Done with May

Here we are, at the last day in May already. (Already!) We drove back from Texas this week and arrived home in good stead. Our visit was a good one, and the travels were relaxing. As fun as it is to visit family and friends, it is always good to be back home.

Also, we attended the graduation for two of our grandchildren this past week, and it is bittersweet to see them entering into a new phase of their lives. They are excited, and that excitement is contagious.

I hope your week was a good one and that your end of May is enjoyable.

—Allen
     

ExcelTips (ribbon) for 31 May 2025

Date formulas
Starting Date for a Week Number

If you need to determine the starting date for a particular week in a year, your first task is to identify which week numbering scheme you are using. Once that is done, you can devise a formula that calculates the starting date, as discussed in this tip.

Read this tip »

(Thanks to Steve Aprahamian, Ryszard Raciborski, Dave Newcomer, Michael Avidan (MVP), Brian Dorey, Alan Cannon, Ray Fernandez, Wes Macomber, James Woolley, Jean Allard, Craig Korfanta, Christos Constantinou, Yvan Loranger, Fred Potter, and Jim Conseil for contributing to this tip.)

 
Editing
Setting an Upper Threshold for a Cell

Do you want to limit what can be entered into a particular cell in your worksheet? Here are three separate ways you can approach the task at hand.

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Journal Your Life

Journals go by many names--diaries, sketchbooks, or simply blank books. Regardless of the name, though, journals provide a way for you to record, track, create, dream, and illustrate your life. Journals make it not only possible, but easy. Check out our complete line of high-quality, convenient journals today!

 
Charts and charting
Using Graphics to Represent Data Series

You can spice up your bar chart by using a graphic, of your choosing, to construct the bars. This tip shows how easy it is to pick and use your graphic.

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Powerful spreadsheets
Inserting the User's Name in a Cell

Need to understand who is using a particular workbook? There are a number of ways you can find out, as discussed in this tip.

Read this tip »

     

Help Wanted

This section is for those having problems making Excel behave. If Excel is giving you fits, feel free to submit your own Help Wanted question.

If you have a solution for the problems below, click the link after the problem to send us your answer. (All responses become the sole property of Sharon Parq Associates, Inc., and can be used in any way deemed appropriate.) If your response is used in a future issue, you will be credited for your contribution to the answer.

 
Favorites and Recents Don't Show Up when Starting Excel

When I open Excel, the program asks what I want to open. It displays three tabs (Recent, Favorites, and Shared with Me). The problem is that I don't always get the full list of favorites on the Favorites tab; I usually just get a couple. When that occurs, then I also don't get all the recently opened workbooks listed on the Recent tab. I cannot see a pattern in how or when this occurs, and it is very annoying to me.
—Simon Freeman (provide an answer for this Help Wanted question)

 
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