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How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Step-by-Step)

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Presentation Design
• January 22, 2024

In this beginner’s guide, you will learn step-by-step how to make a PowerPoint presentation from scratch.

While PowerPoint is designed to be intuitive and accessible, it can be overwhelming if you’ve never gotten any training on it before. As you progress through this guide, you’ll will learn how to move from blank slides to PowerPoint slides that look like these.

Table of Contents

Additionally, as you create your presentation, you’ll also learn tricks for working more efficiently in PowerPoint, including how to:

• Change the slide order
• Reset your layout
• Change the slide dimensions
• Use PowerPoint Designer
• Format text
• Format objects
• Play a presentation (slide show)

With this knowledge under your belt, you’ll be ready to start creating PowerPoint presentations. Moreover, you’ll have taken your skills from beginner to proficient in no time at all. I will also include links to more advanced PowerPoint topics.

Ready to start learning how to make a PowerPoint presentation?

Take your PPT skills to the next level

Start with a blank presentation.

Note: Before you open PowerPoint and start creating your presentation, make sure you’ve collected your thoughts. If you’re going to make your slides compelling, you need to spend some time brainstorming.

For help with this, see our article with tips for nailing your business presentation  here .

The first thing you’ll need to do is to open PowerPoint. When you do, you are shown the Start Menu , with the Home tab open.

This is where you can choose either a blank theme (1) or a pre-built theme (2). You can also choose to open an existing presentation (3).

For now, go ahead and click on the  Blank Presentation (1)  thumbnail.

Doing so launches a brand new and blank presentation for you to work with. Before you start adding content to your presentation, let’s first familiarize ourselves with the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint interface

Here is how the program is laid out:

• The Application Header
• The Ribbon (including the Ribbon tabs)
• The Quick Access Toolbar (either above or below the Ribbon)
• The Slides Pane (slide thumbnails)

The Slide Area

The notes pane.

• The Status Bar (including the View Buttons)

Each one of these areas has options for viewing certain parts of the PowerPoint environment and formatting your presentation.

Below are the important things to know about certain elements of the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint Ribbon

The Ribbon is contextual. That means that it will adapt to what you’re doing in the program.

For example, the Font, Paragraph and Drawing options are greyed out until you select something that has text in it, as in the example below (A).

Furthermore, if you start manipulating certain objects, the Ribbon will display additional tabs, as seen above (B), with more commands and features to help you work with those objects. The following objects have their own additional tabs in the Ribbon which are hidden until you select them:

• Online Pictures
• Screenshots
• Screen Recording

The Slides Pane

This is where you can preview and rearrange all the slides in your presentation.

Right-clicking on a slide  in the pane gives you additional options on the slide level that you won’t find on the Ribbon, such as  Duplicate Slide ,  Delete Slide , and  Hide Slide .

In addition, you can add sections to your presentation by  right-clicking anywhere in this Pane  and selecting  Add Section . Sections are extremely helpful in large presentations, as they allow you to organize your slides into chunks that you can then rearrange, print or display differently from other slides.

The Slide Area (A) is where you will build out your slides. Anything within the bounds of this area will be visible when you present or print your presentation.

Anything outside of this area (B) will be hidden from view. This means that you can place things here, such as instructions for each slide, without worrying about them being shown to your audience.

The  Notes Pane  is the space beneath the Slide Area where you can type in the speaker notes for each slide. It’s designed as a fast way to add and edit your slides’ talking points.

To expand your knowledge and learn more about adding, printing, and exporting your PowerPoint speaker notes, read our guide here .

Your speaker notes are visible when you print your slides using the Notes Pages option and when you use the Presenter View . To expand your knowledge and learn the ins and outs of using the Presenter View , read our guide here .

You can resize the  Notes Pane  by clicking on its edge and dragging it up or down (A). You can also minimize or reopen it by clicking on the Notes button in the Status Bar (B).

Note:  Not all text formatting displays in the Notes Pane, even though it will show up when printing your speaker notes. To learn more about printing PowerPoint with notes, read our guide here .

Now that you have a basic grasp of the PowerPoint interface at your disposal, it’s time to make your presentation.

Adding Content to Your PowerPoint Presentation

Notice that in the Slide Area , there are two rectangles with dotted outlines. These are called  Placeholders  and they’re set on the template in the Slide Master View .

To expand your knowledge and learn how to create a PowerPoint template of your own (which is no small task), read our guide here .

As the prompt text suggests, you can click into each placeholder and start typing text. These types of placeholder prompts are customizable too. That means that if you are using a company template, it might say something different, but the functionality is the same.

Note:  For the purposes of this example, I will create a presentation based on the content in the Starbucks 2018 Global Social Impact Report, which is available to the public on their website.

If you type in more text than there is room for, PowerPoint will automatically reduce its font size. You can stop this behavior by clicking on the  Autofit Options  icon to the left of the placeholder and selecting  Stop Fitting Text to this Placeholder .

Next, you can make formatting adjustments to your text by selecting the commands in the Font area and the  Paragraph area  of the  Home  tab of the Ribbon.

The Reset Command:  If you make any changes to your title and decide you want to go back to how it was originally, you can use the Reset button up in the Home tab .

Insert More Slides into Your Presentation

Now that you have your title slide filled in, it’s time to add more slides. To do that, simply go up to the  Home tab  and click on  New Slide . This inserts a new slide in your presentation right after the one you were on.

You can alternatively hit Ctrl+M on your keyboard to insert a new blank slide in PowerPoint. To learn more about this shortcut, see my guide on using Ctrl+M in PowerPoint .

Instead of clicking the New Slide command, you can also open the New Slide dropdown to see all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template. Depending on who created your template, your layouts in this dropdown can be radically different.

If you insert a layout and later want to change it to a different layout, you can use the Layout dropdown instead of the New Slide dropdown.

After inserting a few different slide layouts, your presentation might look like the following picture. Don’t worry that it looks blank, next we will start adding content to your presentation.

If you want to follow along exactly with me, your five slides should be as follows:

• Title Slide
• Title and Content
• Section Header
• Two Content
• Picture with Caption

Adding Content to Your Slides

Now let’s go into each slide and start adding our content. You’ll notice some new types of placeholders.

On slide 2 we have a  Content Placeholder , which allows you to add any kind of content. That includes:

• A SmartArt graphic,
• A 3D object,
• A picture from the web,
• Or an icon.

To insert text, simply type it in or hit  Ctrl+C to Copy  and Ctrl+V to Paste  from elsewhere. To insert any of the other objects, click on the appropriate icon and follow the steps to insert it.

For my example, I’ll simply type in some text as you can see in the picture below.

Slides 3 and 4 only have text placeholders, so I’ll go ahead and add in my text into each one.

On slide 5 we have a Picture Placeholder . That means that the only elements that can go into it are:

• A picture from the web

To insert a picture into the picture placeholder, simply:

• Click on the  Picture  icon
• Find  a picture on your computer and select it
• Click on  Insert

Alternatively, if you already have a picture open somewhere else, you can select the placeholder and paste in (shortcut: Ctrl+V ) the picture. You can also drag the picture in from a file explorer window.

If you do not like the background of the picture you inserted onto your slide, you can remove the background here in PowerPoint. To see how to do this, read my guide here .

Placeholders aren’t the only way to add content to your slides. At any point, you can use the Insert tab to add elements to your slides.

You can use either the Title Only  or the  Blank  slide layout to create slides for content that’s different. For example, a three-layout content slide, or a single picture divider slide, as shown below.

In the first example above, I’ve inserted 6 text boxes, 3 icons, and 3 circles to create this layout. In the second example, I’ve inserted a full-sized picture and then 2 shapes and 2 text boxes.

The Reset Command:  Because these slides are built with shapes and text boxes (and not placeholders), hitting the  Reset button up in the  Home tab  won’t do anything.

That is a good thing if you don’t want your layouts to adjust. However, it does mean that it falls on you to make sure everything is aligned and positioned correctly.

For more on how to add and manipulate the different objects in PowerPoint, check out our step-by-step articles here:

• Using graphics in PowerPoint
• Inserting icons onto slides
• Adding pictures to your PowerPoint
• How to embed a video in PowerPoint
• How to add music to your presentation

Using Designer to generate more layouts ideas

If you have Office 365, your version of PowerPoint comes with a new feature called Designer (or Design Ideas). This is a feature that generates slide layout ideas for you. The coolest thing about this feature is that it uses the content you already have.

To use Designer , simply navigate to the  Design tab  in your Ribbon, and click on  Design Ideas .

NOTE: If the PowerPoint Designer is not working for you (it is grey out), see my troubleshooting guide for Designer .

Change the Overall Design (optional)

When you make a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll want to think about the overall design. Now that you have some content in your presentation, you can use the Design tab to change the look and feel of your slides.

For additional help thinking through the design of your presentation,  read my guide here .

A. Picking your PowerPoint slide size

If you have PowerPoint 2013 or later, when you create a blank document in PowerPoint, you automatically start with a widescreen layout with a 16:9 ratio. These dimensions are suitable for most presentations as they match the screens of most computers and projectors.

However, you do have the option to change the dimensions.

For example, your presentation might not be presented, but instead converted into a PDF or printed and distributed. In that case, you can easily switch to the standard dimensions with a 4:3 ratio by selecting from the dropdown (A).

You can also choose a custom slide size or change the slide orientation from landscape to portrait in the Custom Slide Size dialog box (B).

To learn all about the different PowerPoint slide sizes, and some of the issues you will face when changing the slide size of a non-blank presentation,  read my guide here .

 B. Selecting a PowerPoint theme

The next thing you can do is change the theme of your presentation to a pre-built one. For a detailed explanation of what a PowerPoint theme is, and how to best use it,  read my article here .

In the beginning of this tutorial, we started with a blank presentation, which uses the default Office theme as you can see in the picture below.

That gives you the most flexibility because it has a blank background and quite simple layouts that work for most presentations. However, it also means that it’s your responsibility to enhance the design.

If you’re comfortable with this, you can stay with the default theme or create your own custom theme ( read my guide here ). But if you would rather not have to think about design, then you can choose a pre-designed theme.

Microsoft provides 46 other pre-built themes, which include slide layouts, color variants and palettes, and fonts. Each one varies quite significantly, so make sure you look through them carefully.

To select a different theme, go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon, and click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Themes section .

For this tutorial, let’s select the  Frame  theme and then choose the third Variant in the theme. Doing so changes the layout, colors, and fonts of your presentation.

Note: The theme dropdown area is also where you can import or save custom themes. To see my favorite places to find professional PowerPoint templates and themes (and recommendations for why I like them), read my guide here .

C. How to change a slide background in PowerPoint

The next thing to decide is how you want your background to look for the entire presentation. In the  Variants area, you can see four background options.

For this example, we want our presentation to have a dark background, so let’s select Style 3. When you do so, you’ll notice that:

• The background color automatically changes across all slides
• The color of the text on most of the slides automatically changes to white so that it’s visible on the dark background
• The colors of the objects on slides #6 and #7 also adjust, in a way we may not want (we’ll likely have to make some manual adjustments to these slides)

Note: If you want to change the slide background for just that one slide, don’t left-click the style. Instead, right-click it and select Apply to Selected Slides .

After you change the background for your entire presentation, you can easily adjust the background for an individual slide.

Inside the Format Background pane, you can see you have the following options:

• Gradient fill
• Picture or texture fill
• Pattern fill
• Hide background

You can explore these options to find the PowerPoint background that best fits your presentation.

D. How to change your color palette in PowerPoint

Another thing you may want to adjust in your presentation, is the color scheme. In the picture below you can see the Theme Colors we are currently using for this presentation.

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own color palette. By default, the Office theme includes the Office color palette. This affects the colors you are presented with when you format any element within your presentation (text, shapes, SmartArt, etc.).

The good news is that the colors here are easy to change. To switch color palettes, simply:

• Go to the  Design tab in the Ribbon
• In the Variants area, click on the  dropdown arrow  and select  Colors
• Select  the color palette (or theme colors) you want

You can choose among the pre-built color palettes from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

As you build your presentation, make sure you use the colors from your theme to format objects. That way, changing the color palette adjusts all the colors in your presentation automatically.

E. How to change your fonts in PowerPoint

Just as we changed the color palette, you can do the same for the fonts.

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own font combination. By default, the Office theme includes the Office font pairing. This affects the fonts that are automatically assigned to all text in your presentation.

The good news is that the font pairings are easy to change. To switch your Theme Fonts, simply:

• Go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon
• Click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Variants  area
• Select  Fonts
• Select  the font pairing you want

You can choose among the pre-built fonts from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

If you are working with PowerPoint presentations on both Mac and PC computers, make sure you choose a safe PowerPoint font. To see a list of the safest PowerPoint fonts, read our guide here .

If you receive a PowerPoint presentation and the wrong fonts were used, you can use the Replace Fonts dialog box to change the fonts across your entire presentation. For details, read our guide here .

Adding Animations & Transitions (optional)

The final step to make a PowerPoint presentation compelling, is to consider using animations and transitions. These are by no means necessary to a good presentation, but they may be helpful in your situation.

A. Adding PowerPoint animations

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust animations engine designed to power your creativity. That being said, it’s also easy to get started with basic animations.

Animations are movements that you can apply to individual objects on your slide.

To add a PowerPoint animation to an element of your slide, simply:

• Select the  element
• Go to the  Animations tab in the Ribbon
• Click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
• Select the  animation  you want

You can add animations to multiple objects at one time by selecting them all first and then applying the animation.

B. How to preview a PowerPoint animation

There are three ways to preview a PowerPoint animation:

• Click on the Preview button in the Animations tab
• Click on the little star  next to the slide
• Play the slide in Slide Show Mode

To learn other ways to run your slide show, see our guide on presenting a PowerPoint slide show with shortcuts .

To adjust the settings of your animations, explore the options in the  Effect Options ,  Advanced Animation  and the  Timing  areas of the  Animation tab .

Note:  To see how to make objects appear and disappear in your slides by clicking a button,  read our guide here .

C. How to manage your animations in PowerPoint

The best way to manage lots of animations on your slide is with the Animation Pane . To open it, simply:

• Navigate to the  Animations tab
• Select the  Animation Pane

Inside the Animation Pane, you’ll see all of the different animations that have been applied to objects on your slide, with their numbers marked as pictured above.

Note: To see examples of PowerPoint animations that can use in PowerPoint, see our list of PowerPoint animation tutorials here .

D. How to add transitions to your PowerPoint presentation

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust transition engine so that you can dictate how your slides change from one to the other. It is also extremely easy to add transitions to your slides.

In PowerPoint, transitions are the movements (or effects) you see as you move between two slides.

To add a transition to a PowerPoint slide, simply:

• Select the  slide
• Go to the  Transitions tab in the Ribbon
• In the Transitions to This Slide area, click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
• Select the  transition  you want

To adjust the settings of the transition, explore the options in the  Timing  area of the Transitions tab.

You can also add the same transition to multiple slides. To do that, select them in the  Slides Pane  and apply the transition.

E. How to preview a transition in PowerPoint

There are three ways to preview your PowerPoint transitions (just like your animations):

• Click on the Preview  button in the Transitions tab
• Click on the little star  beneath the slide number in the thumbnail view

Note:  In 2016, PowerPoint added a cool new transition, called Morph. It operates a bit differently from other transitions. For a detailed tutorial on how to use the cool Morph transition,  see our step-by-step article here .

Save Your PowerPoint Presentation

After you’ve built your presentation and made all the adjustments to your slides, you’ll want to save your presentation. YOu can do this several different ways.

To save a PowerPoint presentation using your Ribbon, simply:

• Navigate to the  File tab
•  Select  Save As  on the left
• Choose  where you want to save your presentation
• Name  your presentation and/or adjust your file type settings
• Click  Save

You can alternatively use the  Ctrl+S keyboard shortcut to save your presentation. I recommend using this shortcut frequently as you build your presentation to make sure you don’t lose any of your work.

This is the standard way to save a presentation. However, there may be a situation where you want to save your presentation as a different file type.

To learn how to save your presentation as a PDF, see our guide on converting PowerPoint to a PDF .

How to save your PowerPoint presentation as a template

Once you’ve created a presentation that you like, you may want to turn it into a template. The easiest – but not technically correct – way, is to simply create a copy of your current presentation and then change the content.

But be careful! A PowerPoint template is a special type of document and it has its own parameters and behaviors.

If you’re interested in learning about how to create your own PowerPoint template from scratch, see our guide on how to create a PowerPoint template .

Printing Your PowerPoint Presentation

After finishing your PowerPoint presentation, you may want to print it out on paper. Printing your slides is relatively easy.

To open the Print dialog box, you can either:

• Hit Ctrl+P on your keyboard
• Or go to the Ribbon and click on File and then Print

Inside the Print dialog box, you can choose from the various printing settings:

• Printer: Select a printer to use (or print to PDF or OneNote)
• Slides: Choose which slides you want to print
• Layout: Determine how many slides you want per page (this is where you can print the notes, outline, and handouts)
• Collated or uncollated (learn what collated printing means here )
• Color: Choose to print in color, grayscale or black & white

There are many more options for printing your PowerPoint presentations. Here are links to more in-depth articles:

• How to print multiple slides per page
• How to print your speaker notes in PowerPoint
• How to save PowerPoint as a picture presentation

So that’s how to create a PowerPoint presentation if you are brand new to it. We’ve also included a ton of links to helpful resources to boost your PowerPoint skills further.

When you are creating your presentation, it is critical to first focus on the content (what you are trying to say) before getting lost inserting and playing with elements. The clearer you are on what you want to present, the easier it will be to build it out in PowerPoint.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about our PowerPoint training courses and other presentation resources by  visiting us here .

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What Is a PPT File?

This is an older PowerPoint presentation format, but you can still edit one in Microsoft's program or other free slideshow creators

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What to Know

• A PPT file is a PowerPoint presentation.
• All versions of PowerPoint can open one, as well as WPS Office Presentation and Google Slides .
• Convert from PPT to PDF, MP4, and other formats with those same programs.

This article explains what a PPT file is and how to open one or convert one to a different format.

A file with the PPT file extension is a Microsoft PowerPoint 97-2003 presentation file. Newer versions of PowerPoint have replaced this format with PPTX .

PPT files are often used for educational purposes and office use alike, for everything from studying to presenting information in front of an audience.

It's common for these files to contain various slides of text, sounds, photos, and videos.

PPT is also short for a number of technology terms that have nothing to do with presentations, like propagation prediction tool, program processing table, program planning team , and Precision Pad Technology .

How to Open a PPT File

PPT files can be opened with any version of Microsoft PowerPoint .

If it was created with versions of PowerPoint older than v8.0 (PowerPoint 97, released in 1997), it's not reliably supported in newer versions of the program. If you have an older PPT file, try one of the conversion services listed in the next section.

Several free programs can also open and edit one, such as WPS Office Presentation , OpenOffice Impress , Google Slides , and SoftMaker Presentations .

Another way to open PPT files without PowerPoint is to use one of Microsoft's free PowerPoint viewer programs .

If you want to extract the media files out of one, you can do so with a file extraction tool like 7-Zip . First, convert it to PPTX either through PowerPoint or a PPTX conversion tool (these are usually the same as PPT converters, like the ones mentioned below). Then, use 7-Zip to open the file, and navigate to the ppt > media folder to see all the media files.

How to Convert a PPT File

Using one of the PPT viewers/editors from above is the best way to convert the file to a different format. In PowerPoint, for example, File > Save As lets you save to PDF , MP4 , JPG , PPTX, WMV , and lots of other formats.

PowerPoint's File > Export menu provides some additional options that are useful when converting PPT to a video.

In the Export menu is also a Create Handouts option that will translate the slides into pages in Microsoft Word. You'd use this option if you want an audience to be able to follow along with you as you make a presentation.

Another option is to use a free file converter to convert the file. FileZigZag and Zamzar are two free online PPT converters that can save one to MS Word's DOCX format as well as PDF, HTML , EPS , POT, SWF , SXI, RTF , KEY, ODP, and other similar formats.

If you upload the file to Google Drive , you can convert it to the Google Slides format by simply opening it. See How to Convert PowerPoint to Google Slides if you need help.

If you're using Google Slides to open and edit the PPT file, it can also be used to convert the file again, from the File > Download menu. PPTX, ODP, PDF, TXT , JPG, PNG , and SVG are the supported conversion formats.

Still Can't Open It?

Files that aren't opening with the programs mentioned above might not actually be related to a slideshow. Check the extension again to make sure it's not really a file that's spelled with similar file extension letters

PSTs , for example, are used with email programs like Outlook . Another is PTP, a preferences file used by Pro Tools .

There are others that are used in PowerPoint, though, and so are also similar looking to PPT. PPTM is one example—it does work with the slideshow programs linked above.

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• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Understanding PowerPoint File Formats

It’s possible to use PowerPoint for years without ever thinking about the various file formats that are available to you. By learning about PowerPoint’s file formats and options, however, you can do a much more effective job of creating presentations, backing them up, sharing them with colleagues, and protecting the information that they contain.

Ordinary PowerPoint Presentations

When you save a simple PowerPoint presentation, you give it a name, and PowerPoint adds the file extension .pptx. Your Sales Presentation file becomes Sales Presentation.pptx .

If your PowerPoint presentation contains one or more macros, PowerPoint will automatically detect their presence and save your presentation as a .pptm file. You can force PowerPoint to save a presentation that includes macros as a .pptx file, but PowerPoint won’t let you play the macros that you’ve included in your slide slow. So it’s best to let it save your file with the .pptm extension.

If you need to share your presentation with a colleague who is using an older version of PowerPoint, then save your slides as a .ppt file. PowerPoint 97 through 2003 cannot open and process .pptx or .pptm files.

If you’re using PowerPoint 2007 or newer, you should always save your work in .pptx format (or in .pptm format if you’ve used macros in your presentation). The options described below are additional ways to save your work. Be sure to save them first as ordinary .pptx or .pptm files before you save them in any of these other formats.

PowerPoint Shows

If you want to give your PowerPoint presentation to a friend or colleague, and you don’t want them to change anything, then save your presentation as a PowerPoint Show file. Your colleagues can display your slides, but they will be unable to change any part of your presentation.

There are three types of PowerPoint Shows: Save an ordinary presentation as a .ppsx file. If you’re using macros in your presentation, save it as a .ppsm file. If you’re sending your slide show to somebody who is using PowerPoint 97 through 2003, then create a .pps PowerPoint Show file.

Be sure to save your presentation as a plain vanilla (.pptx) file or as a macro-enabled (.pptm) file. If you’ve only saved the Show file, you won’t be able to make changes to your presentation.

PowerPoint Picture Presentations

Picture Presentations add an additional layer of protection to your work. To the casual observer, a PowerPoint Picture Presentation looks like an ordinary PowerPoint slideshow. But when you save your work as a Picture Presentation, each slide is converted to a simple image.

Slides contain text objects, image objects, animations, transitions, and many other special effects. By contrast, Picture Presentations contain only snapshots of your slides.

If somebody wants to copy your work, they can see each of the images and retype the text. They can even grab (and re-crop) the images. But they cannot capture any of the magic that is PowerPoint.

If you create a Picture Presentation, be sure to give it a unique name. If you only save the Picture Presentation .pptx file, you won’t be able to modify your presentation in the future.

Windows Media Videos

You can convert your PowerPoint presentation to an ordinary Windows Media Video (.wmv) file, and play it using the built-in Windows Media Player or any other video player. Your .wmv file can be enjoyed by any Windows or Mac user, even if they don’t have PowerPoint installed on their computer.

As always, don’t make your .wmv file the only version of your slideshow or you’ll be very disappointed when you want to make changes to the presentation.

Outline/RTF

PowerPoint lets you turn your slideshow into plain text. This is handy if you want to move some of the presentation’s text to your website or blog.

When you create a rich text format (.rtf) file, you save only the text. You lose all of the images, animations, slide-to-slide transitions, and other non-text objects.

It’s easy to save your presentation as a portable document format (.pdf) file. These .pdf files can be opened on any Windows, Mac, Unix/Linux, iOS, or Android device. The resulting file, however, is a static document. Don’t expect to see slides fade in and out. All of your animated objects will become static.

You can save your slides as an XML Paper Specification (.xps) file. That’s a fancy way to say that if you double-click your .xps file in Windows Explorer, the operating system will open your file using its built-in XPS Viewer.

The XPS format is ideal for sending your slideshow to users who have neither PowerPoint nor Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on their computers. As with the .pdf format above, .xps files have text and images, but no animation.

If you’re happy with this year’s Financial Results slideshow, and you want to create next year’s presentation using the same colors and fonts, then save your current presentation as a template, and use it over and over.

As you may have guessed, save your work as a .potx file for use in PowerPoint 2007 and newer, as a .potm file for a 2007 or newer macro-enabled presentation, and as a .pot file for use on PowerPoint 97 through 2003.

Office Themes and Backups

Because Microsoft PowerPoint is part of Microsoft Office, you can use two Office file types to make your PowerPoint work easier and safer.

You can save your presentation theme as an Office .thmx file. Future PowerPoint presentations, as well as Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, can use this Office theme to set their fonts and colors. This results in a consistent look and feel to all of the Office documents that you present to prospects and customers.

Autosave is built into most Office applications, including PowerPoint. If you experienced a power outage and hadn’t saved your PowerPoint presentation before you lost power, it’s possible that there’s a recent version of your slideshow in the Office Autosave library. If you click File , click Open , and click Recover Unsaved Presentation , you may be pleased by the information that PowerPoint saved for you.

The Bottom Line

There’s no need to memorize all of the PowerPoint file extensions and options that are available. But be sure that you’re including all of these files when you do your regular on-site and off-site backups. And bookmark this blog page so that you can return to it when you need to save or open a PowerPoint presentation in one of the less popular file formats.

• September 20, 2014

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How to Open a PPT File on PC or Mac

Last Updated: September 1, 2022 Tested

Using PowerPoint

Using google slides, using powerpoint online.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 85,446 times. Learn more...

This wikiHow teaches you how to open and view the contents of a PPT (PowerPoint presentation) file in Windows and macOS. PPT is the native presentation format in Microsoft PowerPoint's earlier versions and is supported by all versions of the software. If you don't have PowerPoint, you can open the file in Google Slides or PowerPoint Online (a free version of PowerPoint accessible on the web).

• If you don't have PowerPoint installed on your computer, make sure to check out this article for detailed instructions on how to download it.
• Alternatively, you can download and use Apache OpenOffice ( https://www.openoffice.org/download ), or Apple Numbers ( https://itunes.apple.com/tr/app/numbers/id409203825 ).
• To open the PPT with a different program, just select the program you want to use on the "Open with" menu.

• If you're prompted, sign in with your Google account.

• Alternatively, you can drag and drop your PPT file here.

• If you're prompted, sign in with your Microsoft account.

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How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation? [PPT & Other Formats!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

Saving a PowerPoint presentation is one of the most important things that you need to do when you are creating a presentation using PowerPoint. Unlike some of the modern web-based presentation applications, you need to make sure that you save a PowerPoint presentation when you are using an offline version!

To save a PowerPoint presentation, click on the “File” tab. Then, from the backstage view, click on the “Save” option from the left panel. Choose the location or the folder where you want to save the presentation on your computer, and click on “Save”.

In this article, we shall not only understand how to save a standard PPT or PPTx file, but we shall also take a look at how to save a PowerPoint presentation in different file formats such as a PDF, video or an image!

So, let’s get started!

1. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation?

Once you have saved a PowerPoint presentation, you can easily save it again with just one click. Furthermore, you can also save a PowerPoint presentation in other formats. However, the process of saving a PowerPoint presentation is slightly different on Windows and on Mac.

Let’s understand the process in further detail.

1a. Saving a PowerPoint Presentation on Windows

To save a PowerPoint Presentation on Windows PC, you can follow either of the 2 simple methods.

Method-1: Using the “Save” button on Quick Access Toolbar

In the Quick Access Toolbar located at the very top of the screen, click on the “Save” icon.

The “Save” icon is located on the left side in the Quick Access Toolbar and looks like a floppy disk. Clicking on the “Save” button will immediately save the PowerPoint presentation in its current location as a “.pptx” file.

If you have opened a new presentation and you are saving it for the first time, clicking on the “Save” button will open a new explorer window. Simply navigate to the folder where you wish to save the new presentation on your computer, and click on “ Save “.

Method-2: Using the “File” tab

Another, more common method is to use the “File” tab in PowerPoint to save your PowerPoint presentation.

Here’s what you need to do –

Step 1 – Click on the “File” Tab

Another way to save a PowerPoint presentation is to use the “File” menu. You have to first click on the “File” tab located at the left corner of the menu ribbon at the top of the screen.

Step 2 – Click on the “Save” option

This will open the backstage view in PowerPoint. Now, click on the “Save” option from the sidebar on the left side of the screen. This will save the Microsoft PowerPoint as a “.pptx” file in the current location.

1b. Saving a PowerPoint Presentation on Mac

On a Mac computer, you can use the “File” menu as well to save the PowerPoint presentation.

The first step is to click on the “File” menu in the menu bar located at the top of the screen (above the PowerPoint window). This will open a dropdown menu. Click on the “Save” option from the dropdown menu to save the presentation as a “.pptx” file which is the standard format for presentations.

1c. Shortcut Keys to Save a PowerPoint Presentation

Microsoft PowerPoint also allows you to save a presentation with keyboard shortcuts. All you have to do is press the “Ctrl+S” keys on your keyboard in an open PowerPoint file. This will save the PowerPoint presentation.

1d. Best Format to Save a PowerPoint Presentation?

PowerPoint allows you to save a presentation in various different file formats! For instance, you can use the .ppt format if you wish to open the presentation file using PowerPoint 2007 or earlier. You can use .ppsx to open presentation directly as a PowerPoint Show file that opens it in the presentation mode.

In fact, there are several other formats you can save a presentation in. We shall explore how to save a PowerPoint presentation in several different formats later in the article.

However, the best format to save a PowerPoint Presentation is a “.pptx” file. This type can support all the latest as well as the older features of the PowerPoint presentation.

If you will be opening the presentation using a different software other than Microsoft PowerPoint, “.odp” is the best format. For printing, make sure to save the PowerPoint presentation as a PDF. That said, .pptx file format can help serve these purposes too.

2. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation as PDF

Saving a PowerPoint presentation in PDF format is the suitable method for printing out your presentation. To save the PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file, follow the 4 easy steps.

Step-1: Click on the “File” Tab

First, click on the “ File ” tab in PowerPoint to open the back stage view of PowerPoint.

Step 2 – Click on the “Save As” option

In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the “File” tab. In the “File” menu, click on the “Save As” option from the sidebar on the left side of the screen.

Step-3: Click on the “PDF (*.pdf)” option

In the “Save As” screen, click on the box that shows “PowerPoint Presentation (*.pptx)” . This will open a dropdown menu. Click on the “PDF (*.pdf)” option from the dropdown menu.

Step-4: Click on the “Save” button

Now all you have to do is click on the “Save” button beside the box to save the PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file (as shown in the image in step 2).

3. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation as a Video?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can also save a presentation as a video. This allows you to play the presentation slides as a video rather than a slide show.

3a. On Windows

To save a PowerPoint presentation as a video on a Windows PC, follow the 3 easy steps.

Step-1: Click on the “File” tab

The first step is to open the “Save As” screen. To do so, click on the “File” tab in the menu ribbon. In the “File” menu, click on the “Save As” option.

Step-2: Choose the “.mp4” file format from the “Save As” tab

The next step is to click on the “Save As Options” box. It is the second box on the right side of the “Save As” screen. In the dropdown menu, click on either the “MPEG-4 Video (*.mp4)” option or the “Windows Media Video (*.wmv)” option.

Step-3: Click on the “Save” button

The final step is to click on the “Save” button (as indicated in step 2 above). It is located on the right side of the “Save As Options” box. This will save your PowerPoint presentation as a video.

To save a PowerPoint presentation as a video on a Mac device, follow the 3 simple steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Export” option

In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click on the “File” option. In the “File” dropdown menu, click on the “Export” option. This will open a dialog box.

Step-2: Click on the “File Format” box

In the dialog box, click on the “File Format” box. This will open a dropdown menu. You can click on either the “MP4” option or the “MOV” option as you prefer.

Step-3: Click on the “Export” button

In the dialog box, you can also click on the “Quality” option to select the quality of the video. Once you are satisfied with the selections in the dialog box, click on the “Export” button at the bottom (as shown in the image in the previous step). This will save the presentation as a video.

4. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation to Open in Slideshow Mode?

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to save the PowerPoint presentation as a “PowerPoint Show” file. This opens directly as a slideshow. To save a PowerPoint presentation to open in slideshow mode, follow the 2 easy steps.

In the open PowerPoint file, click on the “File” tab from the menu ribbon which is located at the top of the screen. In the “File” menu, click on the “Save As” option.

Step-2: Click on the “PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx)” option

In the “Save As” screen, click on the “Save As Options” box which shows “PowerPoint Presentation (*.pptx)” . This will open a dropdown menu. Click on the “PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx)” option.

Now all you have to do is click on the “Save” button to save the PowerPoint presentation to open as a slideshow.

5. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation as an Image?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can save the presentation as an image in five different formats: “Animated GIF Format (*.gif)” , “JPEG File Interchange Format (*.jpeg)” , “PNG Portable Network Graphics Format (*.png)” , “TIFF Tag Image File Format (*.tif)”, and “Scalable Vector Graphics Format (*.svg)” .

To save your presentation as an image, follow the 3 simple steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Save As” option from the “File” tab

The first step is to click on the “File” tab in the menu ribbon. Then click on the “Save As” option from the “File” menu.

Step-2: Select your preferred image format

In the “Save As” screen, click on the “Save As Type” box which is the second box in the right column. From the dropdown menu, click on your preferred image format from the five available formats.

Now all you have to do is click on the “Save” button (as shown in the image in step 2) beside the “Save As Type” box. This will save your presentation in a folder containing each slide as a separate image file.

6. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation as a Template?

A PowerPoint template is a predesigned presentation that you can edit to add your own content. To save a presentation as a template, follow the 3 easy steps.

The first step is to click on the “File” tab in the menu ribbon. Then click on the “Export” option from the sidebar in the “File” menu.

Step-2: Click on “Change File Type”

Now you have to click on the “Change File Type” option. Under the “Presentation File Types” group in the right column, click on the “Templates” option. Then click on the “Save As” button at the bottom of the screen.

In the “Save As” dialog box, you will see that the “Save as type” box shows the “PowerPoint Template” format. Now all you have to do is click on the “Save” button.

7. How to Save PowerPoint Presentation as Google Slides?

Microsoft PowerPoint does not offer any feature to upload a presentation to Google Slides directly. However, Google Slides does offer you an option to upload your PowerPoint presentation and save it in Google Slides!

Step-1: Save Your PowerPoint Presentation

The first step is to save your PowerPoint presentation using any method described in the section 1 of this article.

Make sure that you note down the location of the folder in which you have save the PowerPoint file.

Step-2: Click on the “Open file picker” option in Google Slides

Now, the next thing you need to do is open your Google Slides account by visiting slides.google.com . If you aren’t logged in, make sure you sign in with your account credentials.

Next, you will be presented with Google Slides home screen (as shown in the image above). In Google Slides, click on the “Open file picker” icon which looks like a folder. This will open the “Open a file” dialog box.

Step-2: Click on “Upload”

In the “Open a file” dialog box, click on the “Upload” tab.

From your “File Explorer” window, drag and drop the PowerPoint presentation in the dialog box. Now the presentation will automatically open in Google Slides.

Also Read – How to “ Make a Copy of a Google Slides Presentation ” and how to “ Share a Google Slides Presentation Correctly ” with others!

You can also click on the “ Select a file from your device ” button (blue button in the center of the screen). This will open the file explorer window. Navigate to the folder in which you have saved your PowerPoint presentation, and click on “OK”. This will open and save the presentation file in Google Slides.

8. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation to a Flash Drive?

To save a PowerPoint presentation on a flash drive or any external device, follow the 3 simple steps.

In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the “File” tab. In the “File” menu, click on the “Save As” option.

Step-2: Click on “Browse”

In the “Save As” screen, click on the “Browse” option which is the last option in the left column. This will open the “Save As” dialog box. In the sidebar on the left of the dialog box, click on the external disc.

Now all you have to do is click on the “Save” button at the bottom of the dialog box to save the PowerPoint presentation on the flash drive (as shown in the image in step 2).

9. How to Save a Copy of a PowerPoint Presentation?

The “Save A Copy” feature of Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to save changes in your presentation in a copied file without changing the original file.

Check out my article to learn detailed steps on how to save a copy of a PowerPoint presentation .

10. How to Save a Read-Only PowerPoint Presentation?

The “Read-Only” feature of Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to protect your PowerPoint presentation .

Using this feature, you can share your presentation with others without giving them the access to change your presentation. To save a read-only PowerPoint presentation, follow the steps mentioned below –

The first step is to click on the “File” tab in the menu ribbon. From the sidebar in the “File” menu, click on the “Info” option.

Step-2: Click on the “Protect Presentation” button

The next step is to click on the “Protect Presentation” option in the “Info” screen. This will open a dropdown menu. Click on the “Always Open Read-Only” option from the dropdown menu.

Step-3: Click on the “Save” option

Now all you have to do is save the presentation. To do so, click on the “Save” option in the sidebar right under the “Info” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+S” keys on your keyboard.

If you have received a presentation that opens only in the read-only mode, but you don’t know how to work with it, check out my other article on “ How to Edit a Presentation in Read-Only Mode “.

11. How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation Without Notes?

When saving a PowerPoint presentation, you might want to remove the speaker notes. To do so, all you have to do is follow the 5 quick steps.

In the menu ribbon, click on the “File” tab. Then click on the “Info” option from the “File” menu.

Step-2: Click on “Check for Issues” on the “Info” tab

In the “Info” option, click on the “Check for Issues” button. Then click on the “Inspect Document” option from the dropdown menu. This will prompt a dialog box.

Step-3: Click on the “Inspect” option

In the “Document Inspector” dialog box, scroll all the way to the bottom and make sure the “Presentation Notes” option is selected. Then click on the “Inspect” button at the bottom of the dialog box.

Step-4: Click on the “Remove All” option

Once the inspection results are shown in the “Document Inspector” dialog, scroll to the bottom again to find the “Presentation Notes” option. Then click on the “Remove All” button at the right side of the “Presentation Notes” option.

Now all you have to do is click on the “Close” button at the bottom of the dialog box to finish the process.

Step-5: Click on the “Save” option

The final step is to click on the “ Save ” option in the sidebar of the “File” menu to save the presentation without notes. You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+S” keys on your keyboard.

12. How to Save PowerPoint Presentation Directly in Microsoft Teams?

If you are delivering a PowerPoint presentation to an audience using Microsoft teams, you can easily share a PowerPoint deck with your audience in the following steps –

• First, open the Microsoft Teams application and login to the meeting.

• On the “ Meeting Controls ” menu available in the top part of your meeting screen, locate the “ Share Content ” option.
• Click on the share content button. This will show the most recent PowerPoint files that you opened. You can either choose to click on one of the files visible. Alternatively, scroll down on the right panel and click on the “ Browse my computer ” option.

• This will open a new file browser window. Navigate to the respective location where your PowerPoint presentation is saved, click on it to select it. Then, click on “Open” to open the presentation in Microsoft Teams.
• The presentation will open by default in the presenter mode and shared with the audience of the meeting.

13. How to Enable Autosave in PowerPoint Presentation?

The autosave option is only available if you are using the Microsoft Office 365 version of PowerPoint . Other than that, you will have to manually save the PowerPoint file in all other versions.

You can autosave the PowerPoint presentation to the OneDrive cloud, and also autosave recovery files. To enable autosave in PowerPoint presentation, follow the 4 simple steps.

Step-1: Click on the “AutoSave” button

To simply turn on autosave in the OneDrive cloud for the PowerPoint presentation, all you have to do is click on the slider beside the “Autosave” option.

It is located in the left corner of the Quick Access Toolbar at the top of the screen.

Step-2: Click on “Options”

To access more autosave options, click on the “File” tab in the menu ribbon. Then click on the “Options” option which is the last option in the sidebar in the “File” menu. It will open a dialog box.

In the “PowerPoint Options” dialog, click on the “Save” option from the sidebar located on the left side. Now you can enable your preferred autosave options in the “Save presentations” section.

Click on the “Autosave OneDrive and SharePoint Online files by default on PowerPoint” for auto-saving on the cloud. You can also select how often the auto-recovery copy is saved by clicking on the box at the right side of the “Save Autorecover information” option.

Step-4: Click on the “OK” button

Now all you have to do is click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the “PowerPoint Options” dialog box to enable your autosave preference (as shown in the image in step 2).

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

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Leverage word styles to help copilot understand the structure of your document.

By using Styles in Word to organize your document, Copilot will better understand your document structure and how to break it up into slides of a presentation. Structure your content under Titles and Headers when appropriate and Copilot will do its best to generate a presentation for you.

Include images that are relevant to your presentation

When creating a presentation, Copilot will try to incorporate the images in your Word document. If you have images that you would like to be brought over to your presentation, be sure to include them in your Word document.

Start with your organization’s template

If your organization uses a standard template, start with this file before creating a presentation with Copilot. Starting with a template will let Copilot know that you would like to retain the presentation’s theme and design. Copilot will use existing layouts to build a presentation for you. Learn more about Making your presentations look great with Copilot in PowerPoint .

Tip:  Copilot works best with Word documents that are less than 24 MB.

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Copilot Lab - Start your Copilot journey

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What Is a PPT File: The Basics and Using Them

Do you know what a PPT file is? Find out here!

In this article, we’ll explain the basics of PPT files, how to open them, and the differences between variations of PPT windows file formats.

You’ll also learn about compatibility issues and conversion options.

Plus, we’ll show you how to embed PowerPoint into a website.

So, if you’re curious about PPT files, keep reading to expand your knowledge!

Key Takeaways

• PPT files are digital file formats used for creating and delivering presentations.
• PPTX is the newer file format introduced with PowerPoint 2007, offering advantages like smaller size and improved graphics.
• Compatibility issues can arise between different versions of PowerPoint, and it is important to ensure compatibility with the file format.
• There are different methods of embedding PowerPoint into a website, including using embedding code, converting to HTML5 format, and using plugins for platforms like WordPress.

Overview of PPT files and their importance

You’ll learn about the three key components of a PPT file and why it’s important for presentations.

A PPT file, short for PowerPoint Presentation, is a digital file format used to create and deliver presentations. It consists of slides that contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia elements.

The three key components of a PPT file are the slides, the design templates, and the speaker notes.

Slides are the individual pages that make up the presentation, while design templates provide a consistent visual style throughout the entire presentation. Speaker notes allow the presenter to add additional information or reminders for each slide.

Understanding these components is important because they help create visually appealing and effective presentations that engage the audience. By using design templates and organizing content on slides, a PPT file allows presenters to communicate their message in a clear and structured manner.

What is a PPT File

So, you want to know what a PPT file is?

Before we get started, let’s take a closer look at the definition and history of a PPT file and its origins and purpose. PPT stands for PowerPoint Presentation, and it’s a file format used by Microsoft PowerPoint, a popular presentation software.

PPT files contain slides that can include text, images, videos, and other multimedia elements. PowerPoint was first released in 1987 as a graphical presentation program for Macintosh computers. It quickly gained popularity and became a standard tool for creating professional presentations.

When it comes to types of PPT files, there are two main formats to be aware of: PPT and PPTX.

PPT stands for PowerPoint Presentation and is the older file format used by Microsoft PowerPoint.

PPTX, on the other hand, is the newer file format introduced with PowerPoint 2007. PPTX files are based on the XML format and offer several advantages over PPT files.

They’re smaller in size, more secure, and support advanced features like improved graphics and multimedia integration.

PPTX files can also be opened and edited in newer versions of PowerPoint, while PPT files may require compatibility updates.

Over the years, PowerPoint has undergone numerous updates and enhancements, adding new features and improving its functionality. Today, PPT files are widely used in business, education, and other fields as a means of conveying information and delivering impactful presentations.

How to Open a PPT File

To open a PPT file, you have a variety of software options available. There is paid and free software available to be used both on your desktop and mobile.

One of the most popular choices is Microsoft PowerPoint, which is specifically designed for creating and editing presentations. PowerPoint allows you to easily open PPT files and make changes to their content, layout, and design.

Another software option is Google Slides, which is a free web-based tool that offers similar functionality to PowerPoint. With Google Slides, you can open PPT files, collaborate with others in real-time, and access your presentations from any device with an internet connection.

Additionally, there are other presentation software programs available, such as Keynote for Mac users, LibreOffice Impress for those looking for a free alternative, and Prezi for creating more dynamic and interactive presentations.

Troubleshooting common issues

If you’re having trouble opening a PPT file, there are a few common issues that you might encounter.

One issue could be that you don’t have the right software to open the file. PowerPoint, the software developed by Microsoft, is commonly used to open PPT files. Make sure you have the latest version PowerPoint installed on your computer.

Another issue could be that the file is corrupted or damaged. In this case, you might need to try opening the file on a different device or ask the sender to re-send the file.

Additionally, check if the file extension is correct. PPT files should have the extension ‘.ppt’ or ‘.pptx’. If the extension is different, try renaming the file to the correct extension.

File Formats and Their Differences

When it comes to file formats, understanding the differences between PPT and PPTX is key.

While both formats are supported by PowerPoint, PPTX offers more advanced features and compatibility with newer versions of the software.

PPT vs. PPTX

PPT files are the older version of PowerPoint presentations, while PPTX files are the newer version. The main difference between the two file formats lies in their underlying technology.

PPT files were developed for earlier versions of Microsoft PowerPoint, while PPTX files were introduced with the release of PowerPoint 2007. PPTX files use XML-based formatting, making them more efficient and compact compared to the older PPT format.

The PPT file format, while an older format is still being used by Microsoft PowerPoint. It supports various features such as animations, transitions, slide timings, and embedded media files.

Additionally, PPTX files offer enhanced features and compatibility with newer versions of PowerPoint. They support advanced formatting options, such as tables, charts, multimedia elements. and PPTX files also have better recovery capabilities, making them less prone to corruption.

Understanding the supported features in each format is essential for choosing the right format for your slideshow presentation needs.

Compatibility Issues

When it comes to compatibility issues with PPT files, you may encounter problems when trying to open an older version of PowerPoint in a newer version. This can result in formatting and content discrepancies.

However, there are solutions available, such as converting the file to a compatible format or using compatibility modes in PowerPoint to ensure smooth viewing and editing.

Older vs. newer PowerPoint versions

You may encounter compatibility issues between older and newer versions of PowerPoint. When working with PowerPoint files, it’s important to consider the version of PowerPoint you’re using and the version that the file was created in. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• File format : PowerPoint files have the extension .ppt or .pptx. The newer versions of PowerPoint use the .pptx file format, while older versions use the .ppt format. This difference in file format can sometimes cause compatibility issues between versions.
• Versions : PowerPoint has gone through several updates and releases over the years, with each version having its own set of features and capabilities. Newer versions of PowerPoint may have additional features that aren’t supported in older versions, which can lead to compatibility problems when opening files created in newer versions with older versions of PowerPoint.

In order to avoid compatibility issues, it’s recommended to check the version of PowerPoint you’re using and make sure it’s compatible with the file you’re trying to open or edit.

Solutions for compatibility

In order to overcome compatibility issues, you can use various solutions when dealing with PPT files.

One solution is to save the file in a different file format that’s compatible with the version of PowerPoint you’re using. This can be done by selecting the ‘Save As’ option and choosing an older file format, such as PPT instead of PPTX.

Another solution is to use online file converters that can convert the file into a compatible format. These converters can be found on various websites and allow you to convert the PPT file into formats like PDF or JPEG.

Additionally, updating your PowerPoint software to the latest version can also help resolve compatibility issues as it ensures compatibility with newer file formats and features.

Conversion Options

Sometimes PPT files aren’t suitable for the purpose at hand and you need to convert. If you need to convert PPT to a different format, there are several tools available that can help you with that.

How to convert PPT to other formats

Easily convert your PPT files to other formats using various conversion options. When it comes to converting your PowerPoint presentations, you have several options to choose from. Here are two relevant conversion methods:

• Online conversion tools: Many websites offer free online tools that allow you to upload your PPT file and convert it to a different format, such as PDF, JPG, or MP4. These tools are convenient and easy to use, requiring no software installation.
• PowerPoint software: Microsoft PowerPoint itself provides an option to convert your PPT files to different formats. Simply open your presentation, go to the ‘File’ menu, and select ‘Save As.’ From there, you can choose the desired format, such as PPTX, PDF, or video formats like MP4 or WMV.

Tools available for conversion

You can utilize various tools for conversion, such as online converters or PowerPoint software.

When it comes to converting a ppt file to another format, it’s important to choose the right tool that meets your needs.

Here are some online tools that can convert PPT files:

• AltoPPT to PDF Converter : This is a simple and free online tool that allows users to convert PPT to PDF. It displays the conversion progress, and upon completion, the converted file can be downloaded.
• Adobe Acrobat PPT to PDF converter : This is another online tool that can convert PPT to PDF for free. It can turn any Microsoft PowerPoint presentation into a PDF file.
• CloudConvert PPT Converter : This is an online document and presentation converter that supports various file formats, including PPT. It can convert PPT to PDF, PPTX, ODP, and many others. It is a universal app for file conversions, and it supports nearly all audio, video, document, ebook, archive, image, spreadsheet, and presentation formats. It is also secure, and users can use the online tool without downloading any software.
• Zamzar : This is an online file conversion tool that can convert PPT to PPTX in real-time. It is secure and free for most users, and the converted file can be downloaded upon completion.
• HeyGen : This is an online video production tool that can convert PPT to MP4. Users can upload their PowerPoint file and have an AI avatar present it as a video. The AI’s dialogue is based on the text or audio submitted. It is a dependable tool that allows users to effortlessly convert their PowerPoint to video and share it across multiple platforms.
• Xodo : This is a versatile tool that supports various file formats, including PowerPoint to PDF conversion. It is a free online tool that can convert PPT to PDF. Users can upload their PPT file and follow the steps to convert it to PDF.

As you can see, online converters offer convenience as they can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. They usually support a wide range of file formats and allow you to convert your ppt file quickly and easily.

On the other hand, PowerPoint software provides more advanced features and customization options. It allows you to convert your ppt file while maintaining the integrity of the original design and layout.

Depending on your specific requirements and the contextually relevant limitations mentioned in the previous article section, you can choose the most suitable tool for your conversion needs.

Embed Powerpoint into a Website

Now let’s talk about how to embed a Powerpoint presentation into a website.

There are several methods you can use to achieve this, and it’s important to consider which one works best for your specific needs.

We’ll explore how to embed Powerpoint into WordPress, as well as compare the different methods available.

Methods of Embedding Powerpoint into Websites

Embedding PowerPoint into your website is a straightforward process that allows you to share your presentations with your online audience. There are several methods you can use to achieve this:

• Embedding code: PowerPoint provides an embed code that you can copy and paste into your website’s HTML. This method allows you to display the PowerPoint presentation directly on your webpage.
• Converting to HTML5: Another method is to convert your PowerPoint presentation into HTML5 format using third-party tools. This allows you to create a more interactive and responsive presentation that can be easily embedded into your website.

Alternatively, if you are using WordPress, you can use the above methods or use plugins to embed a Powerpoint into the website.

How to Embed Powerpoint into WordPress

You can easily embed Powerpoint into WordPress or any website by using a plugin. WordPress offers several plugins that allow you to seamlessly integrate Powerpoint presentations into your website.

There are several plugins that allow you to embed PowerPoint presentations in WordPress. Here are some of them:

• EmbedPress: This plugin lets you embed audio-video, images, upload presentations, and other content into your WordPress website.
• iSpring Suite: This plugin allows you to embed PowerPoint presentations into your WordPress website. It offers a variety of customization options, including the ability to add quizzes, surveys, and interactions to your presentations.
• Embed Any Document: This plugin allows you to embed various types of documents, including PowerPoint presentations, into your WordPress website. It supports multiple file formats, including PDF, DOC, and PPT.
• Google Slides: You can upload your PowerPoint presentation to your Google Slides page and then embed it into your WordPress website. This method is simple and easy to use[5].

To use any of these plugins, you need to install and activate them on your WordPress website. Once activated, you can upload your PowerPoint presentation to your website and then use the plugin to embed it into your posts or pages.

How to Remove Powerpoint Documents from WordPress

To remove a PowerPoint presentation from WordPress, you need to follow these steps:

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
• Go to the page or post where the PowerPoint presentation is embedded.
• Edit the page or post and locate the PowerPoint presentation.
• Delete the PowerPoint presentation by selecting it and pressing the delete button on your keyboard or using the delete option in the editor.
• Save the changes to the page or post.

If you are having trouble removing the PowerPoint presentation, you can try disabling the plugin that you used to embed it. To do this, go to the Plugins section of your WordPress dashboard, find the plugin that you used to embed the PowerPoint presentation, and deactivate it. This should remove the PowerPoint presentation from your website.

What if you have multiple PowerPoint documents in the WordPress Library?

You can use a plugin called Media Hygiene. The Media Hygiene plugin is designed to remove unused media files from the WordPress Media library. It helps to keep your media library clean and organized by identifying and deleting files that are not being used on your website. By removing these unused files, you can free up storage space and improve the overall performance of your WordPress site.

In conclusion, a PPT file, also known as a PowerPoint presentation file, is a digital document created using Microsoft PowerPoint software. It’s widely used for creating and delivering presentations in various settings. PPT files can be opened and edited using PowerPoint or other compatible software.

Understanding file formats and compatibility issues is crucial for seamless sharing and collaboration. Additionally, embedding PowerPoint into a website provides a convenient way to share presentations online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a ppt file be opened on a mac computer.

Yes, a PPT file can be opened on a Mac computer. You can use software like Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple Keynote to open and view PPT files on your Mac.

What Are Some Common Alternative File Formats to Ppt?

Some common alternative file formats to ppt include PDF, Keynote (for Mac), and Google Slides. These formats can be used for presentations and offer compatibility with various operating systems and devices.

Is It Possible to Convert a PPT File Into a Video Format?

Yes, you can convert a PPT file into a video format. There are various tools and software available that allow you to easily convert your PowerPoint presentation into a video file.

Can a PPT File Be Opened on a Mobile Device?

Yes, you can open a PPT file on a mobile device. There are various apps available that allow you to view and edit PowerPoint presentations on your phone or tablet.

Are There Any Limitations or Restrictions When Embedding a Powerpoint Presentation Into a Website?

When embedding a PowerPoint presentation into a website, there may be limitations or restrictions depending on the platform or software being used. It’s important to check the requirements and compatibility beforehand.

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Sample PPT Files Download

Below you will find a selection of sample .ppt document files for you to download. On the right there are some details about the file such as its size so you can best decide which one will fit your needs.

PPT Mime Types

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how to open a power point file on new Microsoft 365

I am not able open my old Power Point presentation on my new Microsoft 365 power point app. I have tried all of the suggestions; none works. Can somebody from Microsoft please help?

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• Microsoft Agent |

Hello Office365_Powerpoint

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

It seems like you have an issue opening an old PowerPoint presentation on your new Microsoft 365 PowerPoint app. Let’s work together in finding the best resolution to this issue.

For me to better understand the issue, I’d like to ask a few questions:

What is the version of your new PowerPoint app?

Are you using Microsoft 365 Personal/Family or Business?

To open an old PowerPoint presentation on your new Microsoft 365 PowerPoint app, you can try the following steps:

Open the PowerPoint app on your new Microsoft 365 account.

Click on the " File " tab in the top left corner of the screen.

Select " Open " from the dropdown menu.

Navigate to the location where your old PowerPoint presentation is saved.

Select the file and click " Open ."

If this doesn't work, you can try saving the old PowerPoint presentation in a different file format, such as .pptx or .ppt, and then try opening it again in the new PowerPoint app.

We look forward to your next response.

Microsoft Community Moderator

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• Volunteer Moderator

How old is your presentation?

Also, is this on a new computer? If so, how did you move the presentation from a previous computer to the new one?

We haven't heard from you in 72 hours, so we assume that your issue has already been resolved. We will not be monitoring this thread moving forward so, if you need further assistance, please create a new thread to discuss these concerns by clicking this link:  Create a new question or start a discussion (microsoft.com)

Regards 

Jason Guer 

CAN SOMEONE ASSIST ME WITH MICROSOFT POWERPOINT

I cannot open my file in the manner you suggested. Any of my old files it keeps saying "can't read."

Please read the canned reply and edit it for applicability before blindly posting it. Or at least explain how OP's supposed to do this when they can't open their old presentations in the first place:

" If this doesn't work, you can try saving the old PowerPoint presentation in a different file format, such as .pptx or .ppt, and then try opening it again in the new PowerPoint app."

What version of PowerPoint were you using the *last* time you were able to open these older files?

And what version of PowerPoint were they created in, if you remember?

I paid for a one month subscription for the new microsoft 365 but when i tried to open new powerpoint templates, it would ask me to find an app that can open it. When i tried to pay for it, i realised that my country is not part of countries listed. I am still not able to use the microsoft 365

There is "File" tab on Office 365.

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How-To Geek

6 ways to create more interactive powerpoint presentations.

Engage your audience with cool, actionable features.

Quick Links

• Add a QR code
• Embed Microsoft Forms (Education or Business Only)
• Embed a Live Web Page
• Add Links and Menus
• Add Clickable Images to Give More Info
• Add a Countdown Timer

We've all been to a presentation where the speaker bores you to death with a mundane PowerPoint presentation. Actually, the speaker could have kept you much more engaged by adding some interactive features to their slideshow. Let's look into some of these options.

1. Add a QR code

Adding a QR code can be particularly useful if you want to direct your audience to an online form, website, or video.

Some websites have in-built ways to create a QR code. For example, on Microsoft Forms , when you click "Collect Responses," you'll see the QR code option via the icon highlighted in the screenshot below. You can either right-click the QR code to copy and paste it into your presentation, or click "Download" to add it to your device gallery to insert the QR code as a picture.

In fact, you can easily add a QR code to take your viewer to any website. On Microsoft Edge, right-click anywhere on a web page where there isn't already a link, and left-click "Create QR Code For This Page."

You can also create QR codes in other browsers, such as Chrome.

You can then copy or download the QR code to use wherever you like in your presentation.

2. Embed Microsoft Forms (Education or Business Only)

If you plan to send your PPT presentation to others—for example, if you're a trainer sending step-by-step instruction presentation, a teacher sending an independent learning task to your students, or a campaigner for your local councilor sending a persuasive PPT to constituents—you might want to embed a quiz, questionnaire, pole, or feedback survey in your presentation.

In PowerPoint, open the "Insert" tab on the ribbon, and in the Forms group, click "Forms". If you cannot see this option, you can add new buttons to the ribbon .

As at April 2024, this feature is only available for those using their work or school account. We're using a Microsoft 365 Personal account in the screenshot below, which is why the Forms icon is grayed out.

Then, a sidebar will appear on the right-hand side of your screen, where you can either choose a form you have already created or opt to craft a new form.

Now, you can share your PPT presentation with others , who can click the fields and submit their responses when they view the presentation.

3. Embed a Live Web Page

You could always screenshot a web page and paste that into your PPT, but that's not a very interactive addition to your presentation. Instead, you can embed a live web page into your PPT so that people with access to your presentation can interact actively with its contents.

To do this, we will need to add an add-in to our PPT account .

Add-ins are not always reliable or secure. Before installing an add-in to your Microsoft account, check that the author is a reputable company, and type the add-in's name into a search engine to read reviews and other users' experiences.

To embed a web page, add the Web Viewer add-in ( this is an add-in created by Microsoft ).

Go to the relevant slide and open the Web Viewer add-in. Then, copy and paste the secure URL into the field box, and remove https:// from the start of the address. In our example, we will add a selector wheel to our slide. Click "Preview" to see a sample of the web page's appearance in your presentation.

This is how ours will look.

When you or someone with access to your presentation views the slideshow, this web page will be live and interactive.

4. Add Links and Menus

As well as moving from one slide to the next through a keyboard action or mouse click, you can create links within your presentation to direct the audience to specific locations.

To create a link, right-click the outline of the clickable object, and click "Link."

In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, click "Place In This Document," choose the landing destination, and click "OK."

What's more, to make it clear that an object is clickable, you can use action buttons. Open the "Insert" tab on the ribbon, click "Shape," and then choose an appropriate action button. Usefully, PPT will automatically prompt you to add a link to these shapes.

You might also want a menu that displays on every slide. Once you have created the menu, add the links using the method outlined above. Then, select all the items, press Ctrl+C (copy), and then use Ctrl+V to paste them in your other slides.

5. Add Clickable Images to Give More Info

Through PowerPoint's animations, you can give your viewer the power to choose what they see and when they see it. This works nicely whether you're planning to send your presentation to others to run through independently or whether you're presenting in front of a group and want your audience to decide which action they want to take.

Start by creating the objects that will be clickable (trigger) and the items that will appear (pop-up).

Then, select all the pop-ups together. When you click "Animations" on the ribbon and choose an appropriate animation for the effect you want to achieve, this will be applied to all objects you have selected.

The next step is to rename the triggers in your presentation. To do this, open the "Home" tab, and in the Editing group, click "Select", and then "Selection Pane."

With the Selection Pane open, select each trigger on your slide individually, and rename them in the Selection Pane, so that they can be easily linked to in the next step.

Finally, go back to the first pop-up. Open the "Animations" tab, and in the Advanced Animation group, click the "Trigger" drop-down arrow. Then, you can set the item to appear when a trigger is clicked in your presentation.

If you want your item to disappear when the trigger is clicked again, select the pop-up, click "Add Animation" in the Advanced Animation group, choose an Exit animation, and follow the same step to link that animation to the trigger button.

6. Add a Countdown Timer

A great way to get your audience to engage with your PPT presentation is to keep them on edge by adding a countdown timer. Whether you're leading a presentation and want to let your audience stop to discuss a topic, or running an online quiz with time-limit questions, having a countdown timer means your audience will keep their eye on your slide throughout.

To do this, you need to animate text boxes or shapes containing your countdown numbers. Choose and format a shape and type the highest number that your countdown clock will need. In our case, we're creating a 10-second timer.

Now, with your shape selected, open the "Animations" tab on the ribbon and click the animation drop-down arrow. Then, in the Exit menu, click "Disappear."

Open the Animation Pane, and click the drop-down arrow next to the animation you've just added. From there, choose "Timing."

Make sure "On Click" is selected in the Start menu, and change the Delay option to "1 second," before clicking "OK."

Then, with this shape still selected, press Ctrl+C (copy), and then Ctrl+V (paste). In the second box, type 9 . With the Animation Pane still open and this second shape selected, click the drop-down arrow and choose "Timing" again. Change the Start option to "After Previous," and make sure the Delay option is 1 second. Then, click "OK."

We can now use this second shape as our template, as when we copy and paste it again, the animations will also duplicate. With this second shape selected, press Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V, type 8 into the box, and continue to do the same until you get to 0 .

Next, remove the animations from the "0" box, as you don't want this to disappear. To do this, click the shape, and in the Animation Pane drop-down, click "Remove."

You now need to layer them in order. Right-click the box containing number 1, and click "Bring To Front." You will now see that box on the top. Do the same with the other numbers in ascending order.

Finally, you need to align the objects together. Click anywhere on your slide and press Ctrl+A. Then, in the Home tab on the ribbon, click "Arrange." First click "Align Center," and then bring the menu up again, so that you can click "Align Middle."

Press Ctrl+A again to select your timer, and you can then move your timer or copy and paste it elsewhere.

Press F5 to see the presentation in action, and when you get to the slide containing the timer, click anywhere on the slide to see your countdown timer in action!

Now that your PPT presentation is more interactive, make sure you've avoided these eight common presentational mistakes before you present your slides.

Save your presentation file

As with any software program, it is a good idea to name and save your presentation immediately, and save your changes frequently while you work.

In PowerPoint, you can save your desktop presentation to your local drive (such as your laptop), a network location, a CD, a DVD, or a flash drive. You can also save it as a different file format.

On the File tab, select Save .

Do of the following:

To save to your local drive, such as your laptop, a flash drive, CD or DVD drive, select Computer .

To save to a SharePoint Library, select SharePoint .

Under Save As > Recent Folders , select Browse , pick a path and file folder, and then name the file.

Select Save .

Save your presentation file in a different file format

Note:  To save files in PDF (.pdf) or XPS (.xps) file formats, see Save or convert to PDF or XPS .

On the File tab, select Save As .

Under Save As , do one of the following:

Under Recent Folders , select Browse , pick a path and file folder, and then name the file.

In the Save as type list, pick the file format that you want.

Save your presentation in an earlier version of PowerPoint

In PowerPoint 2013 and newer versions, you can save files to an earlier version of PowerPoint by selecting the version from the Save as type list in the Save As box. For example, you can save your PowerPoint presentation in the newest PowerPoint Presentation format (.pptx), or as a PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation (.ppt).

PowerPoint 2013 and newer versions use an XML-based .pptx file format introduced in the 2007 Office release. These files can be opened in PowerPoint 2010 and PowerPoint 2007 without special add-ins or loss of functionality. For more information, see Open XML Formats and file name extensions .

Open Document format

Microsoft 365 supports the ability to save a presentation file in the OpenDocument Presentation format (.odp).

When you use the Save As or Save a Copy command, the option to save in .odp format is listed at the end of the Save as type list of options.

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