ppt open in presentation mode

How To Get Into Presentation Mode In PowerPoint

Are you looking to take your PowerPoint presentations to the next level?

We will discuss why you should use Presentation Mode, how to enter it, its key features, and how to navigate through your slides.

Key Takeaways:

What is presentation mode in powerpoint.

Presentation Mode in PowerPoint refers to a feature that allows presenters to display their slides in a full-screen view, enhancing the visual impact of their presentation.

This mode is particularly useful during formal presentations, as it eliminates distractions and ensures that the audience’s focus remains on the content being discussed. In Presentation Mode , presenters can navigate through their slides smoothly, interact with their content, and make annotations in real time. One notable advantage of this mode is the Presenter view , where speakers can see upcoming slides, and speaker notes, and even manage time effectively without disrupting the flow of the presentation.

Why Use Presentation Mode in PowerPoint?

Using Presentation Mode in PowerPoint offers numerous advantages, such as creating a more engaging and professional presentation experience for both the presenter and the audience.

Allows for a more engaging and professional presentation

One of the key reasons to use Presentation Mode in PowerPoint is that it allows presenters to deliver a more engaging and professional presentation by providing advanced control over their slides, including features like a laser pointer .

Helps the presenter stay on track and organized

Presentation Mode in PowerPoint aids presenters in maintaining focus, organization, and efficiency throughout their presentation by offering tools like Presenter View, where notes and slide previews can be accessed.

This feature is particularly useful as it allows presenters to keep an eye on upcoming slides while also referring to their speaking notes discreetly, enhancing the flow of the presentation. The ability to adjust display settings such as screen mirroring or extending desktops simplifies the setup process, ensuring that the presentation runs smoothly. The note-taking capabilities within Presentation Mode enable presenters to jot down important points or reminders directly within the application, eliminating the need for external notes and promoting a more organized approach to presenting.

Provides a better experience for the audience

When toggling to Presentation Mode, the display settings undergo a transformation that optimizes the presentation for viewer interaction. The ability to seamlessly swap displays allows the presenter to effortlessly navigate through slides, ensuring a smooth transition between different sections of the presentation. This elegant integration of features not only captivates the audience but also enables a more fluid and engaging delivery of the content. The visual appeal of the slides is enhanced, making it easier for viewers to follow along and grasp the key points being presented.

How to Enter Presentation Mode in PowerPoint?

Step 1: open your powerpoint presentation.

The first step to enter Presentation Mode in PowerPoint is to ensure that your presentation file is open and ready for display.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Slide Show’ tab in the top menu bar

Once your presentation is open, navigate to the ‘Slide Show’ tab located in the top menu bar of PowerPoint to access presentation controls and features like zooming into specific slides.

Once you’re on the ‘Slide Show’ tab, you’ll find a variety of essential controls that aid in delivering a seamless presentation experience. Here, you can click on ‘From Beginning’ to start the slide show from the very first slide. You can choose ‘From Current Slide’ to begin from the slide you’re currently on.

Step 3: Select ‘From Beginning’ or ‘From Current Slide’ to start the presentation

When you opt for ‘From Beginning,’ your presentation will start from the very first slide, whereas selecting ‘From Current Slide’ allows you to start your presentation from the slide you are currently on. This choice depends on whether you want to begin at the start of the presentation or jump in at a specific point.

What Are the Features of Presentation Mode in PowerPoint?

The features of Presentation Mode in PowerPoint are designed to enhance the presenter’s experience and engage the audience, offering functionalities such as Presenter view with notes, laser pointer integration, and slide previews.

Presenter view with notes allows speakers to refer to their talking points discreetly, ensuring a seamless delivery. The incorporated laser pointer feature permits highlighting key areas on slides, directing the audience’s focus effectively. Slide previews provide a comprehensive overview of the presentation flow, aiding in smoother transitions between topics. The option to hide or reveal slides as needed enhances the element of surprise and control during the presentation, captivating the audience’s attention. These combined features transform the presenter’s performance into a dynamic and engaging experience for all participants.

Full-screen display of slides

Ability to use a laser pointer or pen tool.

Presentation Mode enables presenters to use a laser pointer or a pen tool to highlight key points on slides, enhancing the clarity and impact of their presentation.

Presenter view with notes and slide previews

When utilizing the Presenter view, presenters gain the advantage of accessing notes discretely without them being displayed to the audience, allowing for a more professional and polished delivery. In addition, having a live preview of the upcoming slides enables the presenter to seamlessly transition between points, enhancing the flow of the presentation. Through system preferences or the displays app, customization options such as adjusting the layout to suit individual preferences or toggling between speaker notes and slide previews can be easily configured, providing a tailored experience for each presenter.

Option to hide the presentation controls

In scenarios where presenters are utilizing a two-monitor setup for advanced display configurations, such as showing notes on one screen while presenting on the other, hiding presentation controls on the main display ensures that only the essential content is visible to the audience, maintaining a neat and streamlined appearance.

How to Navigate Through Slides in Presentation Mode?

Use the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Utilize the arrow keys on your keyboard to seamlessly advance through slides in Presentation Mode, ensuring a smooth and controlled flow of your presentation.

Click on the arrows in the bottom left corner of the screen

Users can enhance their presentation experience by utilizing the fullscreen mode . By entering fullscreen, viewers can keep the focus solely on the presentation content, removing any distractions from the surrounding interface elements. This feature is particularly useful when showcasing detailed slides or when presenting to a larger audience, allowing for a more immersive and engaging delivery.

Use the scroll wheel on your mouse

With its responsive nature, the scroll wheel ensures quick and precise movements, enabling presenters to fluidly transition between slides with the utmost ease.

How to Exit Presentation Mode in PowerPoint?

To exit Fullscreen mode in PowerPoint, you can simply press the ‘Esc’ key, the keyboard shortcut that is universally used to escape full-screen views across various applications. This action will promptly take you out of the immersive mode and back to the regular interface.

Step 1: Press the Esc key on your keyboard

Exiting Presentation Mode using the ‘Esc’ key is a simple maneuver that can swiftly transition you back to your familiar workspace. Once you press the ‘Esc’ key, the fullscreen effect will dissolve, and any Speaker Notes you might have been glancing over will no longer dominate your screen, ensuring a seamless flow as you exit the presentation. This action provides an effortless way to shift the focus back to the general view of your PowerPoint, facilitating a smooth continuation of your usual workflow.

Step 2: Click on the ‘End Show’ button on the top left corner of the screen

Step 3: select ‘end show’ from the drop-down menu.

For a more detailed exit process, users can select ‘ End Show ‘ from the drop-down menu within PowerPoint, ensuring a controlled and comprehensive conclusion to their presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i enter presentation mode in powerpoint.

To enter presentation mode in PowerPoint, click on the Slideshow tab in the top menu and then select “From Beginning” or “From Current Slide” depending on where you want to start your presentation.

Can I customize the way I enter presentation mode in PowerPoint?

Is there a shortcut to enter presentation mode in powerpoint, can i use a different display for presentation mode in powerpoint.

Yes, you can use a different display for presentation mode by going to the Slideshow tab and selecting “Set Up Slide Show.” From there, you can choose to present on a secondary monitor or projector.

How do I exit presentation mode in PowerPoint?

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• Presentations

How to Present a PowerPoint Slideshow With Presenter View (+ Video)

• Bahasa Indonesia

Giving a presentation can be intimidating, even to seasoned speakers. Learn how to use PPT Presenter View , which is your private cockpit view.

This is a view that you'll see on your own screen while giving a presentation using PowerPoint. While the audience will see the presentation on the projector or big screen, you'll have your own private view on a second monitor.

This feature is like a cockpit for giving presentations. You'll keep all the most important controls front and center while presenting.

PowerPoint Presenter View gives you at least four essential tools that make presenting your slideshow more comfortable:

• In Presenter View , this display keeps your  speaker notes  in view to reference while speaking.
• You'll see a thumbnail for the next slide to begin preparing for your next key point, and you can jump to other slides quickly.
• A timekeeping tool helps you track how long you've been speaking to ensure you don't overrun any time limits.
• Drawing tools allow you to add illustrations on screen while presenting to draw attention to specific parts of your slides.

You need every advantage you can get when it's time to give a presentation. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to make the most out of Presenter View in PowerPoint.

In this tutorial, I'm going to focus on an underused feature of PowerPoint: Presenter View. 

How to Present a PowerPoint Slideshow With Presenter View (Video)

In this video, I'll teach you how to get started with Presenter View in PowerPoint. You'll learn how to enable Presenter View and then use the tools inside of it. I'll teach you to use the special Presenter View features to keep your notes and tools close, that way you can present more confidently. 

Keep reading to find out more about using Presenter View in PowerPoint and the best features to try out.

Turn On PowerPoint Presenter View

In PowerPoint for macOS, simply click on  Presenter View  on the  Slide Show  tab to kick off the presentation in Presenter view .

You'll see the Presenter View interface on one screen. The other display will show the "audience version" of the presentation. In other words, it shows what they'll see on a projector screen, or even their own display. 

How to Make the Most of Presenter View

Let's dive into some of my favorite features that Presenter View brings to the table. Using even one of these is reason enough to try out Presenter View in PowerPoint. But when you combine them together, it's a no-brainer.

This is how to use Presenter View on PowerPoint. But the real question is why to use presenter mode PowerPoint. The reason is twofold:

• It helps your slides look better.
• It keeps you organized.

You can share neat, uncluttered slides that aren’t packed with content. That’s because you can keep your supporting content to yourself.

For this Presenter View in PowerPoint tutorial, we’ll be using the beautiful Tezia - Corporate PowerPoint Template from Envato Elements. Tezia has 40 stunning slide layouts. Each one works great in PowerPoint Presenter View . Download it today and follow along.

Now, let’s learn how to use Presenter View in PowerPoint fast!

1. Speaker Notes

Speaker Notes is a top feature that works best with Presenter View in PowerPoint. Many presenters will spend time filling out cards or scribbling ideas onto paper. But it's much easier to add them directly into your PowerPoint file.

To add Speaker Notes to a presentation, start off by working in Normal view on PowerPoint's View tab. At the bottom of your screen, you can click on Notes to open up the Speaker Notes section and add your own text.

Speaker Notes and Presenter View go hand in hand. When you're in Presenter View , your speaker notes will show up on the right side of your screen. You can adjust the text size with the icons near the lower right corner. 

Speaker Notes show how to use Presenter View in PowerPoint to your advantage. They help keep you on track as you present on your key topics.

Speaker Notes are important because they avoid the potential of you reading off your slides. Why? Because you don’t have to commit every key detail to memory! You can engage with your audience, all while referring to pre-built notes that they’ll never see.

2. Slide Previews

Let’s face it: you might be sharing a presentation with dozens of different slides inside. When you know how to put PowerPoint in presentation mode, you can get a sneak preview as you present. It’s easy to forget exactly how you sequenced slides together.

With Presenter View , you can stop guessing. That’s because you’ll always have a preview of the next slide in your deck.

As you work in Presenter View in PowerPoint, notice the slide thumbnail in the upper right corner. It’s labeled Next Slide , and that’s exactly what you’re seeing. This helps you transition smoothly from slide to slide. Often, you may set up some closing narration on one slide to help introduce the next. Guesswork and delays are gone, thanks to using Presenter View in PowerPoint.

Knowing how to present on PowerPoint involves keeping slides in a logical order. That means that on occasion, your next slide should no longer be the next one in line. Presenter View helps you handle this situation. 

Across the bottom of the view is a filmstrip of every slide’s thumbnail. You can scroll through it and click on any slide to jump directly to it.

This way, you can jump around in your slide deck without your audience ever knowing it! This helps you drive the flow of your slide deck in real time, with no interruptions or distractions. 

3. Drawing Tools

Like sports commentators do during a broadcast, you can use drawing tools to draw on top of your slides. This is perfect if you've got a tablet for example, but the feature works well for computer users with a mouse too.

To enter the drawing tools, you can click on the icon shown in the PowerPoint screenshot below. This turns on the tools you need to add highlights and annotations to the selected slide.

Annotations are great if you want to call out key details in real time. You can highlight, mark up, or circle any element on a slide. This is how to use Presenter View in PowerPoint in a live environment. You can use it to capture audience attention and focus on details as your narrative flows. 

Choose from tools like the Laser Pointer, Pen, and Highlighter to add annotations to a slide. A laser pointer is a digital version of the popular tool used to draw attention to parts of a slide.

The Pen and Highlighter tools will actually add new marks on top of the slide that your audience will see. 

4. Timekeeping

This feature is straightforward to use, but I can't stress enough how helpful it is. Nothing is worse than giving a presentation and realizing that you used only half of the time. Or that you went far over the time limit.

In Presenter View , you'll see a feature that keeps time above the current slide thumbnail. You can pause this feature with the Pause button or reset the counter with the icon on the far right. But often, it's best to leave it running. This keeps you on pace, on track, and focused on your message. 

Plus, this is how to put PowerPoint in presentation mode to work for you. At a glance, you can see how much time you have left. This may encourage you to speed up your dialogue. Or it may afford you extra time to expound on a key point or new supporting detail. 

I can think of many times when this feature would have been a big help during presentations in college. When you're graded or judged based upon your runtime, it's a great idea to keep that time total in view.

5. Navigate Effortlessly with Keyboard Shortcuts

Presenter mode PowerPoint presentations are easy to navigate. That’s because they work well with a variety of keyboard shortcuts. By using these shortcuts, you can see how to present on PowerPoint efficiently.

Presenter View offers an array of keyboard and mouse shortcuts that you can use as you present. Again, your audience won’t notice this. 

For a look at them, click on the Tips button in the upper left corner of Presenter View . You’ll see a complete cheat sheet of shortcuts listed. Refer to it often and use these tips to navigate through your slides.

The Best Source for Stunning PowerPoint Templates (With Unlimited Downloads)

Envato Elements is the best place to find stunning PowerPoint templates in 2022 . For a flat, monthly rate, you can download as many PowerPoint templates as you want. Plus, Elements offers an array of other creative content. This includes stock photos, music, fonts, and more.

When you’re using Presenter View in PowerPoint, you need templates that look their best. It’s tempting to turn to free options. But premium templates from Envato Elements are always your best bet.

Why? They’re designed by creative experts with you in mind. You simply fill in the blanks to add your own content. You don’t have to spend time and effort designing slides from scratch. This gives you even more time to craft a compelling narrative to wow any audience.

With premium Envato Elements templates, you’ll unlock an array of features. Each of these helps you shine when you use presenter mode PowerPoint features:

• easy-to-edit text placeholders
• photos and illustrations throughout
• charts and infographics
• pre-built animations

As you learn how to put PowerPoint in presentation mode, you’ll see how all these benefit you.  

Learn More Powerful PowerPoint Tools

We can use tools like Presenter View to reduce the anxiety that comes along with giving presentations. It may still take time to prepare and feel confident about your presentation. But Presenter View keeps those key features in easy view so that you aren't scrambling for written notes.

Check out these tutorials to learn more about giving presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint :

Download Our eBook on Making Great Presentations (Free PDF)

We have the perfect complement to this tutorial, which will walk you through the complete presentation process. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully. 

Download our  eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It's available for FREE with a subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

Start Using Presenter View Today

You just learned how to use Presenter View in PowerPoint. You're the pilot, and now you're in the cockpit of your presentation plane! The features you saw in this tutorial will keep everything you need in view while you give a presentation.

Don't forget to launch your presentation in presenter mode PowerPoint mode. That means you'll always have your slide cues, notes, and more while you speak to an audience.

Editorial Note:  This post has been updated with contributions and a video from Andrew Childress . Andrew is a freelance instructor for Envato Tuts+.

Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Work with Presenter View in PowerPoint

How to Work with Presenter View in PowerPoint

Not all presenters have excellent memory recall or the ability to speak flawlessly to the audience without any cues. However, many of them are good at hiding it by using Presenter View in PowerPoint. It is a presentation mode that enables the presenter to hide speaker notes and presentation controls from the audience while leveraging the various handy features offered by PowerPoint.

How to Use Presenter View in PowerPoint

To start using Presenter View, ensure it’s enabled before you begin your slideshow. If you are new to this feature, we recommend using this option to familiarize yourself with the various navigation options for this presentation mode. This might also be helpful if the PowerPoint templates you are accustomed to using might have animations that you might want to preview in this mode to understand when to give the next visual cue.

How to Enable Presenter View in PowerPoint

To enable PowerPoint presenter view, go to the SlideShow tab and make sure the Use Presenter View option is enabled. This will ensure that you can access Presenter View when you switch your slides to SlideShow mode.

Adjust Display Settings

You can swap between the presenter view and slideshow mode or duplicate the slideshow to exit the Presenter View from the Display Settings menu from the top toolbar.

Navigate Slides in Presenter View

Like any standard PowerPoint presentation in SlideShow mode, you can navigate between slides by using the arrow keys or with a presentation remote. Presenter View also provides slide navigation buttons to move the slides back and forth.

View Taskbar in Presenter View

The Show Taskbar option at the top enables viewing the taskbar. This can be helpful if you require using the taskbar, such as to view your battery charge, see the time, enable or disable another app from the taskbar menu, etc.

Reset or Pause the Timer

Once you start your presentation in Presenter View, a timer starts showing how much time you have spent in slideshow mode. This is an excellent way to understand how much time you have consumed for your session and to keep an eye out for good timekeeping. You can also hit Pause or reset the timer anytime.

Change the Size of the Speaker Notes

How to view notes in PowerPoint while presenting? If you have any speaker notes added to your slides, they will appear in Presenter View on your screen. You can increase or reduce the size of the text via the two options at the bottom of the speaker notes pane.

Using Annotation Tools in Presenter View

PowerPoint annotation tools can be accessed from the bottom toolbar in Presenter View. The Pen and Laser Pointer Tools button gives you access to the pen, ink colors, laser pointer, and eraser and also allows you to show or hide the mouse pointer via Arrow Options .

View All Slides in Presenter View

If you need to go back and forth to find a relevant slide for an ongoing discussion or query during your presentation, you can view all slides in Presenter View via the See all slides option.

Zoom Slides using Presenter View

PowerPoint’s Zoom feature lets presenters quickly pick a portion of the slide to zoom into. Presenter View allows you to leverage this feature by instantly selecting a portion of the slide to enlarge it after selecting Zoom into the slide option. To exit the Zoom mode or hit the Esc key.

Black or Unblack SlideShow

Sometimes, you might want to turn the screen blank for a while, such as during a mid-presentation break. The Black or Unblack SlideShow option blanks the slides for your audience while continuing to show you all navigation options via Presenter View.

Toggle Subtitles in Presenter View

One of the most revolutionary features introduced by Microsoft for PowerPoint over the past decade has been Live captions. This feature enables subtitles by converting speech to text as you present. You can toggle Live subtitles on or off while in presenter view to help your audience read what you speak.

Toggle Camera in Presenter View

Like subtitles, you can also toggle the camera on or off in Presenter View.

End Slideshow in Presenter View

There are different ways to end or exit a SlideShow from Presenter View. You can hit the Esc key or click End Slide Show . Similarly, you can click the three dots at the bottom and select End Show .

More Slideshow Options

Other than the various visibility prominent menus available to navigate, annotate, and present your slides, you can also find a few additional options via More slideshow options , which are accessible via the three dots at the bottom toolbar. These include adjusting the position of the subtitles, turning your screen white or black, ending the slideshow, etc.

How to Use Presenter View on a Single Screen

While Presenter View can be enabled to work with dual monitors, you can also use Presenter View on a single monitor with remote meeting apps like Zoom. A simple method for switching to Presenter View on a single monitor is to click the three dots ( More slideshow options ) at the bottom in SlideShow mode and select Show Presenter View .

You can also switch to Presenter View on a single monitor anytime using the ALT+F5 hotkey.

The presenter can easily manage a PPT in presentation mode, with the utility to view speaker notes, annotate or zoom slides, toggle subtitles or camera on or off, and keep your audience engaged via better slideshow management. However, if you’re new to this presentation mode, a bit of practice might help you avoid confusion when presenting before an audience in Presenter View for the first few times. For more information, check our article about PowerPoint presentation shortcuts .

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PowerPoint Tools, Presentation Skills Filed under PowerPoint Tutorials

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• Slidesgo School
• PowerPoint Tutorials

How to Use the Presentation Modes and the Screen Recording Features in PowerPoint

After designing all the slides for your presentation, the next and last step is presenting in front of your audience. In this new Slidesgo School tutorial, you’ll see how the presenter view works and how you can record your presentation .

Presentation Modes

Presentation modes — set up slide show, presentation modes — record slide show.

• There are different presentation modes in PowerPoint, besides the one you can find at the bottom of the screen.
• To access the presentation modes, go to the Slide Show tab.
• The first two options allow you to start the presentation from the beginning or from the currently selected slide.

• If you choose Present Online, an URL will be generated, which you can then share with your potential online viewers. After clicking this button, a new window will open, displaying info about the Microsoft Office online presentation service and a checkbox to enable remote download for your online audience. To enjoy this service, you need an Office 365 account. When you’re ready, click Connect to generate the URL.
• If you choose Custom Slide Show, you can select which slides to display in your presentation.  First, create a new custom slide show and select the slides that you want to display. Then, click Add, enter the name of the presentation and click OK. This new custom presentation will appear on the list. Select it and click Show to begin the presentation.
• In the Set Up group you’ll find options to set up the presentation, hide slides, rehearse your presentation and even record it.
• Click Set Up Slide Show to adjust several settings regarding your presentation. You’ll find more information in the next section of this tutorial .
• If you click Hide Slide, the selected slide won’t show up during your presentation. Hidden slides will appear faded out on the list and their numbers will be crossed out.
• If you click Record Slide Show, you’ll be able to record your presentation from the beginning or from the current slide. We’ll go into detail in the last section of this tutorial.
• There are several checkboxes regarding whether to play narrations, use timings and show media controls.

• In the Monitors group you can choose which screen to display your presentation.
• The last group, Captions & Subtitles, is only available in Office 365. You’ll find options to enable subtitles, which will be generated out of your speech (so you’ll need to have a mic). There are settings to change the language and the position of the subtitles.
• Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
• Go to the Slide Show tab.
• In the Set Up group, click Set Up Slide Show. A new window will open, where you’ll find several options.
• In the top-left corner, under “Show type”, you can choose whether the presentation will be in fullscreen with speaker notes, windowed, or in fullscreen without speaker notes or the menu bar.

• Under “Show options” you can choose whether to show the presentation without narration or animations, or disable the hardware graphics acceleration (for better performance). You can also set the pen and laser pointer color.

• Under “Show slides”, you can choose which slides to show in your presentation. You can select all of them, a specific range or a custom slideshow.
• There are other settings to determine how to advance slides (manually or using timings), what the resolution will be and whether to use the presenter view.
• Click Record Slide Show. From the drop-down menu, select From the Current Slide or From the Beginning.
• A new window will open, along with the presentation in fullscreen mode. At the top-left you’ll find a button to start recording.

Do you find this article useful?

Related tutorials.

How to Use the Presenter View in Google Slides

Google Slides, like PowerPoint, has different presentation modes that can come in handy when you’re presenting and you want your slideshow to look smooth. Whether you’re looking for slides only, speaker notes or the Q&A feature, in this new Google Slides tutorial, you’ll learn about these and their respective settings. Ready? Then let’s explore the presenter view! 

How to Download Google Slides Templates

When preparing a presentation, many people start panicking because they realize how much time it will take to edit each and every slide. Creating them from scratch, filling them in, looking for pictures, moving the elements...How stressful! But there is a solution that saves you a lot of time. We're sure that you've browsed the internet for templates, or basically, pre-established designs and elements, that can be downloaded for free and can be edited to your liking. Are we right? Then, we have some good news for you!

Discover our collection of printable templates

With the advance of technology, printing has become something that is no longer a necessity. Smartphones have made the paper format less and less frequent, but there are still certain cases in which having physical resources is much more convenient. Whether it's for taking notes, handing out assignments, making worksheets or handing out business cards or invitations, it's necessary to print your customized designs.From now on, in every Slidesgo printable presentation that you download, you will find the instructions for printing on the third slide. Depending on the style, colors or format of each presentation, we will tell you if you can...

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Let’s take the most famous formula: E=mc^2, Einstein’s relativity equation. It wouldn’t be the same if it was E=mc2, right? Okay, yes, some people write it like that because it’s very famous and it won’t be misunderstood. But technically… It can! This is where the sophistication of superscript or subscript enters the room! Do you know how to write them in equations, copyright brands or even footnotes in your presentations? Let’s figure out how.

SharePoint Diary

Salaudeen Rajack's Experiences on SharePoint, PowerShell, Microsoft 365 and related products!

SharePoint Online: How to Open PowerPoint in Presentation Mode?

Requirement: Open PowerPoint files in slideshow mode in SharePoint Online.

How to Open PowerPoint in Presentation mode from SharePoint Online?

Any link to PowerPoint presentations (PPT, PPTX, or PPSX files) takes users to the Edit mode of the file. Even if the users don’t have permission to edit, SharePoint opens it in edit mode with a banner saying you can’t edit the file. So, How to force slide show mode for PPT’s?

Well, here is the trick to open PowerPoint files in presentation mode: use the below URL format to have PowerPoint open in presentation mode:

https://crescent.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing /_layouts/16/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc= https://crescent.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing/Branding/SharePoint-Training-Presentation.pptx &action=embedview

This link directly launches the PowerPoint presentation in the slideshow mode in full browser screen!

How about SharePoint On-Premises?

Similarly, in SharePoint On-premises, use the below format to open PowerPoint in presentation mode:

https://Your-Site-URL /_layouts/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc= <path-to-your-ppsx> &action=embedview

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Salaudeen Rajack

Salaudeen Rajack - Information Technology Expert with Two-decades of hands-on experience, specializing in SharePoint, PowerShell, Microsoft 365, and related products. He has held various positions, including SharePoint Architect, Administrator, Developer and consultant, has helped many organizations to implement and optimize SharePoint solutions. Known for his deep technical expertise, He's passionate about sharing the knowledge and insights to help others, through the real-world articles! Read More

5 thoughts on “ SharePoint Online: How to Open PowerPoint in Presentation Mode? ”

It also appears if you have any GIFs the are displayed as static images – any advice?

Thanks for this great article. You are the best. I would like to know if there is a trick to start the presentation in full screen presentation mode so that slides run automatically?

Hey, thanks for that! Very helpful! Spend half a day to get that work and you provided finally the solution!

Too sad, if you have links in your PPT you can’t click these…

Hi Salaudeen,

Thanks for your post. We are experiencing the same problem with PowerPoint presentation links not opening up in slideshow mode – even if “view only”. I have used your URL format and this works to open the PowerPoint in presentation mode but ONLY for those that are logged into SharePoint Online.

We want to share the URL for anyone to view (outside of the organisation too) with the only necessary requirement being a web browser to open it. When the URL is clicked the presentation should open straight into slideshow mode without a need for any log in.

Do you think this is something that is possible? Any advice?

Thanks, Emily

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Can I start a PPT or PPSX automatically as a slideshow presentation?

By: Author Shrot Katewa

Ever wonder if you can create a file that directly runs in slide show mode? Today, we are going to learn a few things about how this can be done. Plus, we look at this one simple hack that will save you a ton of trouble if you wish to create non-editable files.

So, in case you are still wondering, can you start a presentation automatically as a slide show? Yes, you can definitely set your PPT file to directly open as a presentation in a slide show mode automatically. This can be done by saving your presentation as a PPSX file.

I know what you must be thinking, “What the heck is this PPSX file? I’ve never heard of it!”. Don’t worry, you are not alone. This is because we usually use a more common file format to save a presentation such as a PPT, PPTX or a PDF format.

What is a PPSX file format?

A PPSX file (also known as PPS file) stands for PowerPoint Show file. It is a type of PowerPoint file that is created to directly run as a presentation or a slide show automatically . A PPSX file format, by design, doesn’t allow for editing as it opens up directly as a slide show.

So, what is the difference between a PPS and a PPSX file format? Both PPS and PPSX file format are meant for a PowerPoint Show file. While PPSX is a more modern format, in case you are using Office 2007 or older, you won’t be able to open a PPSX file. In such a situation, the best way to save a PowerPoint Show file would be to use a PPS format. A point to note here is that a PPS file can be opened using not only the older versions of Microsoft Office, but also in the newer Office versions.

A PowerPoint Show file format is great when you don’t want the end user to make changes to the design or the content when you share the presentation with him or her.

How to Save a presentation in PPSX format?

Any PowerPoint presentation can be saved as a PPSX file. The good part is that this process is very straightforward. So, let’s just dive right in to know how we can save any PPT as a PPSX file.

There seems to be only two possible methods to achieve this desired result. Let’s have a look at it.

Step 1 – Open the PPT

Open the PowerPoint presentation that you want to save in the PPSX file format.

Step 2 – Go to the File option

Click on the “File” option for your PowerPoint. On the dropdown, select “Save as..”

Step 3 – Click on the “File Format” option

Upon clicking the “File Format”, you will notice a dropdown quite a few options to save your presentation.

Step 4 – Choose the PPSX or PPS file format

On the dropdown, scroll all the way until you see an option for “PowerPoint Show” with either PPSX or PPS file format. Select one of the two file formats that you wish to save the file in.

Step 5 – Save the file 

You can choose to rename the file. Once that is done, simply click on “Save” as illustrated in the picture above.

Step 6 – Verify

Go back to the folder in which you have saved the file and verify that the file has indeed been saved in a PowerPoint Show file.

Advantages of a PowerPoint Show (PPSX) file format?

While both PPT & PPSX file are a PowerPoint file, there are a few advantages that a PPSX file format has over a PPT file format –

• Retain Animations & Transitions – a PowerPoint Show file functions just like a typical PowerPoint file would when running it in a slideshow mode. This means all your animations and transitions that you have built in your presentation are retained!
• Share a non-editable file – There are times when we simply want to share a presentation with its full bells & whistles. At the same time, we don’t want the intended receiver of a PPT file to be able to access/edit the content of the file. Converting a PPT file in a PowerPoint Show file and then sending it can solve this problem to a great extent.
• Impress your clients – Most clients today receive a partnership proposal or a business presentation in a pdf format. This is done so to lock the design format and , at times, to restrict the client from editing the content. But, a pdf format removes all animations and transitions. Thus, sending a PowerPoint Show file can make you stand out from the crowd. We have seen many of our clients completely impressed and perplexed when they receive a file that not just contains slide transitions but also restricts them from editing the file!

Can I open a PPSX file without Microsoft PowerPoint?

A PPSX file is still a PowerPoint file. Thus, in order to open a PPSX file, you definitely need to have a presentation software installed on the computer of the recipient. However, it is not necessary to have PowerPoint installed. Nevertheless, in order to best retain all the effects and to open it directly in a slide show mode, Microsoft PowerPoint is the most suited presentation software to open a PPSX file .

There are quite a few options available in case you wish to open the PPSX file using another software. Open Source Softwares such as OpenOffice and LibreOffice are great alternative options. If you are using a MacBook, Apple’s default presentation software i.e. Keynote can be used to open a PowerPoint Show file. All these options are completely free and can easily be downloaded for the official website of these softwares.

To open a PowerPoint Show file using any one of these above softwares, simply select the file, right click on it, click on “Open with” from the menu that pops up and choose the software (choose LibreOffice or Keynote based on what you have installed).

A few things to keep in mind when opening a PowerPoint Show file using another software –

• You may lose animations and transitions – this is not because of the PPSX file format but because of the compatibility issues with some of the PowerPoint features with other OpenSource softwares.
• Files may become editable – Opening a PowerPoint Show file using a software apart from Microsoft PowerPoint can mean that the recipient will be able to access the slides and its content. Thus, the PPSX file may no longer be non-editable.

What if I want to open a PowerPoint Show (PPSX) file in edit mode?

Okay, so a PPSX file by default comes as a non-editable file as it directly opens up in a slideshow mode. At the end of the presentation, when you press “Esc” or the escape button, the presentation closes. Thus, you may think that you cannot access the slides and it’s content for editing purposes.

However, there is a way to open a PowerPoint Show file in edit mode. To be able to do that, simply follow the steps mentioned below –

• Step 0 – DO NOT double click on the PPSX file directly. This will open the file.
• Step 1 – Open Microsoft PowerPoint on your computer.
• Step 2 – Click on “File”, and then select “Open”.
• Step 3 – PowerPoint will ask you to choose the destination of the PPSX file. Simply navigate to the folder in which the file has been saved.
• Step 4 – Select the file and click “Open” at the bottom of the window.

The above steps will open a PPS file in edit mode. You can now make the required changes and edit the file. You can also now save the file as a PPT. To do that, simply navigate to the “File” tab, click on “Save as”, select the “PPT” file format and click “Save” (similar to the process described above, however, choose PPT file instead of PPS file).

COOL HACK to truly create a non-editable PowerPoint file

So here’s a cool little ninja trick that you can follow if you truly want your presentation to be in a non-editable file format. There are multiple ways you can do this, but THE MOST SIMPLE and quickest way  would be to convert your PPSX or PPT file into a MP4 video format.

Now, you might be wondering “can I really convert a PPSX file to an MP4 video format?”. The short answer is – Yes, you can definitely convert a PPSX file to an MP4 video format in a few quick steps. To do that, we will first need to open the PowerPoint Show file in the edit mode and then save it as an MP4 file format.

First, simply open the PowerPoint Show file in edit mode using the steps defined in the point above. Next, once we have managed to open the PowerPoint Show file in edit mode, all we have to do is save it as a video file format.

To do that, navigate to the “File” tab, click on “Save as”, select the “MP4” file format from the dropdown and click “Save”. Now, PowerPoint will automatically convert the presentation into a video format.

For Mac users, the process is slightly different. Follow the steps mentioned below –

First, open the PowerPoint Show file in the edit mode as described earlier in the post. Next, navigate to the “File” tab, click on “Export”. In the window that opens up, click on the dropdown next to “File Format”, and choose the “MP4” option. Next, simply click “Export”

To sum it up, PPSX files have a great WOW factor and can be very helpful if we want to start a presentation directly in a slide show mode. However, contrary to what most people may believe, PowerPoint Show files can be opened in an edit mode to access and change the content of the presentation. Thus, a cool little hack to create a completely non-editable presentation would to convert your PPT to a MP4 video.

I hope the tips mentioned in the article were helpful to you, and that it saves you time in the future as well to create effective presentations going forward.

Our goal on this blog is to create content that helps YOU create fantastic presentations; especially if you have never been a designer. We’ve started our blog with non-designers in mind, and we have got some amazing content on our site to help you design better.

If you have any topics in mind that you would want us to write about, be sure to drop us a comment below. In case you need us to work with you and improve the design of your presentation, write to us on [email protected] . Our team will be happy to help you with your requirements.

Lastly, your contribution can make this world a better place for presentations!  All you have to do is simply share this blog in your network and help other fellow non-designers with their designs!

PowerPoint: How to Launch a Presentation Automatically as a Slide Show

What is a PowerPoint Show?

By default, PowerPoint saves your slide presentation as a PowerPoint presentation file with the .pptx file extension which, when double-clicked, launches PowerPoint. The presentation opens in whatever view was open when you saved it, such as the Normal view or Slide Sorter view. If you want your slide show to immediately launch in the Slide Show view, however, you need to save your file as a PowerPoint Show. In this article, find out how to create a PowerPoint slide show file and learn 2 bonus tips .

To Save a PowerPoint Presentation as a PowerPoint Show:

• Choose the  File  tab.
• Select  Save As .
• Pick the  Save as type  as  PowerPoint Show .
• Type a name for your slide show in the  File name  text box (you can use the same name and location as your .pptx/presentation file) and click  Save . Your PowerPoint slide show file is saved with a .ppsx extension.

Now, the next time you or anyone else opens your presentation from outside of PowerPoint, your slide show immediately launches in Slide Show view. When you navigate past the last slide, the file automatically closes. To open the file for editing, launch PowerPoint first and open it as you would a standard presentation. If you have access to the original presentation, you may prefer to open the .pptx file to edit and save it again as a slide show file. Most importantly, make sure to manage your files, so you are working with the most current version.

PowerPoint Presentation Tips

BONUS TIP:  When I save my presentations as a PowerPoint Show, I save the file to my desktop for easy access during speaking and training engagements. If needed, I can also quickly close and re-open the file without launching PowerPoint and without showing everyone all of my slides. Working with a PowerPoint Show also saves a number of steps because it automatically launches with a simple double-click of the mouse.

To move to a specific slide in a presentation while in the slide show view (as either a presentation or show format), just type the slide number and press  [Enter] . To make these moves easier, print out a handout of your presentation, which includes slide numbers of each slide for quick navigation. Or, create a simple manual cheat sheet to reference when you want to jump to different slides.

BONUS TIP #2: In addition to saving PowerPoint shows to my desktop, I also add a generic slide to the beginning. For instance, a slide with your organization logo or simply a black slide. Although this may not apply to your presentations, I often navigate in and out of my slide show as I am also demonstrating software features and facilitating discussions within my training classes and conference sessions. With a generic or simple slide at the start, I can launch the slide show with a neutral, blank slide and then use the keyboard shortcut to type the slide number and press [Enter]  to move to a specific slide within the presentation.

Were these PowerPoint tips helpful? Grab your handout of other quick and easy PowerPoint shortcuts and discover more PowerPoint techniques  here .

© Dawn Bjork, MCT, MOSM, CSP®, The Software Pro® Microsoft Certified Trainer, Productivity Speaker, Certified Speaking Professional

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How to make a PowerPoint presentation open in slideshow mode

I learned this from investigating an e-mail forward I received during the Christmas holidays, but it’s a useful tip that others might like to hear.

When you’re giving a presentation, the last thing you need is more work, and I have seen numerous presenters struggle with the foreign laptop they’re on or try to get something up and running. Having your slides all ready to go on a thumb drive helps to make things go a little more smoothly and this tip will make your presentation automatically open up in slideshow mode.

It’s quite simple.

Let’s say your file is called presentation.ppt. To make it open in slideshow mode, you just have to change a single letter in the filename. Change the extension to pps instead of ppt (presentation.pp s ). When you open the file it will be in slideshow mode and you can begin talking, off to a smooth start in your presentation.

You can also make this choice when you save it, by using the file type drop-down menu and selecting Powerpoint Show (.pps)

That’s true, I forgot to mention that.

I did not find the option that Dan mentioned. I am trying to email my powerpoint presentation to staff and would like them to be able to open the attachment and have the presentation start without having to look for the icon to click on. HELP!

Actually, it was Forbes who mentioned the drop down box that I can not find.

there is no “drop down menu”, you just literally CHANGE the filename (after closing the file right-click on the filename and change it to “filename.pps” instead of “filename.ppt”.

Forbes was talking about when you’re saving the file. If you go to File -> Save As you get a dialog that has a “Save as Type” drop down menu. In this menu you can select PowerPoint Show (*.pps) to have the same affect. Both methods work.

It was very helpful. Thanks for that!

Thank you so much for the information for slideshow ….. I am thrilled that this worked…. thanks again

@Monique You’re very welcome. Thanks for letting me know.

I’ve made a PPT with 5 videos and 3 sound files and have saved it as a PPS. I plan on burning it to a CD the send it out. Is there a way I can send it without the videos and sound files on the CD and they all still work?

Not that I know of. The PPT file references those videos and sound files instead of embedding them inside the file, so if you don’t include them, they won’t be displayed in the presentation.

Would embedding the videos and sound allow me to do what I want? If so I’ve tried to embed a video file using steps from the Interactive Media Center, Univeristy Libraries. I can’t seem to get the instructions to work by their steps. Have anyone ever gone to this web site?

@Carla Yes, embedding would put all the media into one file so you could burn it to a CD.

Cliotech shows three ways of doing it.

Thanks so much! I now know how to make a slide show… I really thought it was that complicated. Hehehe! God bless you!

In the immortal words of Tiny Tim, God bless us, everyone :)

Does anyone know how to save a powerpoint slideshow and make the slides unavailable for edit? ie only available as a show

@jo Not that I know of

Thanks a lot. It helped me a lot.

Thank you. It was very very helpful.

How can you make a presentation OPEN in slide mode, but also be able to edit? When I press ESC to get out of slide mode, the presentation closes. Help?

@Cristy I don’t think you can. The only way to edit is to rename it back to .ppt.

Sorry, it doesn’t work for me. I have saved it as a PPS file, have a slide with a transition in it and an embedded sound and when I click on the file, it still opens in Normal View. I’d attach it so you could see but there’s no provision for that. Any other hints? I’m using Powerpoint 2003. Thanks so much!

Perhaps the default file handler for PPS files isn’t set up correctly. Open up an explorer window, and go to Tools -> Options, File Types tab and find PPS. Then click Advanced and make sure “ Show ” is in bold. If it’s not, select it and click the “Set Default” button.

Does a .pps filename extension also work for the newer versions of Powerpoint? Powerpoint 2007 and 2010 typically use .ppsx extensions.

I just tried with Powerpoint 2007 and pps still worked. ppsx didn’t.

I saved a powerpoint presentation in the slide show mode. When I uploaded the file in to Microsoft SharePoint and try opening the file it opens in the regular view. How do I get it to open in the slide show view?

@Kelly Jo Sounds like an issue with Microsoft Sharepoint. There may not be a way to have it start in slide show mode from a Sharepoint.

It’s a pretty old post, however, there is a simpler way where you can save your powerpoint file with .ppt extension (editable).

To open a .ppt file in slideshow mode, simply invoke ppt with option /s. E.g. powerpnt /s path\to\your\file

I am presenting a PP in slide show mode. Within the presentation, I have a hyperlink to another PP. The problem I’m having is this hyperlinked PP opens in presentation view and is not able to be edited. I would like the hyperlinked PP to open in “normal view” so that people can “save as” and just create their own PP using what has been supplied to them. Can this be done? How do I do it?

Thank you!!!!

Thank you Dan (comment no.6) saved my life…haha

Glad I could help :)

Hi thank you for the previous info – was excellent, is there a way to attatch a pps, so that when the email is opened it starts playing immediately?

I’ve been trying to figure out how to do this for over an hour!! I just wanted to go to bed. Now I can. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you. The answer was so simple. Yet, it took me an hour of searching on my own before I found your advise.

I’m having trouble emailing a presentation that has been saved as a ppsx. When i open the file from windows explorer its opens in a show which is what i want, yet when i send it, my recipient clicks on the attachment and it opens in power point and it is editable. Any suggestion?

Does anyone know how to ensure that a presentation opens as a slide show when it is saved in SharePoint? When the file is saved locally it opens as a slide show which is great but as soon as i upload to Sharepoint the file opens as a ppt despite the icon showing as a pps? I need to publish this document but dont want other to be able to edit it and jump from slide to slide. The document has particular hyperlinks to certain parts of the docuemnt so do not want the user to be able to scroll through or see all slides. Help please?

What if I’m having the opposite problem- I’m on my laptop and can only open my pp presentations in slideshow. I cannot get to the template in order to edit the presentation. (on my work and home computers it opens first in the editing mode). Any suggestions?

I have created a slideshow, but even when I save it as a .ppsx, it just opens as a slide, not a slideshow. What am I doing wrong? Please help!!!

@Kimberley I don’t know. I just saved a .pptx file as a .ppsx by Saving As “PowerPoint Show” and it worked fine in Office 2007, opening up in slideshow mode. Just changing the extension didn’t work. I’m guessing it only works in earlier versions of Office.

@Kimberly & Dan: I just changed the extension from .pptx to .ppsx and it was a no go, but when I changed .pptx to .pps it opened up in slideshow mode.

@Jay Thanks for the clarification. That worked here too with Office 2007.

If setting up a Kiosk station that will only ever open the PowerPoint slideshow… Changing the file extension makes more work for those that will be editing the file from a different PC. If you change what the extension’s association does, the Kiosk PC will be the only one opening the in Slideshow mode. Everyone else can open in PowerPoint. To do this; on the Kiosk PC go to the Control Panel, Folder Options, File Types(Tab). Scroll down ad select either (or both) .ppt or .pptx. Select the extension, click on the Advance button, select Show , then click on Set Default, OK. Now when someone open a .ppt or .pptx file on the Kiosk PC, it will only open in Slideshow mode.

Thank you soooo much!!! Your tip about using pps instead of ppt was a huge help!

@Amber You’re quite welcome ;)

Thanks for this guide… i tried change the extension then later i saw the option is available within the power point application itself.. the option for starting directly with slide show.

And editing it is possible for those who want to edit.. no need to change back the extention just right click on the file and choose “new” it will be there to edit.

Everyone seems to be unable to stop people from editing powerpoints. It is very very easy in powerpoint 2002 but impossible in to do in 2007 and 2010 (though the editing prevention effect work when opening in these versions).

How to protect a PPS file from being edited: 1.Open the powerpoint. 2.Click the tools menu then options. 3.Click the security tab 4.Enter a password in the password to MODIFY box 5.Click “ok” 6.Save the file.

This PPS file should now be viewable simply by clicking on it. This PPS file should now be editable by opening powerpoint, pressing “CTRL” + “O” and selecting the file, and entering the password in the dialogue box.

how can on song be be extended to cover the whole slideshow if the slideshow is longer duration than the song?

@Carl You loop the song using an audio editor like Audacity.

I tried all the ways to save my presentation to have it open as a slide show (.pps, .ppsx, as suggested above in April) and nothing worked with Office 2010. So, it seems that the lovely feature of sending a PP slide show and having it open as a slide show is broken in the Office 2010!?

@Donna I don’t have 2010 in front of me, but this should work:

Choose the File tab Select Save As. Pick PowerPoint Show. Choose the Save as type as PowerPoint Show. Type a name for your slide show in the File name text box Click Save.

Your PowerPoint slideshow will be saved with a ppsx extension.

Well, that would be the logical thing to do. However, that does not work. It get saved as a ppsx file, but it doesn’t open as a slide show. It used to work in previous versions, but I’ve found that with 2010 they changed things and many of the previous features are broken, changed,eliminated. Why would they make updates that make the product worse than before?(obviously a retorical question)

@donna It does work in Office 2010. There is something different on your computer that’s causing the problem. How are you opening the file? There’s a known issue where ppsx files are opened in edit mode when the file is retrieved from a hyperlink ( http://sharepointquirks.blogspot.com/2010/04/ppsx-powerpoint-slide-show-does-not.html ). Another place to look are the file-types. Windows 7 makes them harder to manage, so File Types Manager might help.

When i insert movie in office 2010 . i dint get option to play movie automatically or when clicked . Please give me solution as soon as possible how can i get this option while inserting media file . i have urgent need of that .

Good to hear it does work in Office 2010. I’ll quit complaining about 2010 and try your solution. For now, my work around was to convert it to a wmv. and that worked. Thanks for your help.

Thanks a lot!!! I didn’t know about that and it is very useful!!

I’m setting up a kiosk (touch screen) with multiple PPT to select From instructional slide shows. I need customers to touch the PPT / PPS shortcut (which i will make into an Action Button) on desktop and the show runs. Shows will be interactive but I know how to do that part.

Brilliant! Thanks for this – solved my problems and also allowing me to go to bed!! Awesome!

How can you make a powerpoint slideshow window resizable? It always fills my entire monitor screen and I want to be able to reduce the size and work around the slideshow. Help please!

@Ron It depends on the version, but in 2013 you can make it show in a window that you can resize by going to the Slide Show menu, then Set Up Slide Show and make the Show type “Browsed by an individual (window).

Thanks. Very helpful. Next question: Is there a way to eliminate the browser address bar and pull down menus along with the slide counter at the bottom of the page? I simply want a resizable window with no pull down menus or other stuff. I want to overlay the PowerPoint presentation over a background and then record a video for webinars. Less is best in this situation. Your assistance will be most appreciated.

@Ron Nope, that’s as simplified as it gets in Window-mode. To record a video for webinars, what about making the recording area fit the slides so that’s all you can see, then adding the background later? Barring that, you could just give up on having a background and record only the slides.

Based upon your advice I think I will integrate my background into the PowerPoint slide, re-size it to my finished end result and record for it. This will probably give me the outcome I’m looking for. Thank you!

That’s another good idea, and you’re very welcome.

I can not get pptx 2013 to save in slideshow mode. I want to email the presentation, and want the presentation to open as a slideshow. I have looked all over and can not find the solution as it relates to 2013. Any help would be appreciated

@jim In PowerPoint 2013 go to File -> Save As and for “Save as type” choose “PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx)” out of the gazillions in the list. Changing the standard .pptx extention to .ppsx doesn’t work in 2013.

Many thanks Dan… I must tell you it wasn’t until I clicked F12 that I got the screen you referenced/I needed… it doesn’t open when I click on Save As in the BackStage. I’d never have done this without you, and had hours of work trying to find how to do this. Many, many, thanks!

@jim You’re welcome, I’m really glad to hear I was able to be of assistance. Thanks for your comment, it made my day :)

I have Power Point 2010 and I changed the ppt extension to pps and I save to presentation in Power Point Show it still opens in normal view. PLEASE HELP!!!

I’m not sure what’s making it not work, but I can confirm that it does work for others using Powerpoint 2010.

I sent a power point slide show (.ppsx) to a friend. He said he cannot download it. Meaning he cannot watch. What could be the probem?

I don’t know. Maybe an antivirus is filtering it?

Right-click the yourfile.pptx icon/filename and choose Show from the menu. Presto!

thanks, that’s brilliant!

When I create a presentation with animations in PPT 2010, and save as ppsx on a flash drive. Will the effects be preserved if I then run the show on a laptop having only with the earlier version MS PPT 2007?

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PowerPoint, click and open external file during presentation

is it possible? During presentation on some slide I click on some part of the slide and then the OS opens some external file with its associated program.

• microsoft-powerpoint

• What sort of file? –  ChrisF Commented Jan 16, 2010 at 17:18
• it is whatever kind of file. i.e., PDF, etc. I am using mac office 2008 and it should work with "inser hyperlink" but it does not! –  asdf Commented Jan 16, 2010 at 17:27
• 1 for solving the problem one has to put the linked files on the same folder than the presentation file. otherwise one gets problems –  asdf Commented Jan 16, 2010 at 17:45
• Yeah ideally one could embed the file in the ppt but this does not seem to be possible. –  Timmmm Commented Oct 18, 2013 at 13:29

2 Answers 2

Just right-click on an object (image, text, etc.), select "Hyperlink..." and then select the file you want opened. Note that clicking the object only works in presentation mode.

At least in PowerPoint 2013 you cloud use following technique:

edit: Sorry, I thought this was about opening embedded file.

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Create and open

Create and open a presentation in powerpoint for the web.

Starting in PowerPoint for the web means your files are automatically saved in OneDrive. This lets you share the files with co-workers and start collaborating immediately. And when you need more functionality, you can work on the presentation together in the PowerPoint desktop app and all of your changes will be saved online.

To convert your Google Slides to PowerPoint, go to File > Download > Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx). Then open the file in PowerPoint. See more at Get started with Sheets .

Create, open, and name a presentation

Go to powerpoint.office.com .

Select New blank presentation , open a Recent file, or select one of the themes .

To name the presentation, select the title at the top and type a name.

If you need to rename the presentation, select the title and retype the name.

Add a slide

Select the slide you want your new slide to follow.

Select Home > New Slide .

Select Layout and the you type want from the drop-down.

When working in PowerPoint for the web, your work is saved every few seconds. You can select File > Save a Copy to create a duplicate copy in another location.

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When you're online, AutoSave is always on and saves your changes as you work. If at any time you lose your Internet connection or turn it off, any pending changes will sync as soon as you’re back online.

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Best practices for making awesome PowerPoint slides

Whether you’re presenting a slideshow to your executives, clients, or peers, you want to convey your message clearly and successfully, and at the very least prove that you know how to use PowerPoint . Unfortunately, many mistakes can be made when creating PowerPoint presentations.

Choose the fonts wisely

Select pleasing colors.

• Don’t overuse animations and effects

Use a standard presentation rule

From hard-to-read fonts to colors that hurt the eyes of your audience, here are some best practices to keep in mind for your next PowerPoint slideshow.

Using a fancy, dramatic, or even whimsical font can be tempting. But you must consider the readability of the font. You want your audience to easily see your headings and bullet points. Consider the two basic font styles: serif and sans serif.

Serif fonts are more decorative, have a classic appearance, and are frequently used in print publications. Each letter has a stroke that extends from a point in the letter. Popular serif styles include Times New Roman, Garamond, Georgia, and Baskerville.

Sans serif fonts are more precise, have a clean appearance, and are frequently used in digital publications. Each letter is clear-cut without wings or curves at its points. Popular sans serif styles include Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, and Calibri.

Because of the extended strokes, serif fonts can appear a bit blurry on a screen. This makes a sans serif font the favored choice. The bottom line is that you should remain consistent and use the same type, serif or sans serif, for all fonts in the slideshow.

The colors you use in your PowerPoint presentation can be just as important as the content. You want to use those that enhance the appearance of the slideshow, not distract or give your audience a headache.

As Microsoft’s Robert Lane explains in his article about combining colors in PowerPoint, mixing red and blue or red and green can cause eye strain. Plus, red and green mixtures are difficult to see for those with color blindness.

The article mentions that warm colors like reds, oranges, and yellows are eye-catching, whereas cool colors like blues, greens, and purples draw less attention. Additionally, lighter colors are more noticeable than dark.

One of the easiest ways to choose the colors for your presentation is to use a built-in theme. Select the Design tab and you’ll see a collection of Themes in the ribbon.

Once you select a theme, you can then use the Variants section to choose a different color scheme. Each scheme includes eight complementing colors. You can also pick the font style you want to use in the Variants drop-down menu.

Tip : You can also check out the Design Ideas if you need help with the layouts for your slides.

Don’t overuse animations and effects

Animations can be attention-grabbing additions to a slideshow. But if you overuse or misuse them, they can be detrimental to your presentation and actually turn off viewers. The best thing to do is consider your audience and slideshow’s purpose.

For instance, if you are presenting the slideshow to a classroom of 8-year-old students, animations can grab and hold their attention more than simple images or words. However, if you’re presenting to your company’s executive team or board of directors, animations can come across as unprofessional. Also, be wary of embedding videos in PowerPoint — only do so when relevant.

If you really want to include animations, make them subtle or purposeful. As an example, you may want to expand on each bullet point in your list. You can create an animation to display the bullet points one by one and only when you click.

To do this, select the first bullet point, go to the Animations tab, and choose the Appear effect. Then, in the Timing section of the ribbon, choose On click in the Start drop-down list. Do the same for each bullet point in your list.

This creates a simple animation that benefits your presentation. It doesn’t distract but instead keeps your audience focused on your current talking point.

What is the 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint? What is the five-by-five rule? What about the 5/5/5 and seven-by-seven rules? Rules, rules, rules. These are different standards that many recommend using when it comes to creating PowerPoint presentations.

• The 10/20/30 rule : Have no more than 10 slides, a presentation no longer than 20 minutes, and a font size no smaller than 30 points.
• The five-by-five rule : Have no more than five words per line and five lines per slide.
• The 5/5/5 rule : Have no more than five words per line, five lines per slide, and five text-heavy slides in a row.
• The seven-by-seven rule : Have no more than seven words per line and seven lines per slide.

What each of these rules basically means is: Keep it simple.

The first rule, 10/20/30, is a good rule to follow for your overall presentation. While it may not always be possible, the more succinct a presentation, the more successful it will be.

The last three rules are helpful ones to follow when you’re adding text to your slides. As you know, presentations are visual. Using too much text means your audience is reading more than watching.

Hopefully, these best practices will help you create a memorable and effective slideshow. For other ways to enhance your presentation, look at how to add audio to the slides or how to  include music in PowerPoint .

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If you're using Microsoft Office on your Windows PC, then you might want to keep your eye out for potential new security issues.

Microsoft has just backtracked on a decision it made earlier in 2022, and will no longer be blocking Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros in Office files by default across Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and Visio.

Microsoft needs your help to shape the future of its Office suite of products. Five new default fonts are in the works for Microsoft 365 -- which covers Word, Excel, and PowerPoint -- and Microsoft is seeking out feedback for which one is best.

The five new potential default font families are now available as a download for testing and have various themes. The list includes fonts with the unique names of Tenorite, Bierstadt, Skeena, Seaford, and Grandview. There's a separate artist behind each one, and the designs span different geometric, human, and industrial shapes, according to Microsoft.

Many of the apps from the Microsoft 365 suite now run natively on Apple's new M1-powered MacBooks. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are now all able to take full advantage of Apple's custom ARM-based silicon.

These new Microsoft 365 apps for Apple M1 Macs are all universal apps, which means that they will also run on traditional Macs with Intel processors. This also means that the Office apps on Apple's M1 Macs -- like the new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini -- should all feel snappier and faster than when they were previously running under emulation with Rosetta 2.

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