Last week, Microsoft revealed an updated Bing that includes ChatGPT, an AI powered chatbot. Microsoft makes high stakes on artificial intelligence, so you could expect it to appear in more its products. The next software and services to receive ChatGPT may be Office apps.
Category: Microsoft Office
Microsoft has stopped blocking VBA macros in Office files, but this will soon change
Last week, Microsoft unexpectedly stopped blocking Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros in Office. But this move was a temporary change. The Redmond firm is still planning to disable VBA macros by default to improve security, but this will happen a little later.
A vulnerability allows running a Windows search from MS Office files without user interaction
There is a new zero-day vulnerability in Windows Search that allows opening a malformed search window with remotely-hosted malware executables. The user only need to open a specially formed Word document, and the search will automatically open.
Office 2013 will reach its end of support on April 11, 2023
Microsoft has updated the support documentation for its Office 2013 app suite. The updated page now tells that the software won't receive security patches and bugfixes after April 11, 2023.
Microsoft is rolling out the updated Office.com design to business and education customers
Microsoft has introduced the updated user interface of the Office.com website and the eponymous app for Windows. Currently, the company is rolling out it for business and education customers. The changes aim to make content easier to find, regardless of which Office application was used to create it.
Microsoft will soon make Office VBA macros much harder to run
VBA (Visual Basic Application) macros in Office apps are a pain for many IT Admins and regular users. Hackers often use VBA macros to infect typical Office documents and target people to steal sensitive data, spread malware, remote access, and do other sorts of nasty things. Usually, opening an infected Office document from an email attachment is all it takes to get in trouble. Microsoft now wants to fix this problem for good.
Excel for Web now supports large and password-protected files
On the official Tech Community Forums, Microsoft announced a bunch of new features and quality-of-life improvements for Excel for Web. Users can now open huge spreadsheets, work with password-protected files, and edit legacy art objects. Here is what is new.
Microsoft tries to lure Office pirates with 50% discounts
Microsoft Office, probably one of the most pirated pieces of software, steadily increases the number of its users year over year. Relatively affordable and flexible prices paired with a steady flow of new features attract new consumers and keep existing ones on the hook. It appears that Microsoft now tries additional tricks to lure even more people to the Microsoft 365 subscription.
The Windows 11 style in Microsoft Office has become available to more users
Microsoft today announced that now more users can enjoy the new design of Office apps, made in the style of Windows 11. The long awaited visual update for the Office suite was announced this Summer.
Microsoft Word has got the Mica blur effect on Windows 11
Earlier this week, Microsoft started rolling out redesigned Office apps in the stable channel, offering users a much-improved Windows 11-like UI. The company announced a fresh coat of paint for the Office apps alongside the Windows 11 reveal, and both are now publicly available. Still, one part of the promised Office redesign is missing in the stable channel: the Mica effect. Microsoft is currently testing the new "material" in the Office Insiders program.
