Windows 10 and Microsoft Office 2016

Overview

The Department is introducing Windows 10 for all employees beginning in Summer 2019!

Getting Ready for Windows 10

Note: hardware peripherals not supported/procured by IITB are the responsibility of their local owner to ensure they will work with (i.e. are compatible with) Windows 10.

Reference Material – Windows 10

Reference Material – Office 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Windows 10
    • When will we get Windows 10 on our work devices?

      Employees will begin to receive Windows 10 in Summer 2019 (except for employees with tablets or other devices that require earlier installation). This provides time for the Department to grow accustomed to the new Office version ahead of the Windows update.

    • What will be different in Windows 10?

      Conceptually, everything about Windows remains the same. The Start menu looks different, now featuring tiles: ordinary menu items made to look more attractive, that can be arranged to best suit your work. The way that Windows identifies open software on the taskbar (along the bottom of the screen) also looks different, designed to be more compact.

    • I have Windows 10 at home; will it look the same at work?

      It will work the same way, but it won't look exactly the same. All software used by the Department is modified for our environment so that we have the best combination of security and functionality, with a focus on what's needed to do our work. If you have Windows 10 at home, then you will notice at work that Cortana is missing, the Start menu's content has been simplified, and a few other differences.

  • Microsoft Edge
    • When will we get the web browser Microsoft Edge on our work devices?

      Microsoft Edge will be made available at the same time as Windows 10. It will not be your default browser (that will still be Internet Explorer), but you can choose to make it your default if you prefer.

    • Will Microsoft Edge do anything new that we haven't seen before?

      Microsoft Edge is a typical web browser with all of the customary features (Home, Back and Forward buttons, the Favorites menu, tabs for visiting multiple pages at the same time, etc.). The key difference is that it rates very well for compatibility with current technology, so you should encounter fewer issues with visiting most web sites.

    • Will I be able to keep all my favourites (i.e. bookmarks) that I have now?

      Yes. Your list of Favorites can be imported when you receive your upgrade, and then it will be shared across both web browsers in Windows 10. However, any appearance preferences you previously customized (e.g. font size) for Internet Explorer may need to be selected again when it is upgraded.

    • Will Microsoft Edge be compatible with every web site I visit?

      Edge will not be the default browser in Windows 10 (that will still be Internet Explorer) since there are some government services that are not yet compatible with it. If you encounter a problem with a web site while using Edge as your web browser, use Internet Explorer instead.

      Note that you can choose to make Microsoft Edge your default browser after your upgrade to Windows 10, if that is what you prefer.

  • Microsoft Office 2016
    • When will the new version of Microsoft Office be on our computers?

      Timelines need to be confirmed, but it's anticipated to be Fall 2018.

    • What is included in Microsoft Office?

      A new version of Microsoft Office means there will be new versions of Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It will also introduce Skype for Business as a replacement for Microsoft Lync. Microsoft OneNote will be promoted as a new business tool for employees to take advantage of. Microsoft Publisher will still be available for all employees.

    • Will the new version of Microsoft Office be substantially different?

      The new version of Office will introduce a few minor new features, along with some alterations to look-and-feel. The look-and-feel of Skype for Business is different than Lync, but its features remain the same as what Lync provided.

    • Will there be any changes to how we use our email?

      A new version of Microsoft Outlook will be provided when employees receive this version of Microsoft Office, but it will not change current email practices or mailbox sizes for employees. It is still recommended that you reduce your amount of email as much as possible before this upgrade.

    • Can Skype for Business do everything that Lync can?

      Skype for Business looks different and will take some getting used to, but you will be able to do everything you currently do with Lync. Instant messaging works the same, and if you currently have desktop sharing and videoconferencing enabled then you will also have them with Skype for Business. Currently, Skype adds no new functionality that was not present in Lync. It does not expand on videoconferencing capability, you may only IM within the Department, etc.

      One minor difference is that Skype does not offer a menu option to save a copy of your IM conversation, but you can still do this in Skype by using the CTRL + S shortcut on your keyboard.

    • What is different about PowerPivot for Excel 2016?

      The PowerPivot functionality was an additional software component that needed to be added to Excel 2010. The new Excel 2016 will come with PowerPivot as a built-in feature.

      PowerPivot in Excel 2016, however, is an exception to the general compatibility between Office 2010 and Office 2016. When you try to open an Excel 2010 spreadsheet that uses PowerPivot, Excel 2016 will display the message, “This workbook has a Power Pivot data model created using a previous version of the Power Pivot add-in. You’ll need to upgrade this data model with Power Pivot in Microsoft Excel 2016”.

      You can find detailed instructions on the Microsoft web site for how to upgrade an Excel file that uses PowerPivot. Note however, the spreadsheet will no longer be able to open in Excel 2010 after it has been upgraded to be compatible with Excel 2016.

    • What can I do with Microsoft OneNote?

      Microsoft OneNote is essentially a digital notebook for gathering and organizing notes and transitory information. You can record all of your meeting minutes, personal notes, task lists and ideas about a topic in one place.

    • Will this version of Microsoft Office be able to open and read all of my existing documents?

      The new Office 2016 is fully compatible with the files produced by Office 2010 that is currently on ESDC computers. It may also open older files, with the following limitations out of respect for security concerns. Files which will open in Protected View will remain accessible and can be edited. Files which will be blocked should be saved in a more recent format prior to receiving Office 2016. Note that there is no mass conversion tool available to perform this task. These files must be re-saved individually by their owners.

      Older Office File Types and Office 2016 Policy
      Older Office File TypesOffice 2016 Policy
      Excel 95 & 97 workbooks and templates Allowed, open in Protected View
      Excel 2, 3 & 4 worksheets and workbooks Blocked
      Excel 2, 3 & 4 macrosheets and add-in files Blocked
      All web pages, and Excel 2003 XML spreadsheets Blocked
      Word XP binary documents and templates Allowed, open in Protected View
      Word 2000 binary documents and templates Allowed, open in Protected View
      Word 95 & 97 binary documents and templates Allowed, open in Protected View
      Word 6.0 binary documents and templates Blocked
      Word 2 and earlier binary documents and templates Blocked
    • Will my personal settings be different on each computer I use?

      Some employees work at multiple computers to perform their work. If this includes you: for technical reasons, after the Office 2016 upgrade, you may discover that some preferences you select (in Office 2016, and also in Windows generally) will only be changed for that computer, not on every computer you use. The only solution is to make the same change on each computer where you want to have that preference.

    • Will Microsoft Access still be available?

      Microsoft Access will continue to be available for employees who currently use it. Should there be any new requests for Microsoft Access, IITB has available other, more modern tools that are likely to be more beneficial. To identify your business need, contact the IITB Business Integration and Alignment (BIA) Executive (DOC, 144 KB) assigned to your branch or region.

    • Will Microsoft Publisher still be available?

      Microsoft Publisher will still be available for all employees.

    • Is InfoPath available with Office 2016?

      InfoPath is a software application used in ESDC to design personalized forms for SharePoint and other products. The current version, InfoPath 2010, is discontinued with the introduction of Office 2016. Form designers must register for InfoPath 2013 to continue editing and developing forms, and should ensure that all forms are web-based so that other employees can use them without requiring InfoPath.

      When it is installed, InfoPath 2013 can be found by going to your Windows Start menu, selecting All Programs, and then choosing the Microsoft Office 2013 folder. The new Microsoft Office Suite will be in its own Microsoft Office 2016 folder, not in the same folder as InfoPath.

    • Why do we need a new version of Microsoft Office?

      A new version will ensure the Department keeps up with security requirements and technical support arrangements with Microsoft. It also aligns with government-wide standards identified by Treasury Board.

    • What are the new security setting restrictions for Office 2016?

      New security restrictions introduced for Office 2016 might interfere with the performance of other software. These settings have been temporarily eased to support the transition so there is more time to adjust, but eventually these need to be restored. See the following table:

      Security settings of Microsoft Office 2010 and 2016.  Table 1

      • Long description

        Table of Security Settings in Office 2016, current and future. VBA Macro Notification, Trust access to Visual Basic Project, Web pages and Excel 2003 XML, and Internet Calendar integration are all currently allowed. These will be prohibited in future. Running Internet macros from Office files is prohibited now and in future.