in on your target, Fire/Ice/Shock Fruits, which have their own elemental effects, and even some monster body parts, which tend to do decent damage.

Slow down time by aiming while in mid-air - If you draw your bow while in mid-air, Link will slow down time (though stamina will gradually get depleted). This, however, allows you to do accurate headshots, often stunning the enemy.

This can be used in conjunction with various Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom tips and tricks. For instance, if you Fuse a Zonai Spring or Time Bomb with your shield, the aforementioned Shield Surf will cause you to bounce instantly. With this in mind, you'll have a way to do slow-time air shots at will.

There are numerous mechanics and facets to learn in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. For more information, you can visit our guides hub.

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