Regression: File hyperlinks with #Bookmark no longer work in Office 2601/2602
After updating to Office Version 2601/2602 (Current Channel / Current Channel Preview), file‑based hyperlinks that include a bookmark (e.g., C:\File.docx#Bookmark) no longer work. Office now rewrites the # as %23 and hands the link off to the default browser, which fails. This affects Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Project. Rolling back to Version 2409 immediately restores correct behavior. I previously had a build newer than 2409 that supported both working file‑bookmark hyperlinks and Excel’s cell‑level dark mode, so this appears to be a regression introduced in the 2601+ hyperlink resolver rather than a local configuration issue. If anyone else is seeing this behavior, please upvote or comment so the engineering team can prioritize it. As noted, it is not just Excel, but that is the most pressing need for me.
Office outlook 365 .. where are emails saved?
I have office outlook (not the desktop version), i.e. https://outlook.office.com/mail/ After hours of searching I have found no way to save/export all my emails to a new computer. The office outlook does not have any export function even for the archive folder. The new computer has a 365 desktop outlook.Access to subAddress Property of Hyperlinks in Powerpoint Javascript API
Recently my company has me developing a Taskpane Add-in for Powerpoint using the Javascript API. Right now the API is still missing a 'subAddress' property for the Powerpoint.Hyperlink class. My heart's deepest longing is to add a slide to a presentation with existing slide-to-slide hyperlinks, check those hyperlinks for discrepancies between the slide ID and the text (ie: a Hyperlink reading '13' that now links to slide 14), and finally correct the text to the subaddress ID of the hyperlink in Javascript. It is my burning passion to do this for every hyperlink in my presentation with the push of a button. In the interest of all mankind I would ask that the 'subAddress' property of the hyperlinks be available for use in addition to the 'address' and 'screenTip' properties which now exist. To the microsoft dev who can grant me this boon I offer half my kingdom. Truly there is no dev more favoured than thee.
Dynamic Distribution Group with no Disabled Accounts
Hi I'm trying to build a few Dynamic Distribution Lists in Exchange Online and want to only include Active Users (i.e., users that are marked "Active" in Azure AD). I've tried using the UserAccountControl attribute (-eq 514 or -ne 514 - both are returning the same results, which is strange), but it still includes user accounts that are disabled. This is how my recipient filter looks like: RecipientType -eq 'UserMailbox' -and UserAccountControl -ne 514 What's the best way to achieve this in Exchange Online? Thanks Taranjeet Singh
Excel array question - spill VOWD based on forecast month
Hi, Can I have your help on a spilled question? I have the following table with information. Fore Month Jan-26 Feb-26 Mar-26 Apr-26 May-26 Jun-26 Jul-26 Aug-26 Sep-26 Oct-26 Nov-26 Dec-26 VOWD 2 - - - 3,983 15,203 11,779 2,083 - 1,742,162 1,696,156 116,267 1,162,366 - 2 - - 100,000 200,000 - - 500,000 650,000 300,000 - 466,000 - - 3 - - - 3,983 15,203 11,779 2,083 10,000 1,742,162 1,696,156 116,267 1,152,366 - 3 - - 100,000 200,000 - 250,000 250,000 650,000 - 400,000 450,000 - 100,000 4 - - - 2,000 15,203 11,779 2,083 10,000 1,742,162 1,696,156 116,267 152,366 2,000 4 - - 100,000 200,000 - 250,000 250,000 650,000 - 400,000 350,000 - 300,000 I would like to have a spilled array formula in VOWD column and the expected result is right there now. The logic is to grab the first 2 columns and sum up the amounts for the first two rows of data, and grab first three columns and sum up for the third and forth rows of data and etc. Thanks, Anna
Access Northwind Dev Ed - Error GetRandomPkValue
Just downloaded the newest MS Access and selected a new Northwind Dev Ed as the first DB to create. It fails to open due to an error in the code as it searched for a non existing function GetRandomPkValue... The purpose of the missing function is to return a random primary key value by passing in the variables for a query name and a field name and then it should return a "random" numerical ID from those possible based upon the passed in variables... My question is, Is the new Northwind Dev designed to fail on purpose or did I manage to download a corrupted incomplete version or???Architecting Microsoft 365 Environments for Multi-National Enterprises: Lessons from the Field
Introduction In today’s global economy, enterprises rely on Microsoft 365 to empower seamless collaboration across borders. However, deploying and securing multi-national M365 environments introduces complex technical, operational, and compliance challenges. With over two decades architecting cloud environments across the Americas, EMEA and APAC, I’ve led numerous deployments and migrations requiring hybrid identity resilience, data sovereignty compliance, and global operational continuity. This article presents field-tested lessons and strategic best practices to guide architects and IT leaders in designing robust, compliant, and scalable Microsoft 365 environments for multi-national operations. Key Challenges in Multi-National M365 Deployments 1. Hybrid Identity Complexity Managing synchronization between on-premises Active Directory and Azure AD becomes exponentially complex across regions. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/hybrid/whatis-hybrid-identity can introduce replication delays and login failures if not properly planned. Tip: Always assess latency impact on Kerberos authentication, token issuance, and Azure AD Connect synchronization cycles. 2. Data Residency and Compliance Many countries enforce strict data sovereignty laws restricting where personal and sensitive data can reside. Selecting tenant regions and enabling https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/microsoft-365-multi-geo?view=o365-worldwide become critical to avoid compliance violations. Impact Example: A financial institution with European operations faced potential GDPR breaches until Multi-Geo was implemented to ensure Exchange Online and OneDrive data remained within EU boundaries. 3. Licensing and Cost Control Balancing E3, E5, and F3 licenses across countries with varying user roles and local currencies adds administrative and financial complexity. Best Practice: Implement https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/enterprise-users/licensing-groups-assign, aligning assignments with security groups mapped to user personas. 4. Secure Collaboration Across Borders External sharing in SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams federation introduces security risks if not precisely configured. Default sharing settings often exceed local compliance requirements, risking data leakage. Lesson Learned: Always validate external sharing policies against each country’s data protection laws and client contractual agreements. 5. Operational Support and SLA Alignment Global operations require support models beyond single-region business hours, demanding proactive incident response and escalation planning. Example: Implementing follow-the-sun support with regional admins trained on Microsoft 365 admin centers and PowerShell mitigates downtime risks. Strategic Solutions and Best Practices 1. Architect Hybrid Identity with Redundancy Deploy https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/hybrid/connect/how-to-connect-sync-staging-server in alternate datacenters. Implement Password Hash Sync to reduce dependency on VPN and WAN availability for authentication. 2. Utilize Microsoft 365 Multi-Geo Capabilities Leverage https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/microsoft-365-multi-geo?view=o365-worldwide to meet data residency requirements per geography. Validate licensing implications and admin configurations for each satellite location. 3. Segment Licensing by User Persona Define clear user personas (executives, knowledge workers, frontline staff). Map license types accordingly, optimizing costs while ensuring productivity needs are met. Use https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/enterprise-users/licensing-groups-assign for scalable management. 4. Design Conditional Access Policies by Geography Create https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/conditional-access/location-condition. Integrate with Intune compliance policies to block or limit access for non-compliant devices. 5. Implement a Global Governance Model Establish clear local vs. global admin roles to maintain accountability. Enforce https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/privileged-identity-management/pim-configure to control and audit privileged access. Lessons Learned from the Field Latency is a silent killer – Always test Microsoft Teams and OneDrive performance across regions before production rollouts. Communication is critical – Local IT teams must align early with global security and compliance strategies. Compliance first – Never assume Microsoft’s default data location suffices for local regulations. Cost optimization is ongoing – Conduct license audits and adjust assignments every six months. Conclusion Architecting Microsoft 365 for a multi-national enterprise demands strategic integration of compliance, hybrid identity resilience, secure collaboration, and cost optimization. Cloud success in a global enterprise is not an accident – it is architected. By applying these best practices validated against Microsoft recommendations and real-world deployments, organizations can empower global collaboration without sacrificing governance or security. About the Author Gonzalo Brown Ruiz is a Senior Office 365 Engineer with over 21 years architecting secure, compliant cloud environments across North America, Latin America, EMEA and APAC. He specializes in Microsoft Purview, Entra ID, Exchange Online, eDiscovery, and enterprise cloud security.Securing the Modern Workplace: Transitioning from Legacy Authentication to Conditional Access
Authored by: Gonzalo Brown Ruiz, Senior Microsoft 365 Engineer & Cloud Security Specialist Date: July 2025 Introduction In today’s threat landscape, legacy authentication is one of the weakest links in enterprise security. Protocols like POP, IMAP, SMTP Basic, and MAPI are inherently vulnerable — they don’t support modern authentication methods like MFA and are frequently targeted in credential stuffing and password spray attacks. Despite the known risks, many organizations still allow legacy authentication to persist for “just one app” or “just a few users.” This article outlines a real-world, enterprise-tested strategy for eliminating legacy authentication and implementing a Zero Trust-aligned Conditional Access model using Microsoft Entra ID. Why Legacy Authentication Must Die No support for MFA: Enables attackers to bypass the most critical security control Password spray heaven: Common vector for brute-force and scripted login attempts Audit blind spots: Limited logging and correlation in modern SIEM tools Blocks Zero Trust progress: Hinders enforcement of identity- and device-based policies Removing legacy auth isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a prerequisite for a modern security strategy. Phase 1: Auditing Your Environment A successful transition starts with visibility. Before blocking anything, I led an environment-wide audit to identify: All sign-ins using legacy protocols (POP, IMAP, SMTP AUTH, MAPI) App IDs and service principals requesting basic auth Users with outdated clients (Office 2010/2013) Devices and applications integrated via PowerShell, Azure Sign-In Logs, and Workbooks Tools used: Microsoft 365 Sign-In Logs Conditional Access insights workbook PowerShell (Get-SignInLogs, Get-CASMailbox, etc.) Phase 2: Policy Design and Strategy The goal is not just to block — it’s to transform authentication securely and gradually. My Conditional Access strategy included: Blocking legacy authentication protocols while allowing scoped exceptions Report-only mode to assess potential impact Role-based access rules (admins, execs, vendors, apps) Geo-aware policies and MFA enforcement Service account handling and migration to Graph or Modern Auth-compatible apps Key considerations: Apps that support legacy auth only Delegates and shared mailbox access scenarios BYOD and conditional registration enforcement Phase 3: Staged Rollout and Enforcement A phased approach reduced friction: Pilot group enforcement (IT, InfoSec, willing users) Report-only monitoring across business units Clear communications to stakeholders and impacted users User education campaigns on legacy app retirement Gradual enforcement by department, geography, or risk tier We used Microsoft Entra’s built-in messaging and Service Health alerts to notify users of policy triggers. Phase 4: Monitoring, Tuning, and Incident Readiness Once policies were in place: Monitored Sign-in logs for policy match rates and unexpected denials Used Microsoft Defender for Identity to correlate legacy sign-in attempts Created alerts and response playbooks for blocked sign-in anomalies Results: 100% of all user and app traffic transitioned to Modern Auth Drastic reduction in brute force traffic from foreign IPs Fewer support tickets around password lockouts and MFA prompts Lessons Learned Report-only mode is your best friend. Avoids surprise outages. Communication beats configuration. Even a perfect policy fails if users are caught off guard. Legacy mail clients still exist in vendor tools and old mobile apps. Service accounts can break silently. Replace or modernize them early. CA exclusions are dangerous. Every exception must be time-bound and documented. Conclusion Eliminating legacy authentication is not just a policy update — it’s a cultural shift toward Zero Trust. By combining deep visibility, staged enforcement, and a user-centric approach, organizations can securely modernize their identity perimeter. Microsoft Entra Conditional Access is more than a policy engine — it is the architectural pillar of enterprise-grade identity security. Author’s Note: This article is based on my real-world experience designing and enforcing Conditional Access strategies across global hybrid environments with Microsoft 365 and Azure AD/Entra ID. Copyright © 2025 Gonzalo Brown Ruiz. All rights reserved.
