Tag Archives: Microsoft

Speach Recognition

Posted on by

To start voice dictation in Windows 11, you can press the Win+H keys together to open the Voice typing tool. Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Accessibility > Speech, and turn on the switch for Windows Speech Recognition. Once enabled, you can click the microphone icon to start dictation in any application where you can type text.

This article is for people who want to control their PC and author text using their voice with Windows. This article is part of the Accessibility support for Windows content set where you can find more information on Windows accessibility features. For general help, visit Microsoft Support home.

Voice access is a feature in Windows 11 that enables everyone to control their PC and author text using only their voice and without an internet connection. For example, you can open and switch between apps, browse the web, and read and author email using your voice. For more information, go to Use voice access to control your PC & author text with your voice.

Voice access is available in Windows 11, version 22H2 and later. For more information on Windows 11 22H2 new features, and how to get the update, see What’s new in recent Windows updates. Not sure which version of Windows you have? See: Find Windows version.

Dictate punctuation marks

To insert thisSay this
.“Period”
“Full stop”
,“Comma”
?“Question mark”
!“Exclamation mark”
“Exclamation point”
‘s“Apostrophe-s”
:“Colon”
;“Semicolon”
” ““Open quotes”
“Close quotes”
–“Hyphen”
…“Ellipsis”
“Dot dot dot”
‘ ‘“Begin single quote”
“Open single quote”
“End single quote”
“Close single quote”
( )“Left parentheses”
“Open parentheses”
“Right parentheses”
“Close parentheses”
[ ]“Open bracket”
“Close bracket”
{ }“Left brace”
“Open brace”
“Right brace”
“Close brace”

Dictate symbols

To insert thisSay this
*“Asterisk”
\“Backslash”
/“Forward slash”
|“Vertical bar”
“Pipe character”
_“Underscore”
“Paragraph sign”
“Paragraph mark”
§“Section sign”
&“Ampersand”
“And sign”
@“At sign”
©“Copyright sign”
®“Registered sign”
°“Degree symbol”
%“Percent sign”
#“Number sign”
“Pound sign”
+“Plus sign”
–“Minus sign”
דMultiplication sign”
÷“Division sign”
=“Equals sign”
< >“Less than sign”
“Greater than sign”
$“Dollar sign”
£“Pound sterling sign”
€“Euro sign”
¥“Yen sign”

Manage voice access and microphone

To do thisSay this
Get voice access to listen to you.“Voice access wake up”
“Unmute”
Put voice access to sleep.“Voice access sleep”
“Mute”
Turn off the voice access microphone.“Turn off microphone”
Close voice access.“Turn off voice access”
“Stop voice access”
“Close voice access”
“Exit voice access”
“Quit voice access”
Find out what command to use.“What can I say”
“Show all commands”
“Show command list”
“Show commands”
Access voice access settings menu.“Open voice access settings”
Access voice access help menu.“Open voice access help”
Access the voice access tutorial.“Open voice access guide”
Switch to commands only mode.“Commands mode”
“Switch to command mode”
Switch to dictation only mode.“Dictation mode”
“Switch to dictation mode”
Switch to default mode (command and dictation).“Default mode”
“Switch to default mode”

Interact with apps

To do thisSay this
Open a new app.“Open <app name>”
“Start <app name>”
“Show <app name>”
Close an open app.“Close <app name>”
“Close window”
“Exit <app name>”
“Quit <app name>”
Switch to an existing app.“Switch to <app name>”
“Go to <app name>”
Minimize a window.“Minimize window”
“Minimize <app name>”
Maximize a window.“Maximize window”
“Maximize <app name>”
Restore a window.“Restore window”
“Restore <app name>”
Open task switcher.“Show task switcher”
“List all windows”
“Show all windows”
Go to desktop.“Go to desktop”
“Go home”
“Minimize all windows”
Search on the browser, where “search engine” can be Bing, Google, or YouTube, and “x” is what you’re looking for.“Search on <search engine> for <x>”
Snap window to a specific direction, where “direction” is left, right, top-left, top-right, bottom-left, or bottom-right.“Snap window to <direction>”
“Snap the window to <direction>”
To search for an entity (Entity can be a file or an application) on your windows PC.“Search <Entity>”
“Search Windows for <Entity>”
“Search for <Entity>”

Interact with controls

To do thisSay this
Select an item.“Click <item name>”
“Tap <item name>”
Double-click an item.“Double-click <item name>”
“Mouse double-click”
Put focus on an item.“Move to <item name>”
“Focus on <item name>”
Expand a list.“Expand <item name>”
Toggle between states.“Toggle <item name>”
“Flip <item name>”
Scroll in a specific direction.“Scroll <direction>”
Start scrolling in a specific direction.“Start scrolling <direction>”
Stop scrolling.“Stop scrolling”
“Stop”
Move a slider in a specific direction by a certain distance, where “direction” is up, down, left, or right and “value” is the distance.“Move slider <direction> <value> times”

Edge Workspaces

Posted on by

Sharing Edge Workspaces in Chrome

Microsoft Edge Workspaces are natively available in Microsoft Edge, but you can use a third-party extension to replicate this feature in Google Chrome. One such extension is “Edge Workspaces,” which is available on the Chrome Web Store. This extension allows you to organize and manage multiple projects or tasks by saving and restoring entire browsing sessions.

To use Edge Workspaces in Chrome:

  1. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Open the extension popup by clicking the icon in the toolbar.
  3. Click the “+” icon to open the new workspace modal.
  4. Select either “New workspace” or “New workspace from window.”
  5. A new Chrome window will open with the New Tab page.
  6. As you work, all tabs in the current window will be saved to the workspace.
  7. Close the window when finished.

The extension also supports managing workspaces, such as renaming or deleting them, and saving workspaces as bookmarks. However, it’s important to note that changes to the bookmarks will not be reflected in the workspaces themselves, as they are just a copy.

Using Edge Workspaces on Chrome

Posted on by

Chrome extensions: Edge Workspaces

Overview

Effortlessly organize and manage multiple projects or tasks by saving and restoring entire browsing sessions.

Edge Workspaces empowers Chrome users with advanced tab management: * Preserve context: Save and restore entire browsing sessions * Reduce clutter: Keep your browser organized by project or task * Improve focus: Easily switch between different work contexts * Automatic saving: Never lose your place with continuous workspace updates * Keep in sync: Your workspaces stay in sync across computers via Google sync Install Edge Workspaces to take control of your tabs and boost your productivity. Ad-free and free to use, forever!

This extension is open source. Check out the GitHub repository: https://github.com/Elec0/chrome-edge-workspaces

## How to Use ##

## Creating a Workspace ##

  • 1. Open the extension popup by clicking the icon in the toolbar (pinning the extension is recommended).
  • 2. Click the “+” icon to open the new workspace modal.
  • 3. Select either “New workspace” or “New workspace from window”.
  • 4. Enter a name for the workspace.
  • 5. Click “OK”.
  • 6. A new Chrome window will open with the New Tab page.
  • 7. All tabs in the current window will be saved to the workspace as you work.
  • 8. Close the window when finished.

## Opening a Workspace ##

  • 1. Open the extension popup.
  • 2. Click on a workspace to open it.
  • 3. The saved tabs will be opened in a new Chrome window.

## Managing Workspaces ## – Click the trashcan icon to delete a workspace. – Click the pencil icon to rename a workspace.

## Saving Workspaces as Bookmarks ##

– Ensure “Save workspaces to bookmarks” option is checked in Settings. – Workspaces will now be copied to “Other bookmarks -> Edge Workspaces (read-only) -> [Workspace Name]”. – Note that changes to the bookmarks will **not** be reflected in the workspaces themselves, as they are just a copy. – When installing a new version, make sure to open old workspaces at least once to allow for them to be saved as bookmarks.

## Importing/Exporting Workspaces ##

  • 1. Open the extension popup.
  • 2. Click the hamburger icon to open the settings window.
  • 3. Click “Export” to save all workspaces to a file.
  • 4. Click “Import” to load workspaces from a file.

### Changelog ###

## v1.2.0 ##

– Add syncing of workspaces across computers, when signed in to Google sync

## v1.1.0 ## – Add ability to save a copy of workspaces as bookmarks

Outlook Offline Address book

Posted on by

Determine whether the Autodiscover service is working, and check access to the Offline Address Book

Check whether Outlook and the computer can access the Offline Address Book file on the server. This action is typically done by Outlook in the background. It also happens when you force a download of the Offline Address Book in Outlook. To do this check, sign in to the Microsoft 365 portal, and then follow these steps:

  1. Start Outlook.
    • Hold down the CTRL key, right-click the Outlook icon in the notification area on the right side of the taskbar, and then click Test E-mail AutoConfiguration.
    • Click to clear the Use Guessmart check box, and then click to clear the Secure Guessmart Authentication check box.
    • Click to select the Use AutoDiscover check box.
    • Type the email address and password, and then click Test.
    • On the Results tab, note the path of OAB URL.
    • Click the XML tab, locate the <OAUrl> and </OABUrl> tags, and then copy the path that’s displayed between the tags. Paste the path into the address box in Windows Internet Explorer, add /OAB.xml to the end of the path, and then press Enter.


The following is an example of what the URL may resemble:

https://autodiscover.contoso.com/OAB/93179f28-4b4d-4e58-aec1-07bb493be4f4/OAB.xml

NOTE: The information that’s displayed in the webpage in Internet Explorer. The webpage should contain lots of XML data.

The figure below depicts an example of the information that should be displayed in Internet Explorer.

Troubleshoot Outlook Offline Address Book

Still need help? Go to Microsoft Community.

Rename User Profile Folder

Posted on by

Rename User Profile Folder in Windows 11

If your computer becomes disjointed from a Domain, and you need to rejoin it to the domain, it will create a new profile folder with additional information in the folder name. Here is a way to change the folder name back to the original.

To rename the user profile folder in Windows 11, you’ll need to follow these steps:

  1. Create a new administrator account: This will allow you to modify the registry and rename the user profile folder without affecting your current account.
  2. Activate the built-in administrator account: Go to Computer Management > Local Users and Groups > Users > Activate built-in admin.
  3. Sign out and log in to the new administrator account: This will ensure you’re using the correct account for the renaming process.
  4. Rename the user profile folder: Go to the C:\Users\ folder and rename the subfolder with the original user name to the desired new name. Make sure to follow these guidelines:
    • No spaces within the new name.
    • Use only alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers).
  5. Update the registry: Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList and update the registry entries associated with your user account to reflect the new folder name.
  6. Restart and log in to your original account: After updating the registry, restart your computer and log in to your original account. The renamed user profile folder should now be reflected.

Important Notes:

  • Renaming the user profile folder can cause issues with some Microsoft Store apps. Signing out and signing back in may resolve these issues.
  • If you encounter problems, consider creating a new local account (without spaces in the name) and moving your files from the old account to the new one. This may be a safer and more straightforward approach.
  • The workaround mentioned in KB article 2454362 (applicable to Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2) is not applicable to Windows 11.

Additional Tips:

  • Be cautious when modifying the registry, as incorrect changes can cause system instability.
  • It’s recommended to create a system restore point before making changes to the registry or user profile folder.
  • If you’re experiencing issues with the renamed user profile folder, try resetting the folder name to its original value and then renaming it again.

By following these steps and guidelines, you should be able to successfully rename your user profile folder in Windows 11.

Group Policy Editor

Posted on by

Regional Date Format: Setting Does Not Save

Trying to change the default Regional Settings through the Domain Group Policy Editor to apply a date format of dd-mm-yyyy instead of the default m/d/yyyy

Creating a new GPO called “RegionalSettings” and editing this GPO and saving it. Re-editing the GPO settings, we notice that they have not saved the new format but reverted back to the default.

Trying this on other policies, including the default domain controller policy, all to no avail. No changes are saved.

When changes are made we now see a red box around what was changed, in the past we would click on the apply button, but this no longer saves the changes.

Not sure at what stage this was changed, but now it seems that when changes are made we have to press (F5) before exiting out of the properties page by clicking OK.

Turn Off Windows Copilot

Posted on by

Remove Copilot using GPEdit snappin.

Remove Copilot using the Group Policy Editor, you will need to have Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions. The Group Policy Editor is a tool that allows you to configure various policies and settings for your computer and user accounts. To access the Group Policy Editor, type gpedit.msc in the Start menu or the Run command and hit Enter. Then, navigate to the following folder using the left panel:

  • User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot.
  • On the right-side pane, double-click on the policy ‘Turn off Windows Copilot’ and select ‘Enabled’. Then, click ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’.
  • This will disable Copilot entirely and remove it from the Settings app as well.

Teams update

Posted on by

Microsoft Teams new chat and channels AMA (Ask Microsoft Anything)

Streamlined to help you collaborate more effectively

Stay on top of what matters
Bring your chat, teams, and channels into one place. Catch up without switching contexts, integrating both chat and channels into your critical workflows.

Triage efficiently
Filter to unread messages to catch up on conversations across chat and channels or use the new @mention view to access messages directed at you in one interactive list.

Organize your way
A new Favorites section contains your prioritized chat and channels. Create custom sections to organize conversations by projects and topics.

Customize your experience
Choose whether you want chat and channels combined or separate, how to sort conversations, and more. You can optimize with different settings on desktop and mobile.

Windows 11 (faulty update)

Posted on by

Windows 11 update triggers reboots, screens of death

Microsoft’s recent optional update for Windows 11, KB5043145, has caused problems including restart loops, blue and green screen errors, BitLocker problems and dead USB connections. The update is optional, so there’s no need to install it until it is fixed, and users who have installed it and experienced problems can uninstall.

See the full story

More Shortcuts

Posted on by
Taskbar Keyboard shortcuts

The below shortcuts allow you to navigate to the taskbar options quickly. 

  • Ctrl + Shift + click a taskbar button  –  Open an app as an administrator.
  • Ctrl + click a grouped taskbar button  –  Cycle through the windows of the group
  • Shift + click a taskbar button  –  Open an app or quickly open another instance of an app.
  • Shift + right-click a grouped taskbar button  –  Show the window menu for the group.
  • Shift + right-click a taskbar button  –  Show the window menu for the app.
Dialog box shortcuts

The following list of shortcuts helps you perform an action within the dialog box.

  • Alt + underlined letter  –  Perform the command (or select the option) that is used with that letter.
  • Arrow keys  –  Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
  • Backspace  –  Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.
  • Ctrl + 1, 2, 3,…  –  Move to that tab number.
  • Ctrl + Shift + Tab  –  Move back through tabs.
  • Ctrl + Tab  –  Move forward through tabs.
  • F4  –  Display the items in the active list.
  • Shift + Tab  –  Move back through options.
  • Spacebar  –  Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.
  • Tab  –  Move forward through options.
Copy, paste and other general keyboard shortcuts
  • Alt + A  –   Set focus to the first icon in the Suggested actions menu.
  • Alt + Shift + arrow keys  –  When a group or tile is in focus on the Start menu, move it in the direction specified.
  • Ctrl + A  –  Select all items in a document or window.
  • Ctrl + arrow keys  –  Resize the Start menu when it’s open.
  • Ctrl + C (or) Ctrl + Insert  –  Copy the selected item.
  • Ctrl + D (or) Delete  –  Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin.
  • Ctrl + E  –  Open Search (in most apps).
  • Ctrl + Esc  –  Open Start.
  • Ctrl + F4  –  Close the active document (in apps that are full-screen and let you have multiple documents open at the same time).
  • Ctrl + Shift + arrow keys  –  When a tile is in focus on the Start menu, move it into another tile to create a folder.
  • Ctrl + Shift + V  –  Paste as plain text
  • Ctrl + Shift with an arrow key  –  Select a block of text.
  • Ctrl + Shift  –  Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available.
  • Ctrl + Up arrow  –  Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
  • Ctrl + V (or) Shift + Insert  –  Paste the selected item.
  • Ctrl + X  –  Cut the selected item.
  • Ctrl + Y  –  Redo an action.
  • Ctrl + Z  –  Undo an action.
  • Esc  –  Stop or leave the current task.
  • F2  –  Rename the selected item.
  • F3  –  Search for a file or folder in File Explorer.
  • F4  –  Display the address bar list in File Explorer.
  • F5  –  Refresh the active window.
  • F6  –  Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
  • F10  –  Activate the Menu bar in the active app.
  • Left arrow  –  Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
  • Right arrow  –  Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
  • Shift + Delete  –  Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first.
  • Shift with any arrow key  –  Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document.
  • PrtScn  –  Take a screenshot of your whole screen and copy it to the clipboard.