Firelands Computer Services Blog

Have you noticed that some changes don’t feel like improvements?

Microsoft has announced that it’s retiring PowerPoint’s much loved Reuse Slides feature.

For anyone who builds presentations regularly, that’s a real blow.

If you’ve never used it, Reuse Slides was one of those quiet, behind-the-scenes features that made life a lot easier.

It let you open a small panel within PowerPoint, browse through another presentation, and pick out the exact slides you wanted to reuse. You could even choose whether to keep the original formatting.

It was perfect for keeping your company’s logo, colors, and layout looking consistent. And it was a huge time saver.

Instead of rebuilding every deck from scratch, teams could pull in existing slides from previous proposals, reports, or training materials. It kept things looking professional and saved hours of fiddling with design templates.

But earlier this year, that convenience disappeared.

Microsoft says it removed Reuse Slides because there are duplicate ways to do the same thing. It no longer makes sense to maintain overlapping features.

While that might be technically true, it’s not much comfort for people who liked the simplicity of clicking one button and getting straight to work.

You can still reuse slides. It just takes an extra step or two.

One simple method is to open both PowerPoint files at once and drag and drop slides between them. This usually keeps most of your formatting, animations, and media in place.

Another option is to go to View > New Window, which opens a duplicate of your current deck. That’s helpful if you want to work on a new version while keeping the original untouched.

These alternatives do the job, but they don’t feel quite as seamless.

Reuse Slides gave you more control, especially when you only needed a few slides from a larger deck.

The drag and drop method can work, but it’s less precise and can sometimes cause small formatting quirks that need tidying up afterwards.

Still, change is inevitable. Microsoft wants fewer overlapping features and a more streamlined experience, even if that means saying goodbye to a few long-standing favorites.

If your business relies on PowerPoint for client presentations, sales decks, or internal training, make sure your team knows about this change. Get them comfortable with the drag and drop method or the “New Window” trick to save time and confusion later.

And if you need help getting to grips with this, or any other change in Microsoft, get in touch.

Be honest, when was the last time you forgot a password and ended up in that endless loop of “reset your password” emails?

It’s one of the biggest frustrations of modern working life.

But it might finally be coming to an end.

Microsoft has announced that passkeys can now be synced across your devices using your Microsoft Account in Edge.

If you’re not familiar with passkeys yet, they’re a clever, password-free way to log in.

Think of them as a more secure and much simpler replacement for passwords. Instead of typing a string of letters, numbers, and symbols, you use your device’s built-in security, like Face ID, fingerprint recognition, or a PIN, to prove it’s really you.

The system uses something called the FIDO2 standard, which ties your login information directly to your device.

No passwords to steal, no phishing links to fall for.

Until now, though, there’s been one big problem: Passkeys were usually stored locally on your device.

That meant if your laptop died or you upgraded to a new PC without backing them up, you could lose access to your accounts completely.

Not ideal.

Now, with Microsoft’s latest update to Edge, that headache is over.

Your passkeys can be securely stored and synced in the cloud, protected by your Microsoft Account and an extra PIN via Microsoft Password Manager.

That means you can sign in to any Windows 11 PC with your account and your passkeys come with you. No fuss, no lockouts, no panic.

And before you worry, this doesn’t mean your data is suddenly up for grabs.

Microsoft has made it clear that synced passkeys are encrypted in the cloud. They’ll have multiple layers of protection.

In fact, it’s just as secure as storing them locally, but much more convenient.

This is another small but important step toward better productivity and security.

Fewer passwords mean fewer resets, fewer support tickets, and far less risk of someone reusing weak passwords or falling for phishing scams.

And for your employees, it’s one less thing to remember.

Passkeys are already rolling out to Windows 11, with support for Mac and mobile on the way. So next time you’re prompted to “Save as passkey” in Edge, say yes.

Have you ever wished your computer just understood what you were trying to do, instead of making you dig through menus and search results to get there?

Microsoft’s working on it.

In the latest Windows 11 preview, there’s a new feature being tested called Ask Copilot. It’s taking center stage right on your taskbar.

Traditionally, when you search from the Windows taskbar, you’re using a basic search box that looks for files, apps, and settings.

With Ask Copilot, that same box is getting a big upgrade.

It now uses AI to understand what you’re looking for, and to guide you directly to the right place. Or help you achieve what you’re trying to do.

For example, you might type “open the invoice template I used last month”, or “connect to the projector”, or “how do I split this PDF?”

Instead of just showing you a list of results, Copilot can act. It can open the file, adjust the setting, or generate a quick answer.

It’s the same idea as the search you’re used to, but far smarter and more helpful.

You’ll also see helpful icons beside the new Ask Copilot box. These give one-click access to Copilot Vision (for understanding on-screen content) and voice commands (so you can talk instead of typing).

Now, if that sounds a bit too AI-heavy for your liking, it’s ok, it’s opt-in.

You’ll only see Ask Copilot if you turn it on in your Settings (under Personalization > Taskbar > Ask Copilot).

For everyone else, the normal search stays exactly as it is.

Microsoft is quick to point out that this doesn’t give Copilot any extra access to your data. It only uses the same tools as regular Windows Search. It’s not secretly scanning your files or peeking at private content.

The benefit for your business?

Time and focus.

Instead of your team getting sidetracked hunting for documents, adjusting settings, or Googling how to do something simple, Copilot helps them get it done instantly.

It’s another small step toward a more streamlined, productive workday. The kind where technology quietly helps rather than hinders.

Right now, Ask Copilot is just being tested in preview builds. But I think we’ll see a rollout soon.

Would you switch on Ask Copilot when it arrives? Or stick with classic search for now? Either way, the choice (for the moment, at least) is yours.

When was the last time you saw one of those scary pop-ups claiming your computer was infected?

You know the ones. They come complete with flashing red warnings and a fake phone number to “call Microsoft support”.

It’s called scareware, and it’s designed to panic you into handing over money or access to your device.

And even the most careful among us can be caught off guard.

You may be as happy as I am to hear that Microsoft is fighting back. In a big way.

In an update to its Edge browser, Microsoft has rolled out a new scam protection tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to stop these fake alerts before they even reach you.

It’s part of a wider effort to make Edge one of the most secure browsers for both Windows and Mac users.

Edge now includes something called a Scareware Blocker. This is switched on by default for most newer computers.

It uses a clever AI model that can “see” the kind of full-screen scam pages designed to look like real system alerts. The ones that say, “your device is infected” or “call support immediately.”

And when it spots one, it shuts it down instantly, before you or your team have a chance to click anything dangerous.

If someone does happen to report a scam, it helps everyone else too. Microsoft’s Defender SmartScreen system learns from that report and blocks the same scam for others. Sometimes hours or even days before it would normally appear on global threat lists.

In tests, just one report stopped about 50 other people from being targeted.

There’s also a brand-new scareware sensor built into the latest version of Edge. This helps Microsoft’s systems spot new scams in real time, without sending your personal data or screenshots anywhere.

It’s switched off for now, but Microsoft says it will soon be enabled automatically for anyone with SmartScreen turned on.

Unfortunately, scams are everywhere, and they’re getting worse. One wrong click on a fake warning can lead to serious consequences from stolen passwords and drained bank accounts to full-on ransomware attacks.

And while many scams target individuals, SMBs are increasingly in the firing line.

Criminals know that even one employee slipping up can be the weak link.

Tools like this new protection in Edge help to plug those gaps. They use AI to react faster than a human ever could. And that means one less thing to worry about when your team is busy getting real work done.

So, if your business uses Microsoft Edge, make sure you’re running the latest version. The new scam protection could save you a lot of trouble and maybe even a few heart-stopping moments.

And if you’re not sure how well protected your systems are against scams like this, it might be time for a security audit. My team and I can help with that – get in touch.

How do you really know if your people are making the most of AI at work?

You’ve rolled out Microsoft Copilot.

You’ve talked about how it can save time. How it can boost productivity. And how it can make day-to-day tasks easier.

But how can you tell if your team is actually using it? Or if it’s quietly gathering dust on their desktops?

That’s exactly what Microsoft’s new Copilot Dashboard feature, called Benchmarks, is designed to reveal.

It lives inside Viva Insights (part of Microsoft 365) and gives you a clear picture of how your employees are using Copilot. And how that compares to others.

Benchmarks can show how many people in your organization actively use Copilot, which apps they’re using it in, and how often they come back to it.

But it doesn’t stop there.

It can also compare your company’s usage with other similar businesses. Those of the same size, in the same industry, or even in the same region.

In other words, you’ll be able to see whether your team is leading the AI charge… or falling behind it.

Now, that may sound like a privacy concern. The idea of your company data being compared against others might raise an eyebrow or two. But Microsoft insists it’s handled safely. All the external data is anonymized, aggregated, and run through mathematical models to protect privacy.

From a business point of view, it’s a clever move.

Many companies have been slow to fully adopt AI tools, even though the benefits are clear. A recent study found that only about 5% of AI pilot programs ever make it beyond the testing stage. Mostly because businesses struggle to adapt their processes and culture.

Microsoft’s Benchmarks tool could change that by showing you exactly where adoption is stalling.

Of course, this new visibility might make some employees uneasy. No one wants to feel like their AI habits are being watched. But this is about progress, not punishment. If you can see which teams are using Copilot effectively (and which aren’t), you can identify where extra support or training is needed.

So, is your team using AI well? Soon you won’t have to guess. Copilot will tell you.