WordPad will remain unaffected by the Zero day vulnerability of MS Word

WordPad, which is a simple and free word processor that comes with Windows, has been reported not to be vulnerable to the zero day RTF vulnerability, affecting Word.

Microsoft recently updated its security advisory for MS Word indicating that the Windows WordPad is not vulnerable to the same. It means, WordPad can be continued to be used as a secured workaround for editing and reading RTF documents.

The vulnerability has been noted as a remote code execution vulnerability that gives an attacker access to the system control, whenever a user accesses an infected RTF File on Microsoft Word. All versions of Word are vulnerable to the zero-day bug. Microsoft even commented that the company is aware about the limited, targeted attacks pointing at MS Word 2010. The company meanwhile has not made an announcement about when the fix for this vulnerability will be released or whether the same will be on the regularly-scheduled Patch Tuesday or ‘out of band’.

Also, to note are that April 8^th is the last scheduled patch day for Office 2003, which too is among the vulnerable products.

In addition, it was informed that the Online Versions of MS Word in Office 365 are open to this attack. Microsoft revealed that users of Office 365 are vulnerable to the issue and users can ensure protection by making use of the mitigations presented in Security Advisory 2953095.

RTF files are used as default format on WordPad. Also, users of Windows 7 and Windows 8 can open RTF documents in WordPad and can even save them in Word format, which is .DOCX format. WordPad in the meantime addresses these files as Office Open XML Documents. Files which have been saved by Word as RTF are not open to this recently detected vulnerability.

Microsoft has even unveiled a “Fix it”, which helps in disabling support for the RTF files. So, until a permanent solution or way-out is available, users of Windows can change the default handler for RTF files to WordPad, instead of MS Word.

The author is an experienced Microsoft support specialist who works at SupportMart. The company is a leading name in this scenario known to offer reliable Microsoft Tech Support that can be availed anytime and any day with just one call at the Microsoft technical Support number 1 800 793 7521 toll free.

New announcements from Microsoft for the year 2014

Microsoft, a name in the computer industry, which needs no introduction keeps revamping its offering for users by releasing updates, new products and more to add to the user experience immensely. Latest on this front are the new updates by Microsoft for its Office 365 suite, SharePoint and Yammer which will be delivered at a pre-decided monthly charge to users.

Meanwhile, Microsoft will also showcase a brand new set of APIs for SharePoint and Office 365, which will be released sometime later in the year 2014. Also, for users Microsoft has developed two new technologies for social networking which have been integrated with SharePoint Online and Office 365 and are anticipated to be released sometime this year. The discussed social networking technologies include a discovery app and a new search feature, which have been codenamed as Oslo, plus a new “Groups” capability, both of which will be spanned across Office 365. The two technologies meanwhile will be based on the Office Graph engine of Microsoft, which is a new information fabric that will function across communication silos for the subscribers of Office 365.

In the meantime, Microsoft made another announcement about the release of OneDrive for Business. This is a document storage service for enterprises which is based on SharePoint Online. The company recently made an announcement about rolling out OneDrive for Business iOS in the first part, which will be followed by support for other devices.  Microsoft will deliver the ability to use OneDrive for Business with the Service Pack 1 for SharePoint Server 2013. Meanwhile, the capability of branding in which organizations will get the control to customize appearance on OneDrive app, will still take some time to get released

Microsoft also will deliver the capability to use OneDrive for Business with SharePoint Server 2013 Service Pack 1. However, the new "branding" capability, in which organizations can customize the appearance of the OneDrive app, is yet to come.

Microsoft with its extensive offering is known for its dedicated support for Microsoft as well, which is like a bonus for users. This support is presented by the home company and many third-party vendors as well. SupportMart is one such renowned company, where certified experts for Microsoft can be reached anytime by calling on the Microsoft technical support phone number, which is a toll-free way of getting worry-free about all sorts of Microsoft issues.

How to convert Excel Files into Word file by simple DIY methods?

Excel and Word files are used by many users almost on a daily basis, in fact these form the most important tools for some user’s everyday work schedules. There are times when a user would look to convert Excel files to Word Documents. You may say it’s like copying and pasting the Excel tables in the Word Doc, while the other method describes conversion. However, Files in Excel mode can be exported to Word in .rtf or rich text file format, which helps in maintaining proper spaces between columns and rows. Also, when importing to Word, Links can still be created in Excel and in the original doc as well. Also, an Excel table can be saved as an image file, which can next be imported into a Word Document. However, if you still don’t understand how to convert an Excel Table into a Word format, here are three methods to do this easily.

First Method, involves Importing an Excel Table into Word

• You first need to select the table, chart or data that you want to convert to the Word File and select Copy which is an option in Formatting toolbar. The Word file where the data must be exported is opened and the data that was copied is pasted, thus exporting the same into Word.
• You can use “Paste Options” which is displayed next to imported object, where you must select ‘Match Destination Table Style’ Option in the pull-down menu; this will help in importing Excel data that is especially formatted for Word file.
• You can also opt to paste table, data or chart in a rich text format by clicking on “Paste Options” and then selecting “Keep Text Only” in the pull-down menu. This helps in exporting data, but without formatting or borders.
•  To create a link to the data between original Excel File and Word document, click on “Paste Options”. Next, select ‘Match Destination Table Style’ or ‘Link to Excel’ option from pull-down menu, this helps in establishing a link between the two files.

Second Method involves Importing Excel into Word as a Bitmap Image File

• Begin by clicking on “Paste Options”, next to imported chart option. Next select ‘Save as Image’ alternative in pull-down menu; this helps in inserting Excel data as a bitmap image file into Word.

Third Method involves Importing Excel into Word as a JPEG Image

• You must begin by zooming the Excel window to make all information clearly visible. Next, holding the control key on keyboard you need to press ‘Print Screen’ located on the right side of the keyboard in the top row.
• Save this image as a JPEG file and open MS Paint on your computer, from Accessories> Start Menu> All Programs. When image appears in MS Paint application, save as JPEG file.
• Next import the image into the word document, by dragging the image into an opened Word doc.

Above methods can help you in easily converting an Excel File into Word, and if you get stuck anywhere, help is anytime available at the Microsoft tech support number.

SupportMart, a global leader on this front, has a dedicated team of Microsoft technical support professionals, where you can find an answer anytime, by simply making a phone call.