To get the most out of this book

You will be able to carry out just about every task in this book in Microsoft 365 for Windows. I do mention a couple of features that are in beta testing that may not be available on your computer just yet, but that should appear in the coming months. Throughout the book I note which features or techniques are not available in Excel for macOS, Excel for the Web, and Excel Mobile. It’s rare, but you will run across a couple of things that you can only do in Excel for macOS but not in Excel for Windows. Much of the book is relevant to users as far back as Excel 2013, but certain features and functions will require Microsoft 365. Some Ribbon tabs may have different names or slightly different configurations in older versions of Excel.

If you run across a feature or function that is missing from your version of Microsoft 365, choose File | Account | Check for Updates and install any updates that are available. The About section of this window will show if you are in the Current or Monthly Enterprise channels, which means new features and updates get pushed to your computer as often as monthly, or if you’re in the Semi-Annual Enterprise channel which means new updates and features will appear in January and July of each year.