Teach Yourself VISUALLY Microsoft 365 (eBook)

CHAPTER 1

Microsoft 365 Basics

Start and Exit Microsoft 365 Apps

A Microsoft 365 installation creates an icon for each Microsoft 365 app either on the Start menu or in the All Apps list. To work with an app, you need to know how to launch the app on your PC. When you are finished with an app, you also need to know how to exit the app.

This section uses Word to demonstrate how to open an app from Windows 11. Once a Microsoft 365 app opens, its Start screen appears, where you can find a recent document or start a new document. For other ways to open or create a document, see Chapter 2.

Start and Exit Microsoft 365 Apps

Click Start ().

The Start menu appears.

Alternatively, you can click Search (), type the name of the app, and then click the app in the search results.

Click the Microsoft 365 app you want to start.

Note: If you do not see the Microsoft 365 app you want, skip to step 3.

Click All apps.

Windows displays the All Apps list.

Click the app you want to open.

The app launches and displays its Start screen.

You can use the Home panel to start a blank document or open a recent document.

You can use the New panel to start a new document.

You can use the Open panel to open an existing document.

This area indicates whether you have signed in to your Microsoft 365 subscription.

Note: See Chapter 4 for details about signing in to Microsoft 365.

To exit the app, click the Close button ().

Note: If you have multiple documents open, you must click Close () for each file to exit the app.

Explore the App Window

All Microsoft 365 apps share a common appearance and many of the same features, and when you learn the features of one Microsoft 365 app window, you can use the same skills to navigate the windows of the other Microsoft 365 apps. These common features include the title bar, program window controls, zoom controls, and the Ribbon. The Ribbon is an important Microsoft 365 feature because it contains the app commands and features that you will use most often. You learn more about the Ribbon later in this chapter.

Work with Backstage View

You can click the File tab to display Backstage view. In Backstage view, you find a list of actions that you can use to open, save, print, remove sensitive information, and distribute documents as well as modify the app’s settings. You can also use Backstage view to manage the places on your computer hard drive or in your network that you use to store documents and to manage your Microsoft 365 account.

Work with Backstage View

Click the File tab to display Backstage view.

Commonly used file and app management commands appear here.

Buttons you can click appear here.

Information related to the button you click appears here. Each time you click a button, the information shown to the right changes.

Note: The Home, New, Close, and Options commands do not display buttons or information, but take other actions.

Click the Back button () to return to the open document.

Change the Color Scheme

You can use Microsoft 365 themes and background patterns to change the appearance of the app screen. Themes control the color scheme the app uses, and background patterns can add interest to Backstage view. Color schemes can improve your ability to clearly see the screen, but be aware that some schemes might be distracting.

Microsoft 365 themes are available even if you are not signed in to Microsoft 365, but to use background patterns, you must sign in to Microsoft 365. For details on how to sign in and out of Microsoft 365, see Chapter 4.

Change the Color Scheme

Note: Make sure you are signed in to Microsoft 365. See Chapter 4 for details.

Click File to open Backstage view.

Click Account.

Click the Office Theme .

Click a theme.

The colors of your app change.

Note: Some theme changes are more subtle than others.

Click the Office Background .

Click the pattern you want to use or click No Background.

As you point the mouse () at a choice in the menu, a background pattern appears at the top of the window. The pattern appears only in Backstage view; it does not appear as you work on documents.

Click the Back button () to return to your document.

The Microsoft 365 theme you selected appears.

Search for a Ribbon Command

All the Microsoft 365 apps enable you to search for Ribbon commands. Searching can be useful when you need to perform a task that you do not perform regularly and so are not sure where to find the command you need. Rather than wasting time looking through various Ribbon tabs and groups, the Search feature can help. By entering some or all of the command name, the Search features can take you directly to the command you want to run. You can still use the Ribbon directly, as described in the next section, “Work with the Ribbon.”

Search for a Ribbon Command

Open a document in a Microsoft 365 app.

Note: See Chapter 2 for details on opening a Microsoft 365 document.

Select an object or some text in the document, if required by the Ribbon command you want to run.

Click inside the Search text box.

Note: You can also select the Search text box by pressing  + .

A list of your recent Ribbon commands appears in the Recently Used Actions section.

A list of suggested Ribbon commands appears in the Suggested Actions section.

Type the name or a brief description of the command you want to run.

The app lists possible commands you can use to complete your task.

Click a command to use it.

Commands with arrows () display additional commands.

The app performs the action you selected; in this example, Excel charts the worksheet data.

Work with the Ribbon

You use the Ribbon to access an app’s commands. The Ribbon is...