Microsoft 365 Start Here: Plans, Setup and Copilot

What's inside

1. Level 1: Welcome: An Independent Map of Microsoft 365Free
   Learn that this course is independent of Microsoft and reproduces none of its documentation, and why every plan, price, AI feature and screen in it is dated and checked against Microsoft's current pages.
2. Level 2: The Suite Map: Which App Does Which JobFree
   Match the core Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, Teams and others) to the everyday jobs they do, and see where Copilot appears in each.
3. Level 3: Desktop, Web and Mobile: How the Versions Differ
   Compare what the desktop, web and mobile versions of the apps can and cannot do, and decide which version to use for each kind of task.
4. Level 4: What You Have: Consumer, Business and Corporate Plans
   Compare Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium with Business Basic, Standard and Premium and the corporate plans employers provide, including features IT may switch off.
5. Level 5: Which Copilot You Have and What It Can Reach
   Separate the free Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, the Copilot included in consumer plans and the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot licence by what each costs, which data each can reach and where each appears, with every detail checked and dated.
6. Level 6: Personal and Work Accounts Side by Side
   Understand the difference between a personal Microsoft account and a work or school account, and run both on one device without mixing data.
7. Level 7: Installing the Apps and Signing In
   Install the Microsoft 365 apps on Windows, Mac, iPhone/iPad and Android, sign in with the right account and confirm the licence is active.
8. Level 8: OneDrive Storage: Sync, Organise and Free Up Space
   Set up OneDrive sync, choose a folder structure, use Files On-Demand and check your storage quota against your plan.
9. Level 9: First Settings Worth Changing
   Change the settings that matter most on day one, including AutoSave, default save location, Outlook signature and focus, notifications, language and privacy and connected-experience options, noting what depends on the plan or on IT policy.
10. Level 10: Start-up Setup: Choose a Business Plan, Add a Domain
    Choose between Business Basic, Standard and Premium for a small team, then connect a custom domain using the DNS records the setup wizard provides.
11. Level 11: Users, Licences and Shared Mailboxes
    Add users, assign licences, set up shared mailboxes for addresses such as info@ and support@, and handle a leaver, all within what a founder can do without an IT team.
12. Level 12: Multi-Factor Sign-in and Passkeys
    Protect personal and work accounts with multi-factor sign-in, the Microsoft Authenticator app and passkeys, and set up recovery options so you are never locked out.
13. Level 13: Spotting Phishing and Sharing Files With Care
    Recognise phishing emails, fake sign-in pages and requests to approve unexpected sign-ins, and share files with the narrowest permissions that work.
14. Level 14: Backups and Recovery for Personal and Work Data
    Understand what OneDrive and Microsoft 365 do and do not back up, and use version history, the recycle bin and file restore to recover lost or damaged work.
15. Level 15: Your First Copilot Prompt and How to Check It
    Write a clear Copilot prompt with a goal, context, sources and format, then check the output for accuracy, sources and sensitive data before you use it.
16. Level 16: Getting Help and Where to Go Next
    Find reliable help through in-app help, Microsoft support, community forums and your IT team, and choose the matching app course or Microsoft 365 Copilot at Work for more depth.
17. Level 17: Final Challenge: Right Plan, One-Page Setup Checklist Exam
    Review the whole course by choosing the right plan and Copilot option for a described person or start-up and writing a dated one-page setup checklist covering accounts, apps, storage, domain, users, security, backups and help.

Access

The first 2 levels are free with a free account. Every level, the podcast edition and the AI tutor come with All Access at £4.99/month or any Creator plan — see pricing.

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