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How to troubleshoot a damaged presentation in PowerPoint

• 5 contributors
• Applies to: PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2010, Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007

You may experience unexpected behavior when you work with a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. This behavior may occur because the presentation is damaged. This article contains step-by-step methods that may help you partly or fully restore your presentation.

This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user. You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.

When you try to open or change a presentation that is damaged, you may experience the following symptoms:

When you try to open a presentation, you receive one of the following error messages:

This is not a PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint cannot open the type of file represented by <file_name>.ppt

Part of the file is missing.

You receive the following kinds of error messages:

General Protection Fault

Illegal Instruction

Invalid Page Fault

Low system resources

Out of memory

More Information

How to determine whether you have a damaged presentation.

There are several ways to determine whether you have a damaged presentation. You can try to open the file on another computer that has PowerPoint installed to see whether the unexpected behavior occurs on the other computer. You can try to create a new file in PowerPoint and see whether the unexpected behavior occurs with the new file. This section describes how to use existing presentations and how to create a new file in PowerPoint to determine whether the presentations have the same behavior.

Method 1: Open an existing presentation

• In PowerPoint 2007 select the Microsoft Office Button .
• Select a different presentation, and then select Open.

If this presentation opens and seems to be undamaged, go to Method 3 in this section. Otherwise, go to Method 2 to create a new presentation.

Method 2: Create a new presentation

Step 1: create the presentation.

• In PowerPoint 2007, select Installed Templates , and then select Introducing PowerPoint 2007 .
• Select Create . This process creates a presentation that is based on the template.
• In PowerPoint 2007 select the Microsoft Office Button , and then select Save .
• Type a name for the presentation, and then select Save .
• Exit PowerPoint.

Step 2: Open the new presentation

• In PowerPoint 2007 select the Microsoft Office Button , and then select Open .
• Select the new presentation, and then select Open .

If you cannot open or save the new presentation, go to Method 3.

If you cannot create a new presentation, PowerPoint may be damaged and a repair should be initiated. (See Method 3, Part 2 below.)

Method 3: General troubleshooting

Windows 10, windows 8.1, windows 8, and windows 7.

This procedure allows your computer to restart without startup add-ons. For a clean restart, follow these steps:

Sign in to the computer by using an account that has administrator rights.

Select Start, type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press Enter to start the System Configuration utility.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, you should type the password or provide confirmation.

On the General tab, select the Selective startup option, and then clear the Load startup items check box. (The Use Original Boot.ini check box is unavailable.)

On the Services tab, select the Hide all Microsoft services check box, and then select Disable all.

This step lets Microsoft services continue to run. After you do a clean restart, you should check Office performance and then resume usual startup.

This procedure will cause the Office program to check for issues and repair itself.

Select the Start button and type Control Panel.

Open the Control Panel, go to Uninstall or change a program (or Add or Remove Programs ).

Scroll through the list of programs and find your version of Microsoft Office. Right-select and then select Change .

We suggest that you do the online repair option.

Methods to try if you cannot open a presentation

Method 1: drag the presentation to the powerpoint program file icon, windows 10, windows 8.1, and windows 8.

Right-click the Windows icon on the Taskbar, and then select Run.

Type one of the following depending on your version of PowerPoint:

Select the Enter key.

Locate the Powerpnt.exe icon in Windows Explorer.

Drag the damaged presentation icon from one window to the Powerpnt.exe icon in the other window.

PowerPoint will try to open the presentation. If PowerPoint does not open the presentation, go to Method 2.

Select Start, and then select Documents. Or select Start and then search for Windows Explorer.

If you have the MSI version of PowerPoint 2013 installed, type %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\office15 (PowerPoint 2013 64 bit) or %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Office\office15 (PowerPoint 2013 32 bit), and then press Enter.

If you have PowerPoint 2013 Select-to-Run installed, type C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15 (PowerPoint 2013 64 bit) or C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15 (PowerPoint 2013 32 bit), and then press Enter.

If you have the MSI version of PowerPoint 2016 installed, type %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Office\office16, and then press Enter.

If you have PowerPoint 2016 Select-to-Run installed, type %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\root\Office16 (PowerPoint 2016 64 bit) or %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Office\root\Office16 (PowerPoint 2016 32 bit), and then press Enter.

Method 2: Try to insert slides into a blank presentation

Step 1: create a blank presentation.

• In PowerPoint 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click New .
• Select Blank Presentation, and then select Create.

This process creates a blank title slide. You can delete this slide later after you re-create the presentation.

Step 2: Insert the damaged presentation as slides

• On the Home tab, select the arrow next to New slides in the Slides group, and then select Reuse Slides.
• In the Reuse Slides task pane, select Browse. Select the damaged presentation, and then select Open.
• Select Insert Slide for each slide in the damaged presentation.
• In PowerPoint 2007 click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Save .
• Type a new name for the presentation, and then select Save.

Step 3: Apply the damaged presentation as a template

If the presentation does not look the way that you expect after you try these steps, try to apply the damaged presentation as a template. To do this, follow these steps:

On the File menu, select Save as.

• In PowerPoint 2007 click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Save as .

This will make a backup copy of the restored presentation that you can use in case the damaged presentation damages this new presentation.

On the Design tab, select More in the Themes group, and then select Browse for Themes.

Select the damaged presentation, and then select Apply. The slide master of the damaged presentation replaces the new slide master.

If you start to experience unexpected behavior after you follow these steps, the template may have damaged the presentation. In this case, use the backup copy to re-create the master slide.

If the backup copy of the new presentation exhibits the same damage or strange behavior as the original presentation, go to Method 3.

Method 3: Try to open the temporary file version of the presentation

When you edit a presentation, PowerPoint creates a temporary copy of the file. This temporary file is named PPT ####.tmp.

The placeholder #### represents a random four-digit number.

This temporary file may be located in the same folder as the location to which the presentation is saved. Or it may be located in the temporary file folder.

Rename the file, and then try to open the file in PowerPoint

Right-select the file, and then select Rename.

Change the old file-name extension from .tmp to .pptx so that the file name resembles the following file name:

PPT ####.pptx

Start PowerPoint.

On the File menu, select Open.

Browse to the folder that contains the renamed file.

Try to open the file in PowerPoint.

More than one file may correspond to the temporary file that was created the last time that you saved the presentation. In this case, you may have to open each file to see whether one is the temporary copy of the presentation.

If there are no temporary files, or if the temporary files display the same kind of damage or strange behavior, go to Method 4.

Method 4: Make a copy of the damaged presentation

• Right-select the presentation, and then select Copy.
• In the Windows Explorer window, right-select in a blank space, and then select Paste.

If you cannot copy the file, the file may be damaged, or the file may reside on a damaged part of the computer's hard disk. In this case, go to Method 5.

If you can copy the file, try to open the copy of the damaged presentation in PowerPoint. If you cannot open the copy of the damaged presentation, try to repeat Method 1 through Method 5 in the "Methods to try if you cannot open a presentation" section below by using the copy of the damaged presentation.

Method 5: Run Error Checking on the hard disk drive

• Exit all open programs.
• Right-click the Start menu and select File Explorer .
• Right-select the hard disk drive that contains the damaged presentation.
• Select Properties, and then select the Tools tab.
• In Error-checking, select Check Now.
• Select the check box Automatically fix file system errors.
• Select the check box Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.
• Select Start.
• Select Start, and then select Computer.
• Right-click the hard disk drive that contains the damaged presentation.
• Select to select the Automatically fix file system errors check box.
• Select to select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box.

Error checking may verify that the presentation is cross-linked and attempt to repair the presentation. However, this is not a guarantee that PowerPoint will be able to read the presentation.

Methods to try if you can open a damaged presentation

Method 1: try to apply the damaged presentation as a template.

• In PowerPoint 2007, select the Microsoft Office Button , and then select New .
• Select Blank Presentation , and then select Create . This process creates a blank title slide. (You can delete this slide after you re-create the presentation.)

Step 2: Insert the damaged presentation into the blank presentation

• On the Home tab, select the arrow next to New slides in the Slides group, and then select Reuse Slides .
• In the Reuse Slides task pane, select Browse .
• Select the damaged presentation, and then select Open .
• Select the Microsoft Office button, and then select Save .

If the presentation does not look the way that you expect it to look after you try follow these steps, try to apply the damaged presentation as a template. To do this, follow these steps:

• On the File menu, select Save as .
• In PowerPoint 2007, select the Microsoft Office Button , and then select Save as .

Type a new name for the presentation, and then select Save .

On the Design tab, select More in the Themes group, and then select Browse for Themes .

Select the damaged presentation, and then select Apply . The slide master of the damaged presentation replaces the new slide master.

If the backup copy of the new presentation still displays damage or strange behavior, go to Method 2.

Method 2: Transfer the slides from the damaged presentation to a blank presentation

• In PowerPoint 2007, select the Microsoft Office Button , and then select Open .
• Locate the damaged presentation, and then select Open .
• Select Blank Presentation , and then select Create . This process creates a blank title slide.

Step 2: Copy slides from the damaged presentation to the new presentation

On the View tab, select Slide Sorter . If you receive error messages when you switch views, try to use Outline view.

Select a slide that you want to copy. On the Home tab, select Copy .

If you want to copy more than one slide at a time, hold down the Shift key, and then select each slide that you want to copy.

Switch to the new presentation. To do this, on the Window tab, select Switch Window in the View group, and then select the new presentation that you created in step 1.

On the View tab, select Slide Sorter .

On the Home tab, select Paste .

Repeat steps 2a through 2f until the whole presentation is transferred.

In some cases, one damaged slide may cause a problem for the whole presentation. If you notice unexpected behavior in the new presentation after you copy a slide to the presentation, that slide is likely to be damaged. Re-create the slide, or copy sections of the slide to a new slide.

If the new presentation shows damage or strange behavior, go to method 3.

Method 3: Save the presentation as a Rich Text Format (RTF) file

If there is damage throughout the presentation, the only option to recover the presentation may be to save the presentation as a Rich Text Format (RTF) file. If this method is successful, it recovers only the text that appears in Outline view.

Step 1: Save the presentation in the RTF file format

• Open the presentation.
• In PowerPoint 2007, select the Microsoft Office Button , select Save As , and then select Other Formats .
• In the Save as type list, select Outline/RTF(*.rtf) .
• In the File Name box, type the name that you want to use, select a location in which to save the presentation, and then select Save .
• Close the presentation.

Any graphics, tables, or other text in the original presentation will not be saved in the .rtf file.

Step 2: Open the .rtf file in PowerPoint

• On the File menu, select Open .
• In the Files of type list, select All Outlines or All Files .
• Select the .rtf file that you saved in step 1d, and then select Open .

This procedure will re-create the presentation based on the original presentation's outline view.

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How to Fix Microsoft PowerPoint Not Playing Videos: 10 Tips

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You’ve put together an impressive PowerPoint presentation, and you press F5 to test it out right before showing it to your audience. Everything looks great, but PowerPoint can’t play the video.

Most of the time, this happens because of an incompatible video format or wrong PowerPoint settings. If you’ve run into the same problem, go through the solutions below to have PowerPoint smoothly play any embedded video.

1. Check the Video Format

If PowerPoint doesn’t support the video format, the video may not play at all or have no audio. For example, if your file extension is .SWF , PowerPoint can’t play the video. In this case, you should search for a different video version or use an online video converter .

2. Redownload the Video

If PowerPoint supports the video file format, but still can’t play it, there might be something wrong with the video. To test it, play the video outside of PowerPoint. There are multiple reasons why you can’t play the video in your PowerPoint slide show:

• The storage location is corrupt.
• The video’s audio is out of sync.
• The video might be missing certain files.
• The video itself is damaged or corrupted.

In this case, the easiest fix is to redownload the video from a different source. Also, if you’re using a YouTube video, check if it’s still available.

3. Check PowerPoint Playback Settings

If you couldn’t find anything wrong with the video, it’s time to move on and check PowerPoint playback settings. You can have PowerPoint play the video automatically, or wait for you to click the video before it starts playing. So let’s make sure PowerPoint is set to play the video according to your expectations.

• In PowerPoint, click the video.
• From the toolbar, open the Playback tab.
• Head to the Video options menu and open the Start dropdown menu.
• There, choose your preferred option.

This is a good opportunity to make sure the audio isn’t muted in PowerPoint. In the Playback tab, click the Volume icon and make sure you haven’t accidentally selected the Mute option.

4. Have PowerPoint Show the Video

Depending on your PowerPoint settings, the video might not be visible until it starts playing. But if you’ve set its playback mode to “Until clicked on”, you might be aimlessly clicking to get the video playing.

To make the video visible, click it, and open the Playback tab. Then, go to the Video options section and uncheck Hide While not Playing .

5. Embed the Code for YouTube Videos

If you want to include in your presentation a video from YouTube, simply copying and pasting the link isn’t enough. Instead, you’ll have to embed the video's code in your presentation. Here’s how you can do it:

• Navigate to the YouTube video that you want to insert into your slideshow.

• Copy the embed code.
• In PowerPoint, open the Insert tab and click Media > Video .

• Click Insert .

If you’ve inserted an online video, make sure to test your internet connection before your presentation. A faulty connection will make the video buffer or affect its quality.

6. Optimize PowerPoint Media Compatibility

If PowerPoint supports the video format but still has trouble playing it, you should optimize PowerPoint media compatibility. Open the File menu and select Info . Then, extend the Check for Issues menu and click Check Compatibility .

PowerPoint will search for any incompatibility concerns and automatically fix them.

7. Compress PowerPoint Media

If you want to use a large video file, PowerPoint might have a difficult time trying to manage it. To make PowerPoint's job easier and have it play videos any time you need, you should compress the media files you’ve added to your presentation.

Start by opening the problematic presentation and go to File > Info . There, open the Compress Media menu. There are three available options:

• Presentation quality/ Full HD (1080p) . It will adjust the video size while keeping its overall video and audio quality. Try this option if the inserted videos are an essential part of your presentation.
• Internet quality/ HD (720p) . This is the option that helps you to compromise between space and quality.
• Low quality/ Standard (480p) . This will save the most space. You should use it if you have to send the presentation to someone else, and you want to make sure the videos will play.

You can experiment with all the options and see which one gives you the best results.

8. Save Your Presentation as .PPTX

Everyone knows the file extension for PowerPoint presentations is . PPT . This comes with the advantage that you can open a . PPT file with older Office versions. However, older versions have problems when it comes to playing PowerPoint videos. So when saving your presentation, select the . PPTX option, which is designed for modern Office versions.

9. Start PowerPoint in Safe Mode

Videos might not be playing in PowerPoint due to a faulty add-in. To test it, you should launch PowerPoint in Safe Mode. Unfortunately, this solution is available only for Windows.

Press Windows key + R to bring up a Run dialog. Then, type in powerpnt /safe and press Enter . If PowerPoint can play the videos, you should take a look at the list of installed add-ins.

Open the Insert tab and go to Add-ins > My add-ins > See all . To remove an add-in, click the three-dot menu next to it and select Remove .

10. Delete Temporary Files

If your computer has accumulated too much temporary data, you may encounter all sorts of problems, including PowerPoint not playing videos.

Even if your system should automatically remove these files, you can manually delete temporary files in Windows . After you have deleted them, restart your computer and check if PowerPoint can now play videos.

Play Any Video in PowerPoint

Adding a video to your PowerPoint presentation is a nice touch that will make your presentation look more professional. Before doing so, play it outside PowerPoint to make sure you’re not dealing with a corrupted or incomplete file. Now, if you want to better interact with the audience, there are a few PowerPoint add-ins that you could give a try.

• Productivity
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Presentations

Top 11 Fixes for PowerPoint Not Opening on Windows 11

Even with free alternatives like Keynote and Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint remains the preferred choice among consumers, marketers, and professionals. It has native apps on most platforms and valuable features like Designer to create eye-catching presentations quickly. But what if PowerPoint fails to open in the first place on Windows 11? If you frequently face the same, check the best ways to fix PowerPoint when it is not opening on Windows 11.

Table of Contents

1. Restart Microsoft Office

You should restart Microsoft Office services and try opening PowerPoint again.

1. Right-click on Windows key and open Task Manager .

2. Use the search bar at the top and type Microsoft Office .

3. Select Microsoft Office and hit the End task button in the top right corner.

2. Check If PowerPoint Is In Use By Another Process

If you attempt to perform several tasks simultaneously in PowerPoint, the app may not respond to your actions. You should let the app complete a task before attempting other actions.

3. Check Possible Issues with Add-ins

While add-ins improve your overall PowerPoint experience, they may occasionally create a conflict with the app. Here’s how you can disable irrelevant add-ins from PowerPoint.

1. Press the Windows key and type PowerPnt /Safe .

2. Hit Enter , and the system will run the command to open PowerPoint in safe mode.

3. If PowerPoint is opening with any problems, disable add-ins.

4. Select Options from the bottom left corner.

5. Open Add-ins . Click Go .

6. Select an add-in and click Remove .  

You can now restart PowerPoint and try using it again.

4. Repair Microsoft Office

If you face unusual behavior with Office apps on Windows, repair it from system settings. It’s one of the effective ways to fix PowerPoint not opening on Windows 11. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Press Windows + I keys to open Settings .

2. Click Apps from the sidebar. Open the Installed apps menu.

3. Scroll to Microsoft 365 . Click the three-dot menu beside it.

4. Open Modify .

5. Select Quick Repair and follow the on-screen instructions.

5. Online Repair Microsoft Office

If repairing Microsoft Office doesn’t resolve the issue, it’s time to reset it.

1. Open the Installed apps menu in Windows Settings (refer to the steps above).

2. Head to Microsoft 365 and open Modify .

3. Select Online Repair from the following menu and confirm your decision.

Open Microsoft 365, and the app may ask you to log in with Microsoft account details to sync files. If PowerPoint still isn’t opening, continue reading to try other tricks.  

6. Change the Default Printer

PowerPoint loads a default printer, and if you have selected the wrong printer, the app may crash on startup.

1. Open Windows Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys.

2. Select Bluetooth & devices from the sidebar.

3. Open Printers and scanners .

4. Disable the Let Windows manage my default printer toggle.

5. Select your preferred printer and hit Set as default at the top.

PowerPoint should open without any problems on your computer.

7. Unblock a File

Windows may block specific files from another computer for security purposes. PowerPoint may not open on Windows if you are trying to open such files.

1. Open File Explorer and right-click on such a file.

2. Open Properties .

3. It will open the General menu. Find Unblock under Security . Click it.

Hit Apply , and you are good to go.

8. Update Microsoft PowerPoint

You can update Microsoft PowerPoint from any Office app. Here’s how.

1. Open Microsoft OneNote or Word on your computer.

2. Select File at the top and move to your Account.

3. Expand Update Options and select Update Now .

Download and install the latest Office update to fix PowerPoint not opening on Windows 11.

9. Reinstall Microsoft Office

When none of the tricks work, it’s time to reinstall Microsoft Office on your computer.

1. Open the Installed Apps menu in Settings (check the steps above).

2. Click the more menu beside Microsoft 365 and select Uninstall .

3. Head to Microsoft 365’s official website and download the latest version.

10. Check OneDrive Status

Are you trying to open a PowerPoint presentation from your OneDrive account? If OneDrive is facing server-side issues, PowerPoint won’t open. You must head to Downdetector to confirm server-side issues and wait for Microsoft to fix the problem.

11. Try PowerPoint Web Version

Although it’s not as feature-rich as the web version, you can use the PowerPoint web version to make minor edits on the go. However, we won’t recommend PowerPoint web to create new presentations from scratch.

Create Presentations Like a Pro

You should also confirm your Microsoft Office subscription from your account. If your subscription has expired, you may face issues with editing PPT files in PowerPoint. We hope PowerPoint is not opening and working on your Windows computer.

Parth previously worked at EOTO.tech covering tech news. He is currently freelancing at TechWiser, Android Police, and GuidingTech writing about apps comparisons, tutorials, software tips and tricks, and diving deep into iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows platforms.

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Top 7 Fixes for Animations Not Working in PowerPoint on Windows

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he's a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

The artful integration of animations can help you transform a mundane slideshow into a captivating visual treat. Microsoft PowerPoint offers a variety of animations that you can apply to text, images, and other objects to make your presentation dynamic . But what if these animations stop working in PowerPoint for Windows?

Whether animations are playing incorrectly or refuse to play at all, this guide can help. It includes a few useful tips to get PowerPoint animations working again on your Windows 10 or 11 PC.

1. Check Animation Order and Triggers

Before you try anything else, it’s a good idea to check the set animation effects and triggers in your PowerPoint presentation . Here’s how you can go about it.

Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation, switch to the Animations tab at the top, and select the Animation Pane option from the Advanced Animation group.

Step 2: From the Animation Pane settings, you’ll see a list of all animations on the right side. Make sure all the animations are listed in the desired order. If not, use the up and down arrows to reorder them.

Step 3: Right-click on animations to change their trigger. Then, click the Play button to check your animations.

Repeat the above steps to check the animation effects and triggers for all your slides. If the animations don’t play even after that, continue with the fixes below.

2. Check Slideshow Settings

Microsoft PowerPoint may not play any animations during slide shows if you have accidentally enabled the ‘Show without animations’ option. Here’s how to turn it off.

Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation, switch to the Slide Show tab, and click the Set Up Slide Show button.

Step 2: Under Show options, clear the ‘Show without animation’ checkbox. Then, click OK.

After that, press F5 to start the slideshow and check if your animations work.

3. Click the Record Button

Is PowerPoint not playing animations when you try to record your presentation ? That could happen if you scroll through your slides and haven’t clicked the Record button. Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1: Open your presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint. Switch to the Record tab and click the From Beginning or From Current Slide button.

Step 2: Click the Record button at the top. After that, PowerPoint will play and record your presentation with animations.

4. Toggle Off Hardware Acceleration

Such issues with animations can also occur if the hardware graphics acceleration feature malfunctions in PowerPoint. You can try turning this feature off momentarily to see if that fixes problems with PowerPoint animations.

Step 1: Open PowerPoint on your PC and click the File menu at the top-left corner.

Step 2: Select Options from the left sidebar.

Step 3: Select the Advanced tab. In the right pane, scroll down to the Display section and clear the checkbox that reads ‘Disable Slide Show hardware graphics acceleration.’ Then, click OK.

After completing the above steps, check if the issue is still there.

5. Open PowerPoint in Safe Mode

At times, third-party add-ins can conflict with Microsoft PowerPoint, causing the animation pane to not show up. If you suspect that to be the case, you can open PowerPoint in safe mode. For that, press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type powerpnt /safe in the Open field and press Enter.

After opening PowerPoint in safe mode, check if your animations work. If they do, it’s likely that one of your add-ins is causing the problem. To identify it, you will need to disable all add-ins and then re-enable them one by one.

Step 1: Open PowerPoint and click the File menu at the top-left corner.

Step 2: Select Options from the left pane.

Step 3: In the PowerPoint Options window, switch to the Add-ins tab. Click the drop-down menu next to Manage and select COM Add-ins. Then, click the Go button next to it.

Step 4: Uncheck all the boxes to disable your add-ins and click OK.

Restart Microsoft PowerPoint and enable your add-ins one at a time. You will need to check the animations after enabling each add-in. When you find the problematic add-in, consider removing it for good.

6. Repair Your Presentation

If animations are not working only on a specific PowerPoint presentation, you can try repairing it. To do so, use these steps:

Step 1: Open Microsoft PowerPoint and click the File menu at the top-left corner.

Step 2: Select Open from the left sidebar and click the Browse option.

Step 3: Browse and select your file. Click the downward arrow next to Open to select Open and Repair.

Wait for PowerPoint to repair your presentation and open it. After that, check if the issue still occurs.

7. Run the Office Repair Tool

If nothing works, there may be an issue with some of the core files associated with Microsoft PowerPoint . In that case, your best option is to run the Office repair tool, which can automatically find and fix issues with Office apps like PowerPoint.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type appwiz.cpl in the box and press Enter.

Step 2: Select the Microsoft Office suite and click the Change button.

Step 3: Select the Online Repair option and click Repair.

Animate Brilliance

Adding animations to your PowerPoint presentations is an effective way to keep your audience engaged. Such issues with PowerPoint shouldn’t force you to settle for a boring presentation or seek an alternative. Going through the above tips should solve the underlying issue and restore normalcy.

Was this helpful?

Last updated on 05 December, 2023

The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

The article above may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. The content remains unbiased and authentic and will never affect our editorial integrity.

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• PowerPoint Notes

PowerPoint Animations Not Working?

In this post, we explore troubleshooting a PowerPoint animation problem. We look at what to do when PowerPoint animations stop working, and then, we also explore how you can stop all animations in your presentation with one option.

One of our subscribers just reached out to say, The slides in my PowerPoint are not showing the animations I have set. I double-checked and all animations have been set properly. So why don’t the animations play?

Call it a coincidence, but we recently also heard another question, I have detailed animations set up on my PowerPoint slides, but can I disable the animations without deleting them altogether? I need to preview a bunch of these slides for non-animated stuff, and I have to view all animations which is taking so much time. One of my slides has thirty-two animations and it takes more than 4 minutes to preview them. If I could disable these animations, I would save 4 minutes each time I play the presentation only with this one slide!

The resolution to both these problems may be the same. To find out more, follow these steps:

• Open your presentation in PowerPoint. If it is not saved, please save it. If it’s already saved, press the Ctrl + S keyboard shortcut to save if you are using PowerPoint for Windows. If you are using PowerPoint on a Mac, use the similar Command + S keyboard shortcut to save.

PowerPoint PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

• Next, access the Slide Show tab and of the Ribbon and click the Set Up Slide Show button, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 1 , below.

• Doing so brings up the Set Up Show dialog box that you see in Figure 2 , below. Do note that the Show without animation check box has been selected, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2 .

Figure 2: Show without animation in PowerPoint for Windows

• Conversely, if your slides play without animation, someone may have enabled this option. In that case, you will deselect this check box.
• If you are using a Mac, the Set Up Show dialog box may look a little different, as shown in Figure 3 , below. Do note that the Show without animation check box has been selected here as well, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 3 .

• Press the OK button, and depending on whether you selected or deselected this option, animations will be disabled or enabled within the presentation. Save your changes.

Enable Animations Before Sharing

The option to disable or enable animations is something that is presentation-specific. What does that mean? It means that once you save your PowerPoint file to play without animations, it will not play animations on all systems. So, if you send this presentation to your boss, colleague, client, friend, or anyone else, they will not see any animations unless they enable this option at their end. Of course, you could enable this option before sharing the PowerPoint file with others.

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Filed Under: Troubleshooting Tagged as: Animation , Slide Show View , Troubleshooting

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How to Fix Audio Playback Issues in PowerPoint Presentations

Having trouble with sound or music with a presentation? Try these tips

• Brock University

Although there are various reasons why music or other audio might not play correctly in a PowerPoint presentation , compatibility is the most common cause. Learn how to troubleshoot and resolve audio playback issues in PowerPoint.

Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2010, and PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.

Make Sure the File Format Is Supported

If you are not using one of the following supported audio file formats, consider converting it to a recommended format and then reinserting it in the presentation.

The following audio file formats are supported in PowerPoint:

• AIFF Audio file, .aiff
• AU Audio file, .au
• MIDI file, .mid or .midi
• MP3 Audio file, .mp3
• Advanced Audio Coding—MPEG-4 Audio file, . m4a, .mp4
• Windows Audio file, .wav
• Windows Media Audio file, .wma

Optimize Media

Optimizing your audio media for compatibility is the best way to resolve audio playback issues when you share your PowerPoint presentation.

Go to File .

Select Info .

Select Optimize Compatibility .

If Optimize Compatibility appears, your media format may have compatibility issues on another device. If it doesn't appear, there are no compatibility issues and the presentation is ready to be shared.

Wait while PowerPoint optimizes your audio. Once it's done, select Close .

Compress Audio Files

Embedding audio files rather than linking to them will guarantee playback. This increases the size of your presentation, but compressing your audio files helps save space.

Choose Info .

Select Compress Media .

Choose the audio quality option you want to apply and wait while PowerPoint compresses your media files .

Select Close when the process is complete.

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Are you having video or audio playback issues?

There are various reasons for video or audio playback issues in PowerPoint. This article offers some suggestions for compatibility and troubleshooting.

To avoid audio or video playback issues in PowerPoint, you can optimize media files you've inserted into your presentation for compatibility on other devices. For a list of supported file types, visit Video and audio file formats supported in PowerPoint .

Optimize media in your presentation for compatibility

When you're ready to share your presentation, do the following:

On the File tab of the Ribbon, select Info .

If the media in your presentation was inserted in a format that might have compatibility issues when played on another device, the Optimize Compatibility option will appear. If it doesn’t appear, you don’t have compatibility issues and are ready to share.

* Embedded subtitles and alternate audio tracks are removed in this optimization process.

When the Optimize Compatibility button appears, it provides a summary of resolutions of potential playback issues. It also provides a list of the number of occurrences of media in the presentation. The following are common scenarios that can cause playback issues:

If you have linked videos, Optimize for Compatibility reports that you need to embed them. Select View Links to proceed. The dialog box that opens allows you to embed the videos by selecting Break Link for each link you want to embed from a device and user with access to the linked video.

If you have videos that were inserted using an earlier version of PowerPoint, you'll need to upgrade your media file format so that these files will play. Upgrading automatically updates and embeds the files in the newest format. Once you have upgraded, you should run Optimize for Compatibility again.

To upgrade your media files from an earlier version, on the File tab, select Info , and then select Convert .

Having trouble inserting or playing media because of a codec problem?

If you are having trouble inserting or playing media, it could be that you don't have the proper codec installed. For example, someone could send you a PowerPoint presentation with media based on a codec that your PC doesn't have. The best solution is for the author of the presentation to run Optimize Compatibility before sending the file to anyone else.

When attempting to insert a video file, you might receive an error message like this if you don't have the right codec file installed:

Try one of the following to help resolve any lingering issues:

Determine which codec you need to run the media. Read What is a codec and why do I need it? to find out how Windows Media Player can help you do that. Or install a third-party tool that can examine a media file and determine which codec it needs . Then install the codec required to run the media. You can find many codecs on the fourcc.org website.

For a detailed discussion of codecs, see Windows Media Codecs .

Download a third-party media decoder and encoder filter, such as ffdshow or DivX , which will allow you to decode and encode a variety of formats.

If you created a presentation on a PC and decide to deliver it on an Apple Macintosh, use media with the .mp4 file format extension.

Having trouble synchronizing your music with your slide show?

If your slide show is longer than one song, you can add more songs. However, if you find that you are having trouble synchronizing the music with the slide show, you can use a third-party audio editing tool, such as Audacity® to string the songs together into one file so they play continuously throughout the slide show.

Still having trouble?

Contact us or ask the community for help with questions not answered here.

Tips for improving audio and video playback and compatibility in PowerPoint

Video and audio file formats supported in PowerPoint

PowerPoint videos not playing on secondary monitor

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Troubleshooting PowerPoint Slide Numbering: How to fix common issues

• April 16, 2021

Looking for how to add slide numbers in PowerPoint? Trying to work out what to do when PowerPoint slide number not showing? This help guide steps through troubleshooting options to fix scenarios of slide numbers not showing in PowerPoint. This includes when slide numbers do not appear on one or more PowerPoint slides in your presentation. 

This troubleshooting guide covers the following:

• PowerPoint Slide numbering placeholder in the Slide Master layout needs to be reset
• The Slide numbering placeholder needs to be reset and your PowerPoint presentation has multiple Slide Master layouts
• Your PowerPoint presentation uses the Title Slide layout for content slides as well as the Title slide and does not display slide numbers
• Slide numbering on one or more PowerPoint slides is obscured by pictures or shapes

Note that this guide has been written for users of PPT Productivity add-in for PowerPoint , but we have included alternative steps to also assist anyone working in PowerPoint without PPT Productivity.

PPT Productivity created a Manage Slide Numbering feature , so you can customize how slide numbers appear on your page. You can add slide totals or a slide count to each slide and add wording, e.g. Slide 1 of 20 .  

Error message when adding slide numbers and totals

Trying to add slide numbers and Slide Totals to your slides using the PPT Productivity Manage Slide Number feature, but encounter an error message?

Here is an example of the error message you likely encountered.

Or have you added Slide Numbers to your slide master but they are still not showing on your slides? You might need to reset the display of Slide Numbers in the Slide Master.

How to fix placeholders on Slide Master layout in PowerPoint?

Wondering why slide number is not showing in PowerPoint? The first thing to check is your PowerPoint Slide Master.  The slide numbering placeholder needs to be activated on your Slide Master layout.  Any previous updates to your presentation or template may have ‘deactivated’ the placeholder for one or more of the layouts in your presentation.

To do this:

• From the View tab of the PowerPoint ribbon, select Slide Master.
• From the thumbnail view, select the PowerPoint Master Slide Layout.  The Master Slide Layout is the slide at the top of the selection (it's also called the Parent layout).  The other layouts beneath this Master Slide layout are called Child layouts in PowerPoint.  It’s important to update the slide numbering placeholder on the Master layout, because the Child layouts inherit the update (unless you separately change a specific child layout).  Note that your PowerPoint presentation should ideally have only one Master slide (Parent) parent layout and multiple child layouts linked to it.

• While you have the Master Slide Layout selected, click on Master Layout from the top PowerPoint ribbon in Slide Master view.

• The PowerPoint Master layout menu will now appear.

• If the slide number check box is unchecked, check this box now. You can also check the footer check box at this point if required. Then click OK.

• The slide number and footer placeholder should now appear at the bottom of your Master slide.

• Next, review the rest of the child slide layouts to ensure that the slide number placeholder has been activated. To do this, navigate through each slide in thumbnail view to find any slides where the slide number placeholder is missing.

• If you discover a Slide Layout which does not show the placeholder, uncheck and then recheck the ‘Footer’ check box found on the top ribbon in Slide Master view.

• Unchecking then rechecking the Footer check box is a ‘reactivation’.  It will refresh the Slide Layout.  The Slide Number placeholder will now appear on the bottom of the Slide Layout.

• Continue reviewing the layouts to make sure that all Slide Layouts display the footer and slide number placeholders.  If you find any additional Slide layouts which are missing the placeholders, simply repeat step 8 to correct them.
• Now, try applying the PPT Productivity slide numbering feature again. You should no longer encounter the error message.

If you are still unable to see your slide numbers, it could be caused by several different issues. Below are some ways to troubleshoot.

How to manage PowerPoint Presentations with multiple Slide Master Layouts?

A slide layout is applied to every slide in a PowerPoint presentation. If slides have been copied from another presentation or different themes have been applied, extra layouts (or even masters) may have been added to your presentation.  These can impact the slide numbering placeholder which also impacts your ability to use the PPT Productivity slide numbering feature.  We recommend that you work with a single Master (Parent) slide layout in your presentation.

To ensure the desired layouts are applied to your slides:

• In Slide Sorter View, Ctrl-click each slide that should be using the same layout (i.e., the ones that have the slide number placeholders).
• From the ‘Layout’ drop down on the PPT Productivity ribbon select the desired layout (if you don't have PPT Productivity addin installed you can also find the layout menu on the Home tab in the Slides group).

• All slides selected will have the selected slide layout applied.
• Continue with any other slides that require the slide layout to be updated.

What if a PowerPoint presentation is using Title Slide layout for one or more content slides?

Users often turn off the slide numbering placeholder on the Title Slide layout, to remove the slide number on the title page.  However if you use the Title Slide layout for other slides in the content of your presentation, this slide will also not display the slide number.  To solve this, you can either update your preferences to include numbering on title slides, or you can change the slide layout used for the content slide(s) currently using the Title layout.

There are 2 ways to find out whether slide numbering has been disabled on Title Slide Layouts -skip to Option 2 if you do not have PPT Productivity addin for PowerPoint.

Option One: Using the Slide Number and Slide Totals PPT Productivity feature

• From the PPT Productivity tab or the PowerPoint Insert tab on the ribbon, select the ‘Slide number and Slide Total’ icon.

• The PPT Productivity ‘Slide Numbers and Totals’ dialogue box will open.

• If ‘Show on Title Slides’ is unchecked, slide numbering will not appear on any slides with the Slide Title layout applied. To have slide number appear on these slides, check the box and click ‘Apply All’
• Slide numbering with totals will now appear, in your chosen format to your Title Slides.

Option Two: Using the Slide Number feature from the Insert tab

An alternate method to ensure slide numbering is applied to Title Slide layouts is from the PowerPoint Insert Tab. Note that if you don't have PPT Productivity this is the option you should use. You will see less options for Slide numbering in the popup box below because standard PowerPoint does not have the option to add Slide Totals, nor to Skip numbering on hidden slides.

• From the Insert tab on the ribbon, select ‘Slide Number’.

• The Header and Footer dialogue box will open. If the ‘Don’t show on title slide’ box is checked, the slide number will not appear on any slide with the Slide Title Layout applied.

• If you want to use the Title slide layout on content slides and display slide numbering, uncheck ‘Don’t show on title slide’.  The slide numbering will now appear on all slides with Title Slide layout applied.

Alternative solution: Update your slide layout for content slides using the Title slide layout

The alternative way to solve this is to update the content slide(s) in the body of your presentation that use the Title slide layout.  To change the slide layout for the content slides currently using the Title layout slide:

• Navigate to the relevant slide in your presentation.
• From the thumbnail view beside the slide, hover over the relevant slide thumbnail, right click your mouse and select layout.  The current layout will be ‘Title Slide’. 
• Select an alternate layout given the content of your slides – for example a Title Slide Only or Blank Slide layout may be the most appropriate.
• Review your slide once you have made this change to correct any formatting.

Changing your slide layout should solve your missing numbering for this and any other content slides that originally used the Title Slide layout.  If the numbering is still not appearing for the updated slides, please refer back to the Fixing placeholders on the Slide Master layout section above.

Troubleshooting - is a picture or shape covering the PowerPoint slide number placeholder?

Another possible cause for slide numbers not displaying correctly is where a picture or shape is covering the slide number placeholder.  To solve this you can resize, move or reorder (send to back) the picture or shape.

• To send a picture or shape to the back of a selection of objects, click the picture or shape to select it.
• From the PPT Productivity Format toolbar, select send to back or use your assigned keyboard shortcut to move the shape/image behind the slide number placeholder.

• Repeat on any slides where the slide number is hidden.

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What You Can Do When Screen Recording Is Not Working in PowerPoint

“I open PowerPoint, I hit Record button, but my computer pops back into PowerPoint after the countdown is done, how to fix PowerPoint screen recording is not working ?” The Screen Record function in new versions of PowerPoint let you record any region of screen and embed it in your slide. However, some users reported that the screen recording is not working in PowerPoint. Therefore, this article intends to tell you five solutions to fix this problem.

PAGE CONTENT

Part 1: 3 Common Solutions to Fix PowerPoint Screen Recording Not Working

Part 2: ultimate ways to fix powerpoint screen recording not working, part 3: faqs about powerpoint screen recording not working.

The Screen Recording feature was introduced in the 2015 update of PowerPoint 2013 and later. Some factors lead to the function failure, such as insufficient space and conflicted software. Here are three common solutions to fix the problem.

Solution 1: Free up Space

Though the recording is embedded into slides, it requires a lot of space to render video. When PowerPoint screen recording stops working, you need to free up space on your disk.

Step 1 : Close all programs running in the background.

Step 2 : Open a file explorer window, and right-click on the system disk, which is usually C driver. Choose Properties to open the popup dialog.

Step 3 : Go to the General tab and click Disk Cleanup button. When it finished, reboot your computer and try screen recording in PowerPoint again.

Solution 2: Run PowerPoint in Safe Mode

To get rid of the problem that PowerPoint Screen Recording is not working, you can run PowerPoint in Safe Mode.

Step 1 : Press Windows + R on your keyboard to open Run dialog.

Step 2 : Next, type in powerpnt/safe and hit the Enter key. If prompted, click Yes to enter safe mode.

Step 3 : Now, you can try the Screen Recording feature in the Insert tab on the top ribbon.

Solution 3: Perform Quick Repair of Office

In fact, Office includes a Repair tool to help you fix various issues, such as PowerPoint Screen Recording is not working correctly.

Step 1 : Open Office Repair tool:

On Windows 10: Right-click the Start menu at lower left corner, choose Apps and Features , select PowerPoint and click Modify .

On Windows 8/7: Right-click the Start menu, choose Control Panel , select Uninstall a program under Programs , right-click PowerPoint and click Change .

Step 2 : Select Quick Repair on the Repair tool, and click Repair button. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process and try screen recording in PowerPoint.

Solution 4: Record Screen with Desktop Alternative to PowerPoint

Vidmore Screen Recorder is a powerful screen recording app to capture everything on your desktop. It is lightweight and works smoothly to record a PowerPoint Presentation .

Main Features of the Best Alternative to PowerPoint Screen Recording

• Record screen and save as independent video file.
• Produce high quality recordings for embedding in PowerPoint.
• Preview screen recordings with built-in media player.

Free Download

How to Record Screen When PowerPoint Is Not Working

Step 1 : Install the best screen recorder

Run the best screen recorder after you install it on your computer. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac. Choose Video Recorder to open the main interface.

Step 2 : Record screen for PowerPoint

To record your screen for PowerPoint, enable DISPLAY and select the recording area, and turn on System Sound , while disable Webcam and Microphone . If you want to capture your reactions along with screen, toggle on the four options. Click the REC button when you are ready to record screen. During screen recording, you can add shapes, texts and painting on it.

Step 3 : Preview and save screen recording

Wait for screen recording for PowerPoint is done, click the Stop button to open the preview window. Check the recording and click Save button if you are satisfied. The Clip tool is used to cut unwanted frames.

Solution 5: Record Screen with Online Alternative to PowerPoint

Another solution to fix PowerPoint Screen Recording not working is Vidmore Free Online Screen Recorder . As a web app, it lets you record screen on Windows and Mac without installing software.

Key Features of the Online Alternative to PowerPoint Screen Recording

• Record screen online.
• Save screen recording in WMV.
• Free of charge with no watermark.

How to Record Screen for PowerPoint Online

Step 1 : After preparing the screen you want to record, open a browser and visit https://www.vidmore.com/free-online-screen-recorder/. Click Launch Free Recorder to download the launcher.

Step 2 : You can get four icons on the launcher, Screen , Webcam , System audio and Microphone . They record corresponding sources and you can decide to enable or disable each of them according to your need.

Step 3 : Click REC button to start recording screen for PowerPoint. Wait for the recording to complete, click Stop button and download it. Then you can insert the recording to your PowerPoint.

How to enable Screen Recording in PowerPoint?

Step 1: Open PowerPoint, and go to the Insert tab on the top ribbon.

Step 2: Choose Screen Recording and then Select Area .

Step 3: Then select an area with your cursor, and click Record button.

How long can you screen record in PowerPoint?

There is no limit to the amount of screen recording time. It is primarily depending on the available drive space on your computer.

How do I save a PowerPoint screen recording as a video?

After screen recording in PowerPoint, the result will be embedded into your slide. If you want to save it as a video, right-click on the thumbnail of the recording and select Save Media As . Then enter a filename, select a folder location, and click Save .

This piece of troubleshooting has discussed how to fix the problem that PowerPoint Screen Recording is not working. Firstly, you can perform the common solutions. If the problem does not disappear, you’d better look for an alternative to PowerPoint. Vidmore Screen Recorder is one of the best screen recorder software. With it, you can capture anything on your screen and insert it to your presentation. Encounter other troubles? Please write them down below this post.

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Why Does PowerPoint Design Ideas Not Work? [And How to Fix it!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

So, PowerPoint launched this amazing feature a few years ago called “Design Ideas” or “PowerPoint Designer” that automatically creates slide designs based on the content present on the slide.

The goal of this tool is to help you create a visually appealing slide design within a matter of a few seconds! While it is still quite far away from achieving that goal completely, the design ideas in PowerPoint is still effective in quite a few instances!

But, the real problem that a lot of PowerPoint users are facing is that for many people, the design ideas either doesn’t show, or is greyed out, or simply doesn’t provide any recommendations!

So, in this article, I’ll provide you with all the detailed information that you need to know in case you need to fix or troubleshoot the issue.

So, without further delay, let’s get started!

1. What are Design Ideas in PowerPoint?

First, let’s start with the basics once again (for those of you who don’t know much about the “Design Ideas” feature in PowerPoint).

Design Ideas is a feature in Microsoft PowerPoint that provides multiple design options for a slide and allows you to choose from different designs for a particular slide. The “Design Ideas” feature analyzes the different contents and elements in a selected slide and suggests several designs that you can apply to the slide immediately.

You can find the Design Ideas feature in the “Designer” section of the “Design” tab on the ribbon of your PowerPoint presentation.

Simply select a slide and click on the “Design Ideas” button to get suggestions to improve the aesthetics of that slide.

To learn more about the “Design Ideas” feature and the different ways you can use them, check out my other in-depth article on the “Design Ideas” feature in PowerPoint .

2. What Version of PowerPoint has Design Ideas? 

The “Design Ideas” feature is fairly new in Microsoft PowerPoint. Due to this, it is not yet available in all versions of the software.

If you want to use the design ideas feature in your presentation, you will have to install Microsoft Office 365 or Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 .

Design Ideas is only available in these two versions of Microsoft PowerPoint and no other previous versions such as the Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 or Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 have this feature.

3. Why Does Your PowerPoint Not Have Design Ideas/Design Ideas Missing? 

There may be 3 reasons why your Microsoft PowerPoint does not have the Design Ideas feature.

Your Microsoft PowerPoint can be an older version of the software, or the Design Ideas is not enabled, or finally, you may be using an unauthorized or an illegal version of the Microsoft PowerPoint software. The three reasons and possible ways to get around them are explained in the following section.

3.1 You’re Using an Incorrect Version  

As we have already discussed in the previous section, the design ideas feature is a new addition to the arsenal of tools provided by Microsoft PowerPoint. Due to this, it is only available in Microsoft Office 2019 and Microsoft Office 365.

One of the reasons why you’re not being able to use the Design Ideas feature or can’t find it in your PowerPoint at all is because you may be using an older version.

So, all you have to do is to download and install Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 or Microsoft Office 365 and you will be able to use the design ideas feature to make your slides look better and more professional.

3.2 Design Ideas is Not Enabled 

Another reason why you can’t find the Design Ideas feature in your PowerPoint may be because the Design Ideas feature is turned off in your Microsoft PowerPoint 2019.

To make the “Design Ideas” button visible in the “Design” tab, you have to turn it on manually. The process of turning on your “Design Ideas ” button is explained in the simple steps below.

Step-1: Go to the “File” tab

The first step of the process is to click on the “File” tab. It is the first tab in the ribbon of your PowerPoint. Upon clicking on the “File” tab, you will be taken to a new page in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Step-2: Click on the “Option” menu

After you have accessed the “File” tab, click on the “Options” menu. It is located at the bottom left of the “File” tab. By clicking on the “Options” menu, you will be taken back to the “Home” tab view and a pop-up window will appear on your screen.

Step-3: Enable the designer options

After you click on the “Options” menu, the PowerPoint Options pop-up window will appear on your screen.

From that window, scroll down to the “PowerPoint Designer” section and click on the “Automatically show me design ideas” check box and the “Automatically show me suggestions when I create a new presentation” check box.

After that hit, the “OK” button located at the bottom right of your screen, and the Design Ideas feature will be enabled in your Microsoft PowerPoint 2019.

3.3 Installed PowerPoint is not legitimate 

One of the reasons why you are not being able to use the “Design Ideas” feature in your Microsoft PowerPoint may be because you are using a pirated or unauthorized version of Microsoft PowerPoint.

The Design Ideas feature uses the internet and pirated, or unauthorized versions of the software are not programmed to be able to access the internet. For this reason, you can’t use Design Ideas in such versions of the software.

And, it may not be your fault! Perhaps the computer that you purchase came with such a version of PowerPoint installed!

To get around this issue, you have to install an authorized version of the Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 or Microsoft PowerPoint 365, by downloading it from the Microsoft store and activating it using a product activation key.

This way you will have no problems using the Design Ideas feature and making your slides stand out.

4. Why are PowerPoint Design Ideas Greyed Out? 

There may be several reasons why Design Ideas is greyed out in your Microsoft PowerPoint. The possible reasons why your Design Ideas feature is greyed out are explained elaborately in the following section.

4.1 No Internet Connection

The Design Ideas feature analyses your slide and then suggests you certain improvements or ideas that can make your slide look better and more professional.

To do this, the feature uses the internet for resources. One of the possible reasons why the Design Ideas feature in your Microsoft PowerPoint is greyed out may be because you are not currently connected to the internet.

To solve this issue, close the window of your presentation, simply connect to the internet, and open the Microsoft PowerPoint file again. After connecting to the internet the issue should be resolved.

4.2 Multiple Slides Selected

The design ideas feature works on a single slide at a time. It can suggest ideas for various designs and multiple types of slides, but it can do so only for one slide at a time!

When multiple slides are selected together, the design ideas feature in your Microsoft PowerPoint is unable to analyze them and so, it fails to suggest to you the ideas for a new or more refined design.

Thus, a possible reason why your Design Ideas feature may be greyed out is because you have multiple slides selected on the “Slide Navigation” bar to the left of your Microsoft PowerPoint window.

To solve this issue, make sure only one slide is selected in the “Slide Navigation” bar, and then try to use the design ideas feature again. Assuming there are no further issues, the design ideas should now work, and you can use them to improve your slides.

4.3 Your PowerPoint version is Not Activated 

When Microsoft PowerPoint is not activated, all the editing features of that PowerPoint are frozen and cannot be used. In this mode, you can only view the Microsoft PowerPoint file, but you cannot make any changes to it.

If this happens to your Microsoft PowerPoint, then a “Product activation failed” warning will be displayed on the upper middle part of your Microsoft PowerPoint window. This mode also freezes your option to use the Design Feature and it will be greyed out.

To fix this problem, all you have to do is to activate your Microsoft PowerPoint.

To learn how to activate your Microsoft PowerPoint, and also resolve the “Product activation failed” warning or other errors, you can read my other article that provides a complete guide to resolve this issue.

5. PowerPoint Doesn’t Show Design Ideas? Here’s Why! 

Even after you have enabled the design ideas feature in PowerPoint and addressed the issues that I’ve highlighted earlier in the article, there are times when the design ideas will not show any design suggestions!

There can be multiple reasons why the design ideas is not showing you any suggestions even when there is only one slide selected.

The reasons may vary from having multiple shapes in the slide, or the slide layout may be incorrect, or perhaps you are using a custom theme! There are several other reasons that may be at play.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons behind why the design ideas feature fails to suggest new slide designs.

5.1 Using more than 2 shapes (mixed shapes)

The design ideas feature in Microsoft PowerPoint is designed to analyze the placeholders and shapes that exist in the master slide of your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. And so, if there is more than one shape present in the slide that you have selected for design ideas, it will not be able to analyze them.

If the feature can’t analyze an element present in your slide, then it won’t be able to suggest you any ideas.

So, try and remove mixed shapes from the slide that you are trying to design and then use the design features again, this time it should work fine.

Also, check for point 4 in this section for additional clarity on using the type of shapes and elements.

5.2 Using Incorrect Slide Layout

The design ideas feature can only suggest ideas as long as the selected slide contains specific types of objects and elements.

For example, the design ideas feature cannot suggest you any new ideas for a design if the slide contains comparison tables or contents with captions in the layout.

Moreover, as described in the previous section of this article, design ideas also doesn’t work when you have a mix of more than one element in the selected slide.

So, to fix this issue, make sure the slide that you have selected does not contain any element other than the one present in the placeholder of the master slide. The best thing to do is go with a “ blank ” slide layout option .

If the slide layout is compliant with the specific layout allowed by the design feature, then you will be able to get suggestions from the feature.

5.3 Using a Custom Theme 

The design Ideas feature only works when the selected slide has one of the 6 default layouts provided by Microsoft PowerPoint.

The design ideas feature is fairly new, and so its capabilities are not as high-end as all the other features provided by Microsoft PowerPoint. The limitation to this feature is that the Design Ideas feature can only analyze the slide if it is using one of the 6 layouts provided in the software.

5.4 Using More Elements than Acceptable 

The Design feature only allows a certain number of elements of certain types.

To elaborate, the Design Ideas feature only works when there is a maximum of 10 images, 6 icons, 1 table, 1 SmartArt, and 1 chart. Any number of elements exceeding this maximum count will result in the design ideas feature in your Microsoft PowerPoint failing to work.

So, make sure that the number of elements in the slide that you have selected for designing does not exceed the number of elements allowed by the Design ideas feature. Also, make sure that the elements present in the selected slide are of the right type or the Design Ideas feature will not work.

5.5 Using an Incorrect PowerPoint File Type 

Another reason why the Design Ideas feature is not suggesting ideas for your selected slide may be because you are using the incorrect PowerPoint file type.

If your design ideas feature is not working, then make sure that it is the right type of Microsoft PowerPoint file. The design ideas feature does not work if there is any Macro element present in the Microsoft PowerPoint file.

Moreover, it also doesn’t work on any versions of Microsoft PowerPoint launched before Microsoft Office 2019 or Microsoft PowerPoint 365

5.6 Check for Objects Outside the Slide

One of the reasons why you are not getting any suggestions from the design ideas features may be because there are elements in the selected slide that are outside the slide canvas.

If there are any elements present outside the slide, the feature will not be able to analyze them and suggest ideas.

So, make sure there aren’t any objects or elements outside the slide and try the feature again. This time you will be able to get suggestions to make the design of your slide stand out.

5.7 Multiple People Editing Same Presentation 

If you are working on a presentation that is being edited by multiple users at once, then the design ideas feature will not work.

This can happen when you are using the online version of PowerPoint as part of Office 365 which offers real-time collaboration features.

As mentioned in this article, the feature only works with one slide at a time, so if multiple users are working on the presentation, the design ideas feature sometimes fails to suggest ideas for your selected slide.

5.8 Design Ideas is Disabled by Your Company

If you are using a Microsoft PowerPoint 365 product provided by the company where you work, then it is possible that your organization has disabled certain features that either require an internet connection or are considered a possible security threat to the system.

In such a scenario, you may not be able to use the design ideas feature in Microsoft PowerPoint even when you have Office 2019 or Office 365 installed on your computer.

If this is the case, reach out to the IT department of your company and request them to enable this for your device. Be sure to go through any company-specific approvals or policies that may be in place to enable this feature.

6. PowerPoint Design Ideas Doesn’t Show Suggestions Automatically

If the Design Ideas feature doesn’t show you suggestions automatically, then you have to enable it from the “PowerPoint Options” menu located in the “File” tab.

We have explained the process in detail earlier in this article. So simply follow the steps described in the section of this article that discusses the process of enabling design ideas in your Microsoft PowerPoint and you will be able to get a suggestion for ideas automatically.

Credit to wayhomestudio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited).

Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot – your copilot for work

Mar 16, 2023 | Jared Spataro - CVP, AI at Work

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Humans are hard-wired to dream, to create, to innovate. Each of us seeks to do work that gives us purpose — to write a great novel, to make a discovery, to build strong communities, to care for the sick. The urge to connect to the core of our work lives in all of us. But today, we spend too much time consumed by the drudgery of work on tasks that zap our time, creativity and energy. To reconnect to the soul of our work, we don’t just need a better way of doing the same things. We need a whole new way to work.

Today, we are bringing the power of next-generation AI to work. Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot — your copilot for work . It combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with your data in the Microsoft Graph and the Microsoft 365 apps to turn your words into the most powerful productivity tool on the planet.

“Today marks the next major step in the evolution of how we interact with computing, which will fundamentally change the way we work and unlock a new wave of productivity growth,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “With our new copilot for work, we’re giving people more agency and making technology more accessible through the most universal interface — natural language.”

Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365 in two ways. It works alongside you, embedded in the Microsoft 365 apps you use every day — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more — to unleash creativity, unlock productivity and uplevel skills. Today we’re also announcing an entirely new experience: Business Chat . Business Chat works across the LLM, the Microsoft 365 apps, and your data — your calendar, emails, chats, documents, meetings and contacts — to do things you’ve never been able to do before. You can give it natural language prompts like “Tell my team how we updated the product strategy,” and it will generate a status update based on the morning’s meetings, emails and chat threads.

With Copilot, you’re always in control. You decide what to keep, modify or discard. Now, you can be more creative in Word, more analytical in Excel, more expressive in PowerPoint, more productive in Outlook and more collaborative in Teams.

Microsoft 365 Copilot transforms work in three ways:

Unleash creativity. With Copilot in Word, you can jump-start the creative process so you never start with a blank slate again. Copilot gives you a first draft to edit and iterate on — saving hours in writing, sourcing, and editing time. Sometimes Copilot will be right, other times usefully wrong — but it will always put you further ahead. You’re always in control as the author, driving your unique ideas forward, prompting Copilot to shorten, rewrite or give feedback. Copilot in PowerPoint helps you create beautiful presentations with a simple prompt, adding relevant content from a document you made last week or last year. And with Copilot in Excel, you can analyze trends and create professional-looking data visualizations in seconds.

Unlock productivity. We all want to focus on the 20% of our work that really matters, but 80% of our time is consumed with busywork that bogs us down. Copilot lightens the load. From summarizing long email threads to quickly drafting suggested replies, Copilot in Outlook helps you clear your inbox in minutes, not hours. And every meeting is a productive meeting with Copilot in Teams. It can summarize key discussion points — including who said what and where people are aligned and where they disagree — and suggest action items, all in real time during a meeting. And with Copilot in Power Platform, anyone can automate repetitive tasks, create chatbots and go from idea to working app in minutes.

GitHub data shows that Copilot promises to unlock productivity for everyone. Among developers who use GitHub Copilot, 88% say they are more productive, 74% say that they can focus on more satisfying work, and 77% say it helps them spend less time searching for information or examples.

But Copilot doesn’t just supercharge individual productivity. It creates a new knowledge model for every organization — harnessing the massive reservoir of data and insights that lies largely inaccessible and untapped today. Business Chat works across all your business data and apps to surface the information and insights you need from a sea of data — so knowledge flows freely across the organization, saving you valuable time searching for answers. You will be able to access Business Chat from Microsoft 365.com, from Bing when you’re signed in with your work account, or from Teams.

Uplevel skills. Copilot makes you better at what you’re good at and lets you quickly master what you’ve yet to learn. The average person uses only a handful of commands — such as “animate a slide” or “insert a table” — from the thousands available across Microsoft 365. Now, all that rich functionality is unlocked using just natural language. And this is only the beginning.

Copilot will fundamentally change how people work with AI and how AI works with people. As with any new pattern of work, there’s a learning curve — but those who embrace this new way of working will quickly gain an edge.

The Copilot System: Enterprise-ready AI

Microsoft is uniquely positioned to deliver enterprise-ready AI with the Copilot System . Copilot is more than OpenAI’s ChatGPT embedded into Microsoft 365. It’s a sophisticated processing and orchestration engine working behind the scenes to combine the power of LLMs, including GPT-4, with the Microsoft 365 apps and your business data in the Microsoft Graph — now accessible to everyone through natural language.

Grounded in your business data. AI-powered LLMs are trained on a large but limited corpus of data. The key to unlocking productivity in business lies in connecting LLMs to your business data — in a secure, compliant, privacy-preserving way. Microsoft 365 Copilot has real-time access to both your content and context in the Microsoft Graph. This means it generates answers anchored in your business content — your documents, emails, calendar, chats, meetings, contacts and other business data — and combines them with your working context — the meeting you’re in now, the email exchanges you’ve had on a topic, the chat conversations you had last week — to deliver accurate, relevant, contextual responses.

Built on Microsoft’s comprehensive approach to security, compliance and privacy. Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365 and automatically inherits all your company’s valuable security, compliance, and privacy policies and processes. Two-factor authentication, compliance boundaries, privacy protections, and more make Copilot the AI solution you can trust.

Architected to protect tenant, group and individual data. We know data leakage is a concern for customers. Copilot LLMs are not trained on your tenant data or your prompts. Within your tenant, our time-tested permissioning model ensures that data won’t leak across user groups. And on an individual level, Copilot presents only data you can access using the same technology that we’ve been using for years to secure customer data.

Integrated into the apps millions use every day. Microsoft 365 Copilot is integrated in the productivity apps millions of people use and rely on every day for work and life — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more. An intuitive and consistent user experience ensures it looks, feels and behaves the same way in Teams as it does in Outlook, with a shared design language for prompts, refinements and commands.

Designed to learn new skills.  Microsoft 365 Copilot’s foundational skills are a game changer for productivity: It can already create, summarize, analyze, collaborate and automate using your specific business content and context. But it doesn’t stop there. Copilot knows how to command apps (e.g., “animate this slide”) and work across apps, translating a Word document into a PowerPoint presentation. And Copilot is designed to learn new skills. For example, with Viva Sales, Copilot can learn how to connect to CRM systems of record to pull customer data — like interaction and order histories — into communications. As Copilot learns about new domains and processes, it will be able to perform even more sophisticated tasks and queries.

Committed to building responsibly

At Microsoft, we are guided by our AI principles and Responsible AI Standard and decades of research on AI, grounding and privacy-preserving machine learning. A multidisciplinary team of researchers, engineers and policy experts reviews our AI systems for potential harms and mitigations — refining training data, filtering to limit harmful content, query- and result-blocking sensitive topics, and applying Microsoft technologies like InterpretML and Fairlearn to help detect and correct data bias. We make it clear how the system makes decisions by noting limitations, linking to sources, and prompting users to review, fact-check and adjust content based on subject-matter expertise.

Moving boldly as we learn  

In the months ahead, we’re bringing Copilot to all our productivity apps—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Viva, Power Platform, and more. We’ll share more on pricing and licensing soon. Earlier this month we announced Dynamics 365 Copilot as the world’s first AI Copilot in both CRM and ERP to bring the next-generation AI to every line of business.

Everyone deserves to find purpose and meaning in their work — and Microsoft 365 Copilot can help. To serve the unmet needs of our customers, we must move quickly and responsibly, learning as we go. We’re testing Copilot with a small group of customers to get feedback and improve our models as we scale, and we will expand to more soon.

Learn more on the Microsoft 365 blog and visit WorkLab to get expert insights on how AI will create a brighter future of work for everyone.

And for all the blogs, videos and assets related to today’s announcements, please visit our microsite .

Tags: AI , Microsoft 365 , Microsoft 365 Copilot

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Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Create a Funnel in PowerPoint

How to Create a Funnel in PowerPoint

Depicting different stages of a process as they reduce into a smaller output can help create a visual map that is easy to understand for an audience. This technique is used when making funnel diagrams.

What is a Funnel Diagram?

A funnel diagram represents various stages of a process. Funnel diagrams often depict how different stages merge into a smaller output, such as a sales funnel that describes the sales process from contacting a potential client to the final stage, where the lead is closed. Different types of popular versions of the funnel diagram include the sales, marketing, recruitment, and conversion funnel.

How to Create a Funnel Graphic using SmartArt Graphics

One of the easiest ways to make a funnel graphic is to use SmartArt Graphics. Simply go to Insert -> SmartArt and select Funnel from the Relationship menu.

You can edit the text within the funnel diagram using the SmartArt Design tab. From there, you can add new text, change the colors of the diagram, move placeholders up or down, and make other adjustments. Furthermore, you can make additional design changes to placeholders using the Format tab.

To edit funnel text, click the placeholders or go to the Text Pane from the SmartArt Design tab.

The below example shows a funnel diagram made using SmartArt Graphics.

How to Create a Funnel in PowerPoint using PowerPoint Shapes

You can create custom designs for funnel diagrams using PowerPoint shapes. Different shapes can be used for this purpose, including trapezoids, ovals, rectangles, and cylinders. To make your funnel, insert a trapezoid shape via Insert -> Shapes .

Now, insert two triangle shapes below the trapezoid shape.

Add a cylinder from Basic Shapes to make the bottom of the funnel.

To give your diagram a funnel design, insert oval shapes and adjust them below each shape.

As shown in the example below, you can adjust oval shapes to give your diagram a funnel-like look. Add the oval shape below each shape and adapt it to the shape it is placed over.

To adjust the shapes, go to Format Shape by right-clicking the context menu. 

You can format shapes by adjusting their color, size, position, glow, shadow, etc. You can use solid colors or gradients to give your funnel a custom look.

To make it easier to manage your shapes, select two combined using the SHIFT key, left-click (e.g., trapezoid and oval), right-click, and choose Group -> Group to join them.

The below example shows a basic funnel design created using PowerPoint shapes.

The below design shows another funnel design created using PowerPoint Shapes and color gradients. In the example below, we used three trapezoid shapes, one cylinder, and two oval shapes to create the faces of the funnel.

Funnel PowerPoint Templates

Many Google Slides templates and PowerPoint templates provide funnel-themed slide decks. We have picked a few customizable funnel templates to help make your presentation easier to create and customize.

Sales Funnel Diagram Template for PowerPoint

This Sales funnel PowerPoint template provides two slides with a customizable sales funnel diagram. The different parts of the funnel are color-coded, with each section containing placeholders. This is a five-step sales funnel diagram with the option of reducing funnels by removing parts of the diagram.

6-Step Vertical Double Funnel Diagram PowerPoint Template

This funnel PowerPoint template depicts a six-step double funnel with color-coded sections. The main slide depicts the complete color-coded funnel, whereas the other six slides are dedicated to each part of the funnel, with one slide each highlighting a section.

3-Stage Marketing Funnel PowerPoint Template

The 3 stage marketing funnel template has five slides, with two slides with the central diagram highlighted in different colors and one slide each for the three funnel parts.

Final Words

Funnel diagrams are commonly used for marketing and sales-related presentations, by depicting a process in the form of a funnel. You can easily present and explain different stages of a process using a funnel in PowerPoint. You can get more tips about presenting slides, such as ones with a funnel diagram, from our posts about how to start a presentation and how to end a presentation .

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