Ever found yourself copying a few rows from an Excel spreadsheet into another part of your workbook, only to repeat the whole process when your data changes? There's a better way. Excel's TAKE function lets you extract the rows and columns you need, so you can build focused reports that update automatically.

Windows is Microsoft's operating system, but that doesn't mean Microsoft gets all the credit for shaping the PC experience. Over the years, independent developers created apps that changed how people browsed the web, listened to music, watched videos, played games, and even interacted with Windows itself. These five did more than add another program to your PC: they changed what Windows users came to expect from it.

Windows 11’s right-click menu has been cluttered for a long time now. There are delays when opening a file menu and an overload of options added by Windows and installed applications. Now, Microsoft is finally fixing this by rolling out a redesigned context menu and giving users greater control over which commands appear. The update also brings layout choices that make the menu adaptable to individual preferences.

Excel has hundreds of functions, and nobody needs to know them all. But a few are worth keeping in your back pocket because they save you headaches as your data changes. TRIMRANGE is a great example. When you build a spreadsheet that's going to grow, you usually leave room for data you haven't entered yet. Those empty cells can turn dynamic array results into a mess, but TRIMRANGE quietly trims the blank edges off a range and keeps things tidy.

For years, Windows 11 has handled camera and microphone access for desktop apps like a master key—flip the switch and every program gets in, or none do. Microsoft is finally working on a solution for the latest Windows 11 Insider build. The new privacy controls allow you to decide which desktop apps get to use your camera and microphone, one at a time. If you use an Android phone, you'll find the per-app permission settings feel familiar. This matters because camera and microphone access can reveal more than you might expect across varied software.

Most of the time, I open Microsoft Edge to get something done, not to spend half an hour being chased by a giant sea monster. But the browser's built-in Surf game is an easy distraction to get hooked on. With several modes, power-ups, and a kraken on your tail, it offers more variety than Chrome's famous dinosaur game.

I follow the straightforward Task Manager route to disable anything I don't plan to use as soon as I log on. It saves some boot time and stops distractions.

Microsoft has spent what feels like years pushing Copilot updates into Excel, but for me, it's the little usability improvements that make the biggest difference when you use the app every day. A small change to a dialog box can save you a few clicks, remove an annoying extra step, or make a good habit easier to stick to. One recent change to the way Excel creates tables is a good example, and it's something I've wanted for years.