Microsoft Office Q&A: Ask anything (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

I’ve run into a bit of a dilemma... I have a Microsoft Office PowerPoint 97 - 2003 slide show that is password-protected and set to read-only mode. I need to make some specific edits, but I simply cannot figure out how to strip the password away.
The presentation actually belongs to me, but it was created ages ago, and the password has since vanished into the deep recesses of my memory. 🙂🙂
Does anyone here happen to know a way to resolve this?

Daniel Jackson29 said:I've got this one Microsoft Office PowerPoint 97 - 2003 slide show that's password protected and set to read-only.

PowerPoint presentation file extensions can be swapped from PPS to PPT and back again.
If that doesn't do the trick, just Google some password cracking software. There are plenty out there.

Hey. I've got an Excel task I need to tackle. Here's the prompt:

Find the fiftieth term of this sequence and solve it using Excel:

(8/3*(1+2))1/2, (64/5*(1+2+4))1/3, (512/7*(1+2+4+8))1/4, . . .

jadelynx60 said:Hey there. I’ve got this one specific task in Excel that I need to tackle. Here is how it goes:

Find the first fifty terms of the following sequence and solve it using Excel:

(8/3*(1+2))^(1/2), (64/5*(1+2+4))^(1/3), (512/7*(1+2+4+8))^(1/4), . . .

Basically, each term in this sequence is made up of four different components—each shifting according to its own internal logic. You essentially derive each subsequent element from the one preceding it based on a set pattern.

In your first row, just enter 8, 3, 3, and 2—those are the starting values for the very first term.

Then, in the second row, you'll want to input: =A1*8; =B1+2; =C1+2^ROW(); =D1+1.

In column E, set up the formula =(A1/B1*C1)^(1/D1), then drag that down through fifty rows, and that should pretty much do the trick.

Maybe double-check the first couple of rows to be safe—I'm basically typing this out from memory here🙂.

jadelynx60 said:Hey there. I've got this one Excel task I need to tackle. Here's the problem:

Find the next fifty terms in this sequence and solve it using Excel:

(8/3*(1+2))^(1/2), (64/5*(1+2+4))^(1/3), (512/7*(1+2+4+8))^(1/4), . . .

Also, what’s happening with the 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 part? Is that a multiplication sign?
Either way, you end up with massive numbers. My plan was to break the formula down into different columns... Oh, wait, I see Nicholas King already posted an answer. It's pretty much what I was thinking. There's not much more to overthink here; you just have to figure out the pattern for how the sequence continues.

I had gone under the assumption that the missing operation was exponentiation—though, if that's the case, we aren't actually dealing with particularly massive numbers.

Thanks 🙂! I can't dive into this task quite yet—need to get Microsoft Office installed first. Thanks again 🙂!

Problem:
I have cell A where I enter a value, say 100
In cell B, I enter a number that gets added to the total in cell C.
Basically, cell C is locked. When I click it, I shouldn't be able to change anything; it should just show the sum of what I put in B plus whatever was already in C. Something like C=C+B
Here's the catch... when I try this in Excel, it gives me a circular reference error and fails.

One more thing: I want to add conditional formatting so if the total in cell C exceeds the value entered in cell A, it turns red. If it's still lower, it stays green.

urbanfox18 said:The issue:
I have cell A where I enter a specific value—let's say 100
In a second cell, B, I input a number that gets added into a third cell, C.
Basically, cell C is locked, and clicking on it shouldn't allow any changes... it should just display the sum of what I put in B plus whatever the previous total in C was. Something along the lines of C=C+B.
But... how does one actually do this? When I try setting it up in Excel, it just gives me a circular reference error and stops working entirely.

And finally, I’d want to add a little conditional formatting—if the total in cell C ends up being greater than the initial value entered in cell A, I want it to turn red, and stay green as long as it remains lower.

How exactly are you envisioning C=C+B? If you mean something like C1=C1+B1, then you're looking at a circular reference, which simply won't work...

urbanfox18 said:If I try to enter something like that into Excel, it tells me there's a circular reference and just stops working.

Exactly—you've got a circular reference, so nothing happens. It’s just how it works; unless you start messing around with programming, cell C1 can't simultaneously hold its current value and act as a formula to set a new one. It's a logical impossibility, really.

Finally, I'd probably add a condition where if the sum in cell C is greater than the value entered in cell A, it turns red, but stays green as long as it's smaller.

Just look into Conditional Formatting; it's actually quite straightforward.

While you're at it, take a look at the section headings in this PDF—you'll find a specific topic covering basically everything related to Microsoft Office 😁.

Found a way to set up the conditions in the meantime.

Basically, yeah. The idea is that cell 1 holds a total sum, and then in cell 2, I add a value that automatically adds itself to the total in cell 1.
It’s all part of managing a budget. Instead of manually adding up every single expense and typing in a new total every time, I want to define an empty cell where I just punch in new costs, and they get added to the previous balance.
If you catch my drift.

Maybe try something like this:

First, pop cell C1 with whatever starting value you need, then start entering your data
in column B, beginning at B2 and working your way down...

Then, in cell C2, just drop in this formula: =C1+B2. Once that's set, drag that formula down as far as you need. To make it look right, use Conditional Formatting to "color code" everything based on whatever specific rule you're trying to hit.

Anyway, that's my best guess at what you're actually trying to pull off here.

Jack Hayes said:And what comes before 1/2, 1/3, 1/4? What’s the operator—multiplication?
Either way, you end up with massive numbers. The trick is to break the formula down into columns... Well, looks like Nicholas King already gave you the answer. I was thinking along the same lines. There's no point overthinking it; you just have to figure out how the sequence continues.

Multiplication.

Nicholas King said:I assumed the missing operation was exponentiation. In that case, the numbers aren't actually huge.

I couldn't crack the problem. Not sure where I went wrong. Doesn't matter, though. Maybe you can handle this one:

Solve this system of linear equations using matrix algebra:

x+2*v-z=3-y-u
y+x=1+u
2*x+2*u=1-v
x+y+u+z+1=0
u=2*v+2+z

One more thing. You mentioned expanding the task to fifty rows. Now I just need to know how to actually pull that off.

jadelynx60 said:I have one more question. You told me to expand the task to fifty rows—now I just want to know how to actually go about doing that.

Come on, give it to me straight: what have you actually done to learn Excel, besides just "downloading" it?

Setting up a system-based task is easy enough if you can actually map it out mathematically—can you?

jadelynx60 said:You told me to expand the task to fifty rows, now I just need to figure out how to actually pull it off.

🙂

@Nicholas King/">@@Nicholas King spot on

If you wanna learn how to copy a formula in Excel check this link

Download file

jadelynx60 said:...
Solve this system of linear equations using matrix algebra:

x+2*v-z=3-y-u
y+x=1+u
2*x+2*u=1-v
x+y+u+z+1=0
u=2*v+2+z

First, group all the equations by their variables (like x, y, z, u, v) to pull out the coefficients for your matrix:
The first one would look like this:
x+y-z+u+2v=3

So, your first matrix row is
1 1 -1 1 2 | 3
and so on...
In Excel, you'll want to use the inverse function (MINVERSE) and then multiply them (MMULT)

Just a quick heads-up—you need to wrap those two commands with Ctrl+Shift+Enter to make them work properly.

urbanfox18 said:... If you can even follow my train of thought...

Look, we’re out here doing all the heavy lifting for you, but honestly? It would be about time you actually showed some courtesy and let us—and everyone else, for that matter—know which of these solutions actually worked. Just a little transparency wouldn't kill anyone.
So, you all helped (or maybe none of it actually worked). I’m sitting here thinking you probably just got someone else to swoop in and fix the mess for you anyway. We see this kind of commentary all the time around here... It’s a cycle. But...

Is there a specific formula I can use in Excel to actually plot a graph that looks like a blonde woman on a coordinate system? Thanks a million in advance!
Just wanted to drop in and say hi to the awesome crew—Nicholas King, Walter Jackson48, and Kyle Johnson2.

Issue 1: Does anyone know how to set a password to open an entire Workbook in Excel 2007?
Issue 2: I have protected Sheets where users are allowed to input data into specific columns and cells. Every so often, I have to unprotect the Sheet just to sort the data.
Is there a workaround that allows for sorting without having to strip away the sheet protection?
Issue 3: Every single time—and I mean every time—I re-enable the protection, I have to manually check the "edit objects" box again. This setting is what allows people to insert comments or tweak charts on a protected sheet. If I miss it, the functionality breaks for everyone. Is there a way to automate this?

Elizabeth Howard97 said:Anyone know how to set a password to open an entire Workbook in Excel 2007?

- Excel protection. Check this link out—it’s got all the basics and a ton of VBA macro examples.

Elizabeth Howard97 said:Is there some kind of trick to sort data without ripping off the sheet protection?

When you're protecting the Sheet, make sure to check the boxes for "Sort" and "Use auto filter" (just look at the second pic in that link above).

Elizabeth Howard97 said:Problem 3... Anyone got a fix for this?

I don't think so. Honestly, just try hunting down a VBA macro that triggers when the Workbook opens.