Microsoft 365 Subscriptions
In fourth quarter of 2024, I decided to upgrade my machine and tried out a web only version (freeware) of Microsoft 365. After some time, I found out that I was not getting the qualities I needed for documentation to be presentable as Microsoft Word and Excel were not usable for print formats. I decided to buy a Microsoft 365 Business subscription (bought through my domain provider) which allowed me to use my email address attached to me and my website domain. This allowed me to also download desktop copies of Word and Excel. However, I ran into problems with old accounts colliding with my new ones..., for example, Skype for Business, Microsoft Store, and Microsoft Live would constantly appear in my installation admins. If I attempted to install them, the installation would fail and get stuck i.e, I could not remove them. Microsoft message pop-ups would state, "You cannot install this on a 'work' account." I thought to myself, "Okay, I installed my Windows OS as a "Work Account on my new machine." This made sense, because I could go to my browser on my new machine and I could go to my old laptop that had absolutely no Microsoft 365 on it and access my Office from my browser profile. My old laptop is the only machine that accepts the Windows Live email address i.e., it acts as a Windows Live access service via the 'free' outlook account to which it is attached. However, now that all these items are separated by Work or Home classification, I keep getting messages that state, "We cannot renew your Microsoft 365 account." But my Work account should not be attached to Microsoft Live accounts...should it? After all, it uses Entra ID for access and the subscription is bought through my domain vendor. Why is Microsoft Support sending me these emails? My original setup accessed Microsoft Live accounts via the web through my old laptop using my free Outlook email and looked something like the graphic below:
Sharepoint Sync-On-Demand & Application.Path
A few years back I traced some weird VBA Macro code behavior in Excel back to a SharePoint feature called "Sync-On-Demand". When Sync-On-Demand is turned on, the VBA code "Application.Path" no longer returns the actual file location, and starts returning a SharePoint site. It does these without any warning and as far as I can tell there is no documentation about this. This broke my companies primary management software until I traced it down and turned off Sync-On-Demand for my remote users. As of this week, the Sync-On-Demand option is not only gone from the Settings, but it seems to be secretly turned back on in the background as well. If we weren't inspecting values after the code crashed, we would not even know this is happening. This means that right now anyone who is using SharePoint and thinks they are opening a local file, is actually opening a web location without even being told about it in any visible way. And it's being done through some sort of background hackery. It's shady as F. We have opened a support ticket but so far they don't even seem to know they have done this and are pointing to new settings locations, but those do not yet exist for us. Is there anyone here with knowledge of this issue and some way for us to turn the sneaky Sync-On-Demand off as of today? The new help docs provided to us show a Conext Menu option available from an Explorer window, but that option does not exist for us. Does anyone know a way to get the file location of whatever Excel file is running a VBA Macros? Application.Path is supposed to be that, but I need a new way that actually works to return the actual harddrive path location, not the SharePoint location.
Sharepoint List Dynamic Hyperlink
Hi There, has anyone experience with creating a dynamic hyperlink from a sharepoint list.. I have a fixed folder with a list of pdfs (drawings of components) e.g. APPLE12A.pdf / APPLE12B.pdf / APPLE12C.pdf I have a column named PartCode and this contains .... APPLE12A / APPLE12B / APPLE12C etc... I created doclink calculated column, to join a fixed folder path followed by the part code.pdf, because i want to be able to click on the link and open a drawing for each respective part code. My doclink calculated column formula is.... =CONCATENATE("C:\Documents\Quality Control Resources\COMPONENTS","\",PartCode,".pdf").... The address looks correct, but its not clickable... Im wondering can anyone offer assistance or a better way to approach this?? ThanksSecurity verification for 365 business account
I've tried everything to get a business account, different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode, using different phone numbers etc - but it keeps failing at the last step (security verification) when entering my phone. number. It says "Something is wrong with that phone number. Try a different one." No matter what I do, it doesn't go past that. I've tried contacting Microsoft support for 2 weeks - I never get to an agent and then it disconnects me. This is my last attempt. I am based in South Africa, recently bought my business domain and I just want to set up a business account for 1-4 people.What happened to Microsoft Support?
The level of support for M365 that we are receiving from "Microsoft branded" support teams keep getting worse and worse (we didn't think that it was possible, but here we are). The classic "we tried calling you but couldn't reach you" is back. You open a support case, sit in front of the phone waiting for the call just to receive an email stating that "we tried but you couldn't be reached". When you reply that you are sitting in front of the phone and you didn't miss any calls, the support engineer will call you back and successfully "reach you". Not replying to emails (including those sent to "Team Managers"), sending email with 2 mins before the end of the engineer's shift so there is only 1 email per day or closing cases with issues still being open is now the norm with MS Support. Support cases that drag on for weeks with no resolution, "can you please change this setting and try again", "we are still reviewing the logs" or my favourite "it's been 2 weeks, is the issue still occurring?" emails are extremely frustrating. The difference in support a company receives is very obvious between a multi-million-dollar support agreement and partner/SMB support. I understand that MS may not want to spend time, money and effort on companies that don't buy support agreements outside of those that come with the product, but if you already offer support then at least make it somewhat useful. The most frustrating part is being stuck with this level of support and having no other options. Most escalation emails to cc'd managers result in "do the needful" emails back to the engineer or go unanswered. The only way to combat this issue is to open multiple identical support cases in hopes that 1 out of the 3 engineers will be able to help you.
Now announcing the Microsoft 365 SMB Customer Advisory Board
Applications are now open for the Microsoft 365 SMB Customer Advisory Board (CAB), an exclusive opportunity for small and medium business (SMB) leaders to connect directly with Microsoft. Apply today to become a trusted advisor and make a meaningful impact on the products and services that drive your business forward! For more information, read our recent blog.Unlocking ROI: Forrester TEI Study Insights on Microsoft 365 Copilot for SMBs webinar
Join our webinar with @GabeHo and @KaylaPatterson to discover the results of the Forrester Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study on Microsoft 365 Copilot for SMBs. Learn about the significant business value and ROI that SMBs can achieve with Microsoft 365 Copilot. Key Highlights: Introduction to Microsoft 365 Copilot: See how AI enhances productivity across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. Forrester TEI Study Findings: Understand the projected ROI for SMBs using Microsoft 365 Copilot. Making it Real: Hear practical examples of SMBs successfully implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot to drive growth. Interactive Q&A Session: Get your questions answered by our experts about the study and the benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot for your business. RSVP now!Exchange Online Multiple From Email Addresses
Got a notice today that Microsoft Exchange Online will start to reject emails with multiple From addresses without a Sender Header - Starting October 15th, Exchange Online will reject emails with multiple From addresses without a Sender header, to comply with RFC 5322. Organizations should ensure a single address in the Sender header to avoid non-delivery reports (NDRs) with error code 550 5.1.20. Feedback on this change is welcomed. Is there a way to run a report on Exchange Online to determine if somebody in our company sending emails that have Multiple From emails or if we are receiving any as such?
Level Up CSP | Dynamics 365 Business Central Digital Bootcamp
Explore New Growth Opportunity with Dynamics 365 Business Central! Dynamics 365 Business Central represents an enormous opportunity for SMB partners and customers. It was built for small and mid-size organizations to address key financial and operational management needs. Attend an upcoming digital bootcamp - we’ll take you step-by-step through how to identify an opportunity, drive effective conversations, and successfully transact Business Central. Show your customers your strategic value to them, help them expand into other Microsoft solutions to grow their business, make business more efficient, and more! Unlock Your Business Central Opportunity | Digital event details • Americas/EMEA region: September 19 | 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM, Pacific Time • APAC region: September 19 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Pacific Time Register Today!Microsoft Tools for Small and Medium Businesses AMA
Join the Microsoft Tools for Small and Medium Businesses Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Wednesday, September 25th, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM PT. This event is an opportunity to connect with Microsoft experts who can answer questions about how to utilize Microsoft tools to enhance your small or medium businesses. Bryan Allen (Director, SMB Product Marketing, Microsoft 365) will be on hand to answer your SMB M365 related questions like how to simplify communication across your business and improve cross-team collaboration with M365. RSVP now!
