Enable Auto Save in Microsoft Office

This is a feature that saves your file automatically, every few seconds, as you work. This should be enabled by default, but it is best to check.  

How can I enable Auto Save?
Open any Office 365 program that can open a file (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and click File > Select Options from the left navigation > In the Options window, select Save from the left navigation > Check Autosave OneDrive and SharePoint Online files by default.

Pinning & Important Posts in Microsoft Teams

To help make sure your message gets noticed, mark it as important or urgent. You can Pin certain pieces of information so it’s easier to find for your team.

How do I mark something as important or urgent?
Create a message or a post in Teams, then click on the button beneath the text to set delivery options > Select Important or Urgent.
This adds the word IMPORTANT! or URGENT! to your message. You can include files, links, or pictures—whatever is needed to get your point across. Your team or message recipient will be alerted as a priority.

When creating a post within a Teams channel, the button may be hidden behind the format button.

How do I pin a post in a Teams channel, or pin a message within a chat?
To pin a post or a message, hover over the published/sent post or message and select the  icon > select Pin.

Once pinned, the message will stay visible at the top of your chat window.

Pinned posts within Teams channels can be access via the information button in the top right-hand side of the window.

Night Light (Windows) & Night Shift (macOS)

Exposure to the blue light that our computer and phone screens emanate can be harsh on your eyes and prevent your brain from winding down at the end of the day. Usage of screens before bed can interfere with the quality and how quickly you can fall asleep, and prolonged exposure over a large amount of time can lead to macular degeneration - causing damage the same way UV rays would. It is important to protect your eyes and mitigate the effect that blue light can have on them.

Windows and macOS have ways to mitigate the effects of blue light by reducing the output via built-in software. This feature can be scheduled to reduce the blue light as the day goes on, or you can use it at all times. You will be amazed to find that you can actually feel the shift as you enable it!

Windows: Enable Night Light for Windows



macOS: Enable Night Shift for Mac

Restoring Accidently Closed Tabs

Have you ever been browsing the web, working on some important tasks and accidentally closed your tab? It can be pretty stressful! Luckily, our computers are a little smarter than that and can help you out.
You can restore a closed by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + T for a Windows computer, or Cmd + Shift + T if you're on a Mac.

This functionality isn’t limited to a single closed tab either, for example, you can close 5 tabs, then press the keyboard shortcut 5 times and they will restore in the order they were closed - pretty handy!

What is a Clipboard and how do I use it?

What is a Clipboard? A clipboard is a temporary storage area for data that the user wants to copy from one area or application to another. 

Have you ever copied text or an image with the intent to paste it into another document, web browser or Teams chat just to copy something else and lose it? The Clipboard function is here to save the day!
You may be familiar with Copy + Paste (ctrl/cmd + C and ctrl/cmd + V) in your daily computer operation, but did you know that you can access your computers copy functions history? 

Windows: To access the clipboard, hold the Windows key and tap V on your keyboard. This will display the history of items that you have copied recently, it can be really handy when you need to copy multiple items from a page. You can copy, copy, copy and then access the clipboard (Win + V) and paste in whichever order you like. 

Note: You may be presented with a prompt to 'Turn On' clipboard history upon first use

macOS: To access the clipboard, you need to open Finder and then chose Edit > Show Clipboard. When you do this, a small window will pop up and show you what’s being stored and what type of content it is.

Note: The macOS version of the clipboard is very limited compared to the Windows version, but there are third party options for those who would like to experiment on their personal computers as seen here.

 

Multiple Desktops/Workspaces

Multiple desktops are great for keeping unrelated, ongoing projects organized, or for separating your personal applications from your work ones during your day without having to minimise and maximise windows or close browser tabs.
You may want to create a desktop/space for work related tasks (eg. Teams and Google Chrome), and one for personal usage (eg. Spotify and Firefox) - this will allow you to jump quickly between desktops for meetings or phone calls etc. More information can be found in the guides linked below.

Windows guide

   

macOS guide

Traveling with Duo Mobile

Are you traveling this holiday? Maybe you have booked a trip overseas where you won't be able to use your Australian SIM or have a network connection to your phone.
Did you know that Duo Mobile stores 150 codes within the application for offline use? This can be used anywhere in the world without data or Wi-Fi so long as you still have the app installed on your phone, you can still use MFA on your Deakin account.

1. Select 'Enter a Passcode' on the MFA prompt
   
   
   On your phone screen, open Duo Mobile, tap the corresponding account and enter the generated 6-digit passcode on your phone in the field, and click 'Log In'
   
   

 

Duo Mobile on a new device

If you have received or bought a new phone over Christmas, you will need to configure Duo Mobile up on the new device. Please click this Restore Duo Mobile article for setup instructions.

Organising your computer

No one likes working in an unorganised or messy office, so why is working on a messy computer any different? Cleaning up your device can help you feel recharged and avoid feeling overwhelmed when you return to work and open your computer.
Deleting unused files from your desktop, uninstalling applications you no longer use and cleaning up your inbox can go a long way!

Use Bookmark folders to organize your bookmarks

• Mozilla Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari

Archive your emails

It is recommended to create archives every 6–12 months as this is a great way to reduce inbox clutter and increase the speed of your Outlook application. Please our Export and Archive guide for more information.

Set up LastPass

LastPass is a password manager tool that generates and stores passwords, as well as stores credit card and contact information, securely. LastPass can come in handy to avoid forgetting your passwords over the new year break.

Please see the LastPass Enterprise – Support Homepage guide for more information.

Managing Phishing Emails & SMS

To protect yourself from phishing emails and texts, be wary of unsolicited messages, watch out for red flags such as spelling errors, generic greetings and urgent requests, don't click on links or open attachments from unknown senders, keep your security software up to date and never give personal information such as passwords or bank account details.

If you're unsure of the authenticity of an email, it's always best to report it to Deakin's Cyber Security team by forwarding the email to spam@deakin.edu.au or by clicking the Phish Alert button in Outlook. For more information, please see our 'Managing Spam & Phishing Emails' knowledge article.
 

Managing Separate Work and Personal Browser Profiles

Using separate web browser profiles for your work and personal browsing can help keep your information more secure and organised. By setting up different profiles, you can have different bookmarks, extensions, and browsing history for each area of your life.

For example, you can have a work profile that has all your work-related bookmarks and extensions, while your personal profile can have your social media and shopping sites bookmarked. This will also help you to separate your browsing history and keep your work and personal information separate. It can also be helpful if you share a computer with others, as it allows you to keep your browsing history and preferences private. It's a simple step that can make a big difference in keeping your information secure and organised.

Note: If Safari is your preferred browser, it does not have the capability to create individual browser profiles. However, if you are using Safari on a personal Mac, you can set up different user profiles which can be used for work and personal browsing. Alternatively, you can consider using another browser on a Deakin-managed Mac to separate your work and personal browsing. 


Managing multiple browser profiles for each browser:

- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge