Excel - single window, more files
How difficult it is to convince Microsoft team to fix major problems? I've recently switched to new Excel and I'm ...amazed. We used to be able to open multiple files, sheets in the same window. Opening multiple windows was possible as well. Now everything, even the same sheet is in new window. Every new window has it's own tool ribbon. Which is taking space. Ribbons do not synchronize - also slowing down the work. I get that there is and idea behind it. Probably more stable, easier to code or something entirely different that I do not know. But this is so annoying to work with. Is it possible to convince Microsoft that they should find a solution to problem they created?
Measuring success in Microsoft 365 & Copilot adoption
As a student Microsoft 365 Champion, I’m starting to notice that successful adoption isn’t just about enabling tools — it’s about how adoption is measured and guided. In my learning, simple analytics (usage trends, engagement patterns, feedback loops) combined with tools like Power BI seem to make a big difference in understanding what’s actually working and where support is needed. I’m curious — for those working on Microsoft 365 or Copilot adoption, what KPIs or signals have you found most useful beyond basic usage counts?Excel Copilot now supports local files (Preview): what this means for everyday users
In the Microsoft 365 Current Channel (Preview), Excel Copilot Chat now supports local Excel files, not just workbooks stored in the cloud. This is a meaningful usability improvement because many users, especially students and early-career professionals, still work primarily with datasets stored locally on their devices. Why this matters for adoption: Users can now interact with Copilot Chat while analysing local Excel files. This reduces friction for offline work, assignments, and exploratory data analysis. It makes Copilot more practical for everyday learning and productivity workflows. For users learning data analysis, reporting, or business intelligence, this update lowers the barrier to using Copilot consistently rather than only in cloud-based scenarios. I am exploring how these preview features can improve real-world adoption and learning experiences, particularly for students and early-career users who work with Excel daily.Helping students adopt Microsoft 365 tools for learning & productivity
Hi everyone, I’m a Microsoft 365 Champion and MSc Data Science student, and I’m currently helping fellow students get started with Microsoft tools such as: • Power BI (data analytics & dashboards) • Microsoft Learn learning paths • Microsoft 365 productivity tools I’m curious: What are the biggest challenges you’ve seen when introducing Power BI or Microsoft Learn to students or early-career professionals? I’d love to learn from your experiences and share what’s worked in an academic environment.
Help needed with IF and COUNTIFS Formulas
Is anyone able to advise the following formula: =COUNTIFS($B$5:$B$15,$R$4,$C5:$C15,"<=" & V3,$D5:$D15, ">" & V3)-COUNTIFS($B$5:$B$15,"="&$R$4,$G5:$G15,"<=" & V3,$H5:$H15, ">" & V3)-COUNTIFS($B$5:$B$15,"="&$R$4,$K5:$K15,"<=" & V3,$L5:$L15, ">" & V3)-COUNTIFS($B$5:$B$15,"="&$R$4,$O5:$O15,"<=" & V3,$P5:$P15, ">" & V3) Is there a way to simplify this? Is there a way to make this more accurate? Cells in column G & H, I & J, O & P are using the following format: =IF(C6="","",C6+E6) Cells in U4:CC4 are using the following format: =COUNTIFS($B$5:$B$15,$R$4,$C5:$C15,"<=" & U3,$D5:$D15, ">" & U3)-COUNTIFS($B$5:$B$15,"="&$R$4,$G5:$G15,"<=" & U3,$H5:$H15, ">" & U3)-COUNTIFS($B$5:$B$15,"="&$R$4,$K5:$K15,"<=" & U3,$L5:$L15, ">" & U3)-COUNTIFS($B$5:$B$15,"="&$R$4,$O5:$O15,"<=" & U3,$P5:$P15, ">" & U3) Cells in U5:CC15 are using the following format: =IF(U$4>=$T5,1,"") My issue is is when I put in the three break times, the mid break comes out at a shorter time. My other issue is is that when I put in the times in row 5,6and 11, the data is coming up as a combined data in rows 5, 6 and seven on the page two. Just for reference, "page two" is the same spreadsheet. What I need to happen is that I enter in the shift start time and finish time. This then populates through to Break 1, 2 and 3. The Time entry is the time the break starts. ie: 1 hour after start of shift, 1 hour after coming back from break, etc. The break entry is the duration of the break taken. ie: 30 minutes. Once all the info is put in, the relevant "Time Block" on "Page 2" shows a 1. What is happening at the moment is that when I enter all the time data, the time blocks are not populating correctly in accordance to the entry. Basically, If I have numerous people on shiftI need the time blocks to show where I have shortfalls in shift cover and not having too many people on break at the same time. IE: Link to Live Copy: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/eur1j526htu1j8a4d4290/Staff-Breaks.xlsx?rlkey=r4tm9xts4tonofpa2th2cusfw&st=nueyk0d7&dl=0 Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.Best way to organize a café / drink menu with many items for easy scanning in Excel?
Hi everyone, I’m using Excel to manage a café-style menu that includes a lot of drink items, categories, and prices. The challenge I’m facing is readability. When everything is in one long sheet, it’s hard for people to quickly scan the menu and find what they want. I’m trying to make this more user-friendly for non-technical users, similar to how customers scan a real menu. In Excel, what approaches work best for this type of use case? For example: Separating items by category (coffee, cold drinks, specials, etc.) Using filters or tables to narrow choices Structuring the sheet in a more menu-style layout instead of a flat list From your experience, what makes menu-style lists easier to understand and navigate in Excel? Any practical advice would be appreciated."Operational Guide for Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption" (DNS error)
Hello Community, On the official page **Operational Guide for Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption**: https://www.microsoft.com/en/microsoft-365-copilot/copilot-adoption-guide Also https://www.microsoft.com/fr-fr/microsoft-365-copilot/copilot-adoption-guide the **“Get the guide”** button points to a CDN link that does not resolve and shows the error: **DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN** (host: `clouddamcdnprodep.azureedge.net`). Context: - Region: France ; Browsers tested: Edge and Chrome ; Date/time observed: January 12, 2026 at 17:24 CET - Expected: Access to the downloadable PDF/resource associated with the guide Could you please escalate this to the relevant teams (content/CDN) to fix the link for the “Get the guide” button? In the meantime, what are the official download URLs for this guide? (in English or French) Thank you!
Moving a column of text data into 3 columns of data?
I have a column of text data cells 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and longer. I want to create 3 column of data to graph and manipulate Cell in Columns. 1,2,3 3,4,5 5,6,7 8,9,10 and longer. So i need to create 3 columns of data from 1 column of data. I am using Mac Excel 16 and I can not make this happen. I have tried all sorts of solutions. Help? Thank you,
CPAi Advisors + Copilot Frontier: Accounting Meets Agent Mode
Hey all — I’m Dan, founder of CPAi Advisors, where boutique accounting meets workflow automation and Microsoft Copilot. I spent years in public company accounting, working across GL, AP/AR, reporting, and compliance — plus deep ERP integrations and technical troubleshooting. After seeing firsthand how manual and fragmented financial workflows can be, I decided to go out on my own and build something smarter: a boutique firm powered by Microsoft 365 Business Premium + Copilot. Now I’m exploring how Office Agent (Frontier) can take things further — not just chat in Word or Excel, but actually carry context across apps and orchestrate real accounting tasks. Here’s what I’m testing: Agent Mode in Excel → financial models, ledger reconciliation, anomaly detection Agent Mode in Word → client-ready reports that pull live spreadsheet data Agent Mode in Outlook → turning email threads into task lists and audit prep Cross-app orchestration → one prompt that builds a report, updates the spreadsheet, and drafts the email 💡 Focus: Copilot in accounting workflows Automating compliance & audit readiness Bridging trust in AI for financial advisory Pushing Agent Mode beyond the obvious Excited to share feedback and help shape what’s next. Let’s make accounting workflows smarter — and a little more fun. Take care & be well!
