The PowerPoint FAQ

PowerPoint 2007 won't update links to files on network drives

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:29:22 EST

You link data from Excel or other files on a network drive to your PowerPoint 2007 presentation. The links work as expected but when you save the presentation and reopen it the links stop working. When you try to update the link, you see this error message: The linked file was unavailable and can’t be updated

20 Mem Overflow and 21 Print Overrun errors when printing to PCL printers

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:18:35 EST

Problem: You get a 20 Mem Overflow and 21 Print Overrun errors when printing If you print complex work to a printer that uses the PCL printer control language (most HP printers, many other laser printers), you may see one of these error messages, especially if your printer has limited memory. The printer manual, if there is one, probably says to reduce the complexity of your page or to add more memory. This page explains why this happens, what these error codes mean and what you can do to avoid them.

20 Mem Overflow and 21 Print Overrun errors when printing to PCL printers

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:19:34 EST

This presentation might contain Far East (or Asian) text and formats that PowerPoint can't display

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:14:09 EST

You open a PowerPoint file that uses an Asian language font on a non-Asian system and PowerPoint warns you that the file may contain Far East text or formats that PowerPoint can't display. It does this even when the text in the presentation seems to use only standard western language characters. If you try to substitute a different font so that this message goes away, PowerPoint won't let you. Annoying. This PowerPoint FAQ page suggests some solutions to the problem.

Certificate maker

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:03:40 EST

Here's a request that we hear frequently: "I want people who view my presentation to somehow fill in their name and other information, then I want the information they fill in to be used elsewhere in the presentation, perhaps on a certificate. Oh, and if they could then print the certificate, that'd be nice too." This PowerPoint FAQ page and the linked download provide a simple, flexible (and free) VBA solution to that problem.

The Art of the Presentation

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:20:02 EST

We've added a link to a review of a new training program, courtesy of PowerPoint MVP Shawn Toh.

The Art of the Presentation

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:22:00 EST

PowerPoint MVP Shawn Toh (tohlz) writes "I have recently reviewed a training package by Train Signal which to my surprise, covers a decent amount of useful presentation tips and avoiding Death By PowerPoint. The training package is very in-depth on both presentations and PowerPoint, which I think would be suitable for users who are looking for best of both worlds. There's a link to the full review on this PowerPoint FAQ page.

Is VBA the answer? Is it the RIGHT answer? Will it solve my presentation problem?

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:37:34 EST

Is VBA the answer to your presentation problems? Maybe so, but before you spend time writing code (or learning to), have a look a this page to learn what VBA can't do for you.

Fading sounds, changing volume of sounds in PowerPoint

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:38:30 EST

PowerPoint doesn't offer much control over the level of sounds included in your presentations. In fact, in most versions it offers no control at all. Visit this PPT FAQ page to learn other ways of controlling the volume in your presentation sounds.

PowerPoint won't break lines with commas in them

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:03:08 EST

Once in a while you may see a PowerPoint file with one or more text boxes that don't allow linebreaks where you'd expect them, and no amount of adjusting the wordwrap settings will force things to behave properly. This PowerPoint FAQ page explains why it happens and what you can do to fix it.

PowerPoint won't break lines with commas in them

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:17:23 EST

PowerPoint won't break lines with commas in them

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:19:23 EST

Office 2007 Service Packs

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:14:15 EST

On 28 April, 2009, Microsoft released Service Pack 2 for Microsoft Office 2007. This PPT FAQ page has links to the Office 2007 SP2 download page and more information.

Office 2007 Service Packs

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:48:39 EST

On 28 April, 2009 Microsoft released Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Office 2007. The service pack fixes many problems with PowerPoint in the original release of Office 2007, along with a few problems that weren't fixed or were introduced in SP1. This PPT FAQ page has links to the Office 2007 SP2 download page and more information.

An add-in suddenly stops working

Fri, 01 May 2009 11:16:36 EST

After applying Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Microsoft Office 2003, some add-ins and ActiveX controls may disappear or cease to function. This PowerPoint FAQ page has a brief explanation of this and a link to a more detailed Microsoft knowledgebase article.

An add-in suddenly stops working

Fri, 01 May 2009 11:17:17 EST

Buttons that launch macros stop working

Fri, 01 May 2009 11:27:49 EST

When you use PowerPoint 2007 to open a PPT file that includes action settings that trigger macros, you may find that the action settings do nothing. The macros don't "fire". This PowerPoint FAQ page explains what's going on and what to do to fix it.

Add "leader" lines to tabbed text

Tue, 12 May 2009 16:34:15 EST

PowerPoint doesn't create tabbed leader lines the way some word processing and desktop publishing programs do. This page suggests a few workarounds.

Create your own default presentation

Tue, 12 May 2009 23:21:15 EST

Normallly when you start PowerPoint, you can create a new blank presentation or you can choose one of the included templates to base your presentation on. But what if you always want to use the same included template? Or you want to create and use your own template? This page explains how. Thanks to PowerPoint MVP Echo Swinford for all her help with this one.

Create your own default presentation

Wed, 13 May 2009 10:07:38 EST

This presentation might contain Far East (or Asian) text and formats that PowerPoint can't display

Sat, 16 May 2009 14:10:06 EST

Rotate an image on every other slide

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:49:13 EST

A visitor to the PowerPoint Newsgroup</a> asked if it was possible to rotate every other page in a PowerPoint presentation 180 degrees so that when printed in book form, all of the images would be facing the same way. This PowerPoint FAQ page suggests a simple solution to the problem.

Rotate an image on every other slide

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:49:33 EST

Rotate an image on every other slide

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:56:10 EST

A visitor to the PowerPoint Newsgroup asked if it was possible to rotate every other page in a PowerPoint presentation 180 degrees so that when printed in book form, all of the images would be facing the same way. This PowerPoint FAQ page suggests a simple solution to the problem.

I want to create a book in PowerPoint

Mon, 25 May 2009 16:22:05 EST

You're thinking of creating a book. Great. You're thinking of creating it in PowerPoint. Maybe not so great. A lot depends on the type of book you plan to create, how you plan to print it and your tolerance for a certain amount of tedious work that other software might do for you automatically. This page at the PowerPoint FAQ site explains why you might be better off using a different program (and gives you some reasons why you might want to go ahead and do it in PowerPoint).

My 2007 presentation doesn't work as expected in the 2007 viewer

Tue, 26 May 2009 09:25:09 EST

When you view your PowerPoint 2007 presentations in the PowerPoint 2007 viewer, animations and hyperlinks may be lost. This explains why.

My 2007 presentation doesn't work as expected in the 2007 viewer

Tue, 26 May 2009 09:33:28 EST

When you view your PowerPoint 2007 presentations in the PowerPoint 2007 viewer, animations and hyperlinks may be lost. This explains why.

Package for CD breaks links, loses animations in my 2007 presentation file

Tue, 26 May 2009 09:35:16 EST

When you use Package for CD in 2007 you lose hyperlinks and/or animations. PowerPoint MVP Lucy Thomson explains why and what to do about it.

Creating Teacher / Student editions of presentations

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:36:08 EST

ometimes you need to create two different versions of a presentation, one for each of two different audiences. You might have information that you want some groups, teachers, for example, to see and other information that should appear only in the student edition of the presentation. If you need to do this, PowerPoint doesn't offer much help, short of maintaining two different versions of the same presentation. Isn't there a better solution? There is. And it's free. This page explains more.

Creating Teacher / Student editions of presentations

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:40:16 EST

Creating Teacher / Student editions of presentations

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:42:06 EST

Slide Into Word: A kinder, gentler Send To Word from PowerPoint MVP Bill Dilworth

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:42:39 EST

PowerPoint's Send To Word feature can be very handy at times, but it can also be slow and produce huge, unweildy Word documents. And it's missing a few features that Bill Dilworth thought it should have. That's why he wrote Slide Into Word, a kinder, gentler Send To Word feature. Read more about it here.

Keep the session alive (prevent screensaver, logout problems)

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:20:41 EST

Occasionally we get questions about how to keep the screensaver from kicking in, usually from people whose corporate IT people have locked down the computer to the point where they can't change the screen saver settings themselves. In other cases, the computer may log them out after a period of inactivity. How can you prevent this from happening in mid-presentation?

Keep the session alive (prevent screensaver, logout problems, mouse jiggler)

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:40:33 EST

Hide and Show Graphics

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:24:04 EST

You want to hide ... but NOT delete ... the graphics in your presentation. And you want to be able to unhide them later. This PowerPoint FAQ page explains how.

Changing the style of added PowerPoint 2007 tables

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:48:32 EST

When you add a new table to a slide in PowerPoint 2007, it takes on the default table style defined by the presentation's theme. Or template. Or something. But it may not be what you want. So how do you change the style? This PPTFAQ page explains how.

Creating accessible PowerPoint presentations / PowerPoint accessibility

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:20:25 EST

How can we create presentations that are accessibile to everyone? It's not as difficult as you might thing, once you know how. Luckily, we have PowerPoint MVP Glenna Shaw to teach us. See this PowerPoint FAQ page for links to her site, blog and tutorials.

Creating accessible PowerPoint presentations / PowerPoint accessibility

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:23:08 EST

Why are my PowerPoint files so big? What can I do about it?

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:25:01 EST

Why are my PowerPoint files so BIG? Updated to include a few new twists introduced by PowerPoint 2007

Remove password from a password-protected PowerPoint file

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:53:06 EST

How to remove password protection from a PowerPoint presentation (updated for Powerpoint 2003 and PowerPoint 2007)

How to create a spiral in PowerPoint

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:12:02 EST

How to draw a spiral in PowerPoint. Our best advice: do it in Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator, then import it into PowerPoint. This PowerPoint FAQ page explains how (and provides an example spiral you can try out if you don't have Draw or Illustrator.

PowerPoint 2007 files don't download correctly from a Web Server, open as zip files

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:33:13 EST

Problem: Office 2007 files don't download correctly from a Web Server, open as zip files. This PowerPoint FAQ page has several solutions.

Check or change the Document Properties for your presentation

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:39:44 EST

PowerPoint maintains a large collection of information about each presentation you create. Together, this information is called "Document Properties". This PowerPoint FAQ page explains what properties are available and how to view or edit them.

Stacking a selection of shapes

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:15:42 EST

You'd like a quick way to "stack" the shapes you've selected. That is, to align them one above the other so they stack up like bricks or building blocks, one above the other with no space in between them. This little macro will do the job for you.

HTML "Round-tripping" to repair corruption

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:24:34 EST

Sometimes slides or even shapes on PowerPoint slides get corrupted in ways that aren't visible when you're editing the presentation or viewing a slide show, but when you print or export slides, it can cause problems. Odd as it may sound, saving the presentation to HTML then opening it back into PowerPoint can cure some of these problems. We call it "HTML round-tripping" and this PPT FAQ page explains how to do it.

PowerPoint 2007 makes pictures blurry, loses GIF animation

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:04:45 EST

PowerPoint 2007 automatically compresses images when you save a presentation (using a compression method that throws away data and can blur your pictures). It's very difficult to find the dialog box where you disable this nasty little trick. This PPT FAQ page explains how.

"You must accept the Office End User License Agreement" message when starting Office programs.

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:43:04 EST

When starting Office 2000-2007 programs, you may see a message like: "You must accept the Office End User License Agreement every time that you start an Office program" This message appears EVERY time you start an Office program, even though you accept teh End User License Agreement each time it asks you to. This PowerPoint FAQ article explains how to solve the problem.

"You must accept the Office End User License Agreement" message when starting Office programs.

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:44:56 EST

This presentation might contain Far East (or Asian) text and formats that PowerPoint can't display

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:14:22 EST

Pixel-accurate drawing in PowerPoint

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:03:43 EST

You plan to export a PowerPoint slide at a specific resolution (number of pixels) and want to be able to enter sizes and positions IN pixels as you create your drawing, but PowerPoint only accepts inches, points, cm, mm, etc as dimensions. This PowerPoint FAQ page explains how to draw in pixel dimensions.

Pixel-accurate drawing in PowerPoint

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:04:28 EST

Message: "PowerPoint couldn't load the add-in [add-in file name]" when starting Powerpoint 2007

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:21:50 EST

When you start PowerPoint 2007, you see a message "PowerPoint couldn't load the add-in [path to add-in file]" You click OK and PowerPoint behaves normally afterward. How do you make this message stop? This PowerPoint FAQ page explains how.

Message: "PowerPoint couldn't load the add-in [add-in file name]" when starting Powerpoint 2007

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:22:47 EST

Modifying AutoShape adjustments

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:53:22 EST

You want to modify the "yellow diamond" adjustments on an autoshape but it's impossible to do the job precisely because the adjustments don't snap to the grid or to guidelines. VBA to the rescue. The macros on this page let you view and change adjustments of a selected shape. Precisely!

Message: "You must accept the Office End User License Agreement" when starting an Office program

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:14:27 EST

Every time you start PowerPoint or one of the other Office programs, you see a message: You must accept the Office End User License Agreement You click "I accept" and the program starts normally, but the next time you start it, you see the same message. This PowerPoint FAQ page provides a solution to the problem.

Pixel-accurate drawing in PowerPoint; measuring in pixels

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:19:33 EST

PowerPoint 2010 support

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:33:15 EST

PowerPoint 2010 is still in beta, so there's not much support available for it. But if you need some help, we can suggest a few places to look for it.

Converting Scheme/Theme colors to non-Scheme colors

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:13:52 EST

Shapes filled with scheme or theme colors will change colors when copied to a presentation that uses a different theme, or when a different theme is applied to the presentation. Sometimes this is just what you want. But if the color that changes is, say, your logo ... bad idea. BAD BAD idea. The code on this page will convert theme/scheme filled shapes to RGB filled shapes; these won't change color. Ever.

Indents: zeroing them out, resetting them etc.

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:17:22 EST

Sometimes you need to apply a consistent set of indents to many text boxes, which can be very tedious to do one at a time. Or you may run into corrupted text boxes that have indent levels in all sorts of weird positions and you just want to reset them and start over. The macros on this page let you zero out all of the indents in the selected text box or set the indents to any values you like.

EPS graphics print poorly from PowerPoint 2007

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:45:37 EST

When you print slides that include inserted EPS graphics to a PostScript printer or to a printer driver that makes PDFs (Adobe Acrobat, Jaws PDF Creator, several of the free PDF programs based on GhostScript), the quality of the graphic is poor. Text may look distorted and can get converted into graphics rather than editable text; gradients become blocky, etc. In addition, links in the PowerPoint file aren't converted to equivalent links in the PDF when you use some PDF-assist add-ins. This page explains why this may happen and includes a link to a MS hotfix that solves the problem.

How do I use Presenter view without a projector or second monitor? (by Chirag Dalal)

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:12:43 EST

Your computer supports multiple monitors and you like to use PowerPoint's Presenter view for delivering presentations. How's that a problem? Well, it's not. But if you want to rehearse your presentation when you don't have a projector or second monitor handy, PowerPoint won't cooperate. Unless you have a second monitor plugged in, PowerPoint won't let you use Presenter view. But Chirag Dalal discovered a slick solution. Read about it here.

How do I use Presenter view without a projector or second monitor? (by Chirag Dalal)

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:35:57 EST

How much will Office 2010 cost? What about upgrades?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:28:02 EST

Microsoft has announced a Technology Guarantee program that will entitle some new Office 2007 users to a free Office 2010 upgrade. Read this PowerPoint FAQ page to learn more about the program and Office 2010 pricing in general.

How much will Office 2010 cost? What about upgrades? Technology Guarantee program?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:28:35 EST

Message: "PowerPoint has stopped working" at startup. PowerPoint won't start.

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:33:09 EST

When starting PowerPoint 2007, you see a message "Microsoft PowerPoint has stopped working". After you click OK, PowerPoint quits. When you try again, you get offers of Safe Mode starts and/or running Detect and Repair, but none of these help. This PPT FAQ page has a few other things you can try to solve the problem.

Adding or entering text during a show

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:30:57 EST

You want to add text to a slide DURING a slide show. There are several ways of going about this and we explain 'em all on this PPT FAQ page.

Print larger handouts

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:10:46 EST

When you print handouts of your presentation, PowerPoint makes the slide images too small to read but leaves lots of wasted white space around the individual images. Why can't it make the images fill the available space? And make them BIGGER? This PowerPoint FAQ page presents a very simple, FREE solution.

Print larger handouts

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:11:31 EST

Don't do this with PowerPoint. Seriously.

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:23:45 EST

There are things that PowerPoint lets you do ... but that you shouldn't do. This isn't about esthetics or presentation style, it's about PowerPoint features you shouldn't generally use.

Should I get 32- or 64-bit Office 2010?

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:21:29 EST

Upgrading to Office 2010 and wondering whether to choose the 32-bit of 64-bit version? This will help you decide.

Should I get 32- or 64-bit Office 2010?

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:22:17 EST

Upgrading to Office 2010 and wondering whether to choose the 32-bit of 64-bit version? This will help you decide.

Create a sample presentation from a theme

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:20:24 EST

You're creating a new theme for a client or just for yourself. You want to show an example of each type of layout in the theme but ... well ... that's a lot of work. This page presents a possible (partial) solution. It's far from perfect, but it'll give you a starting point. And it's FAST.

Extract images and sounds from PowerPoint

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:56:07 EST

You have a PowerPoint presentation that contains embedded sounds or images. You want to be able to convert these to standalone files so you can use them in another presentation, edit them or ... well, whatever. This page describes several methods for extracting these files from a PowerPoint presentation.

Extract images and sounds from PowerPoint

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:58:22 EST

Free PowerPoint Viewers, Viewer Capabilities

Fri, 07 May 2010 00:14:35 EST

Microsoft has released a new free PowerPoint viewer. This new one will play files from PPT 97 through 2010 in full fidelity. And MS has released it before 2010 hits the market. Kudos kudos.

The PowerPoint Newsgroup / Support Forums

Sat, 08 May 2010 11:35:40 EST

As of June 1, 2010, Microsoft will pull the plug on the PowerPoint Newsgroup, marking the end of an era that saw dozens of dedicated, helpful PowerPoint MVPs and other members of the online community enjoy freewheeling and useful discussions of PowerPoint technique, how-tos, philosophy and yes, occastional forays into food and other pleasant distractions. The newsgroup is to be supplanted (we hesitate to use the term "replaced") by a series of managed web-based forums. Time will tell whether these forums coalesce into the same sort of vibrant community we've enjoyed in the newsgroup since 1996. Here's hoping.

The PowerPoint Newsgroup / Support Forums

Sat, 08 May 2010 17:57:36 EST

The PowerPoint Support Forums

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:28:06 EST

As of June 1, 2010, Microsoft closed the PowerPoint Newsgroup, marking the end of an era that saw dozens of dedicated, helpful PowerPoint MVPs and other members of the online community enjoy freewheeling and useful discussions of PowerPoint technique, how-tos, philosophy and yes, occastional forays into food and other pleasant distractions. The newsgroup is to be supplanted (we hesitate to use the term "replaced") by a series of managed web-based forums. Time will tell whether these forums coalesce into the same sort of vibrant community we've enjoyed in the newsgroup since 1996. Here's hoping. This PowerPoint FAQ page shows you how to find the new web support forums (hint: http://answers.microsoft.com)

The PowerPoint Support Forums

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:30:07 EST

Guidelines for the PowerPoint Newsgroup

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:12:12 EST

We've updated this FAQ on Guidelines for the PowerPowerPoint Forum to reflect the fact that Microsoft closed the support newsgroups in June, 2010 and substituted new web-based forums in their place. These work a bit differently.

Renumber all shapes in a presentation

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:10:12 EST

1) PowerPoint acts weird and causes code to break if multiple shapes on a slide have the same name. 2) PowerPoint doesn't allow us to give two shapes on a slide the same name. 3) But PowerPoint itself CREATES multiple same-named shapes on a slide when a user duplicates shapes. Point 2 shows wit. Point 3 shows a total lack of wit. On average, then, PowerPoint is a half-wit. The code on this page will rename all shapes in a presentation UNIQUELY. No duplicate names.

Renumber all shapes in a presentation

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:11:23 EST

Office 2003 with SP3 won't open my files

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:36:02 EST

After applying Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Office 2003, you may find that PowerPoint and the other Office 2003 programs will no longer open files from older versions. This PowerPoint FAQ page includes a link to Microsoft web pages that explain the problem in more detail, and to REG (Registry Patch) files that enable you to re-enable the file types you need to do your work.

Photos

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:56:00 EST

There are dozens of companise that provide images on a royalty basis or for free. Search Google for "stock photo" to find plenty of them. We've listed a few here for starters.

Photos

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:58:25 EST

There are dozens of companise that provide images on a royalty basis or for free. Search Google for "stock photo" to find plenty of them. We've listed a few here for starters.

File cannot be found error message when opening a file

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:57:08 EST

You attempt to open a file in PowerPoint and get an error message indicating that PowerPoint cannot find the file. This may happen even when you've just browsed to the file and chosen it yourself. This PowerPoint FAQ page gives several workarounds for this problem.

Create your own default presentation

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:05:15 EST

RED X instead of graphics

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 22:52:51 EST

Yet another cause of the Dread Red-X discovered. PowerPoint 2007 will not display images when: 1) The images are linked, and 2) The link does not include a full path, and 3) The image file has spaces in its name.

Message: "This file has an older format that isn’t supported."

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:50:47 EST

You try to open a PowerPoint 4 or earlier file in PowerPoint 2000 or PowerPoint 2002 or PowerPoint 2003 and receive a message: This file has an older format that isn’t supported. This PowerPoint FAQ page explains the reason for this message and how to prevent the problem.

Macros that work in Normal/Slide view don't work in Slide Show view

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:50:14 EST

You have macros in your presentation. They seem to work as expected when you run them from normal view, but they don't work in Slide Show view. Why not? This PowerPoint FAQ page explains. And tells you how to fix it.

Import PDF content into PowerPoint

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:21:44 EST

Added a description of how to link directly to a specific page within a PDF from PowerPoint.

Create a fake screentip (text that appears when you mouse over a shape)

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:59:56 EST

You'd like to have some sort of helpful text appear when a user mouses over a shape in your presentation. Great idea but alas, PowerPoint has no direct way of doing this. You could get there using VBA, but what if the presentation cannot contain VBA (ie, if you're going to show it in the free Viewer or distribute it to users whose security settings may not permit VBA to run)? Thanks to PowerPoint MVP Bill Dilworth for the trick outlined on this page. It takes a bit more work to set up but requires no VBA at all. Enjoy.

Create a table of contents (TOC) slide with links

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:31:04 EST

Long, long ago in a galaxy far away, PowerPoint used to be able to create summary and Table of Contents slides for your presentation, automatically. Why did Microsoft remove this very useful feature? We tried to reach Bill and Steve to ask, but they're not returning our phone calls. This PowerPoint FAQ page describes several (free!) solutions that resurrect this useful feature in current versions of PowerPoint.

Create a table of contents (TOC) slide with links

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:34:29 EST

PowerPoint 2007 crashes when moving, resizing or using arrow key in charts

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:08:33 EST

PowerPoint 2007 crashes when you try to move charts after you've applied Service Pack 2 for Office 2007.

Microsoft Upload Center - what is it, why do I want it and what if I don't?

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:35:03 EST

You've installed Office 2010, you've tried out some of the apps and now you notice that there's this little orange circle thing in your task bar. You click it and it tells you it's the Microsoft Upload Center. The Upload Center is a tool that's included with Office 2010. When you open files from a server or upload files to a server it caches the files for you and monitors the transfer process. If it's interrupted for some reason, the Center can notify you and can even restart the process later, when network connectivity returns. This PowerPoint FAQ page has links to Microsoft Knowledgebase pages with great information about the Upload Center. And we tell you how the Upload Center got there in the first place and how to get rid of it if you don't want it.

Inserted images have an unwanted border

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:17:10 EST

You insert an image into PowerPoint and notice that it has a border along one or more of the edges of the image. You know that the border is not part of the image itself. The border may not appear until after the presentation has been saved and re-opened. Short version: the image has an embedded ICC profile (ie a color profile). This PPT FAQ page explains several ways to solve the problem.

PowerPoint won't open my older PowerPoint presentations

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:37:05 EST

If you use PowerPoint 2007 or 2010, or you have applied Service Pack 3 (SP3) to Office 2003, PowerPoint won't open presentations in PowerPoint 95 format or the combined PowerPoint 97-XXXX & PowerPoint 95 format. This PowerPoint FAQ page includes a link to Microsoft web pages that explain the problem in more detail, and to REG (Registry Patch) files that enable you to re-enable the file types you need to do your work.

PowerPoint 2007 and 2010 make pictures blurry, loses GIF animation

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:45:20 EST

PowerPoint File Size Limitations: how big can my PPT or PPT file be?

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:05:53 EST

Ever wonder how big a file you can make with PowerPoint? How many gigabytes can you cram in there before PowerPoint melts into a puddle on the floor? And how big can you safely make a file before itt can't be used by other people? Have a look at this PPT FAQ page for answers.

How do I use Presenter view without a projector or second monitor? (by Chirag Dalal)

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 10:39:12 EST

How can I convert PowerPoint 2010 to HTML?

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 12:13:35 EST

Office 2010 has removed the ability to save as HTML that you might have used in older versions. You still need to make HTML web pages from your presentations. What can you do? See this page for answers.

How to install Office, PowerPoint (and other software) on a netbook

Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:44:20 EST

Most netbooks (and some other small, lightweight laptops) don't have a CD/DVD reader. Most software comes on a CD/DVD. How are we supposed to install it on a netbook that has no CD reader? This PPT FAQ page has several suggestions.

Error message: There was an error accessing the file

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:18:20 EST

"There was an error accessing the file" error message when opening a file in PowerPoint 2010. Find solutions to the problem here.

Where's my TEMP folder?

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:01:00 EST

People tell you things like "Look in TEMP" or "Its in your TEMP folder". What's a TEMP folder? No, never mind "what" ... WHERE is this TEMP folder they keep talking about? This page on the PPT FAQ site tells you several easy ways to find TEMP.

Where's my TEMP folder?

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:01:36 EST

HTML "Round-tripping" to repair corruption

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:19:53 EST

Part of my printouts are cut off

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:09:55 EST

When you print slides from PowerPoint, you get only partial printouts. Some or most of the slide is cut off on the printed page. This page offers some possible solutions.

PowerPoint 2010 presentation broadcasting fails

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:05:17 EST

If PowerPoint 2010's Presentation Broadcasting feature won't work for you because of connection errors, try this trick. It sounds like voodoo, looks like voodoo, smells like voodoo but it works. Maybe there's something to this voodoo stuff.

PowerPoint 2010 presentation broadcasting fails

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:38:24 EST

Message: "PowerPoint has stopped working" when editing a presentation

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:45:22 EST

You run PowerPoint on a Macintosh under Boot Camp; whenever you try to edit a presentation, PowerPoint is liable to stop working with an error message telling you that "PowerPoint has stopped working".

This presentation might contain Far East (or Asian) text and formats that PowerPoint can't display

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:22:07 EST

How can I use Pantone, TruMatch, CMYK or other colors in PowerPoint?

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 23:22:08 EST

Your client has given you the color specifications for their presentation but they've specified them in Pantone (PMS), TruMatch, CMYK or some other color system. PowerPoint only accepts RGB. How do you convert these colors into RGB in order to use them in PowerPoint? This PPTFAQ page will help.

Import PDF content into PowerPoint

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:21:49 EST

Suppose you have a PDF made from a PowerPoint file ... a PowerPoint file that no longer exists. But you need to use it AS a PowerPoint file, not a PDF. Or suppose you have a PDF generated from some other program. Is there a way to convert a PDF back to the original PowerPoint it came from? What about a PPT file that looks like the original, even if it doesn't act exactly like it? Two different questions, two (or more) different answers. See this PPT FAQ to learn more.

Break a presentation up into several smaller presentations

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:48:07 EST

You have a large presentation that's getting so big that it takes forever to open and save each time you want to make a change and is too big to email. You want to split it into several smaller presentations. You can do it manually, of course; make several copies of your original presentation, open each in turn and delete all but the slides you want to leave in it, then save. But that's TEDIOUS. Or you can let VBA do the job for you automatically. Have a look at this PPT FAQ entry for a bit of code that'll save you all that fiddly.

BATCH IMPORT images into PowerPoint

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:56:22 EST

Mac Office MVP Jim Gordon has released a new add-in for batch-inserting lots of images into Mac PowerPoint 2011. Read more about it and find the download link here.

Sending files to other users

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:38:52 EST

Sometimes you need to send a file to another PowerPoint user and find that the file's too large to send by email because of limitations imposed by your email system or the recipient's. Or perhaps you're seeking help with a problem file on the Microsoft Answers forum or some other support group; you find people who are willing to help but they need to see your file. You want to make the file available to anyone willing to help. There are several ways of doing this; one convenient (and free) way is to use one of the many file transfer web sites out there. This FAQ includes a list of several of them.

Auto-update linked spreadsheets or other information

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:11:32 EST

PowerPoint can automatically update your presentation with new information from linked files whenever the linked files change. But it only updates when you close and reopen the presentation. What if you have a file that you change during a presentation? How can you get it to update automatically? This PowerPoint FAQ page offers a few vague suggestions for free solutions that you cook yourself, and a link to a very professional pre-made (if a bit pricey) solution.

Office 2010 Click-to-Run

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:35:14 EST

When you purchase Office Home and Student 2010 or Office Home and Business 2010 online, you'll be directed by default to install what Microsoft calls the Click-To-Run (CTR) version of Office. Office 2010 Starter is a CTR version of Office also. The CTR version of Office 2010 may cause unexpected problems or result in loss of functionality. Read this PowerPoint FAQ page to learn more.

PowerPoint 2007/2010 wont print equations

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:03:35 EST

You create an equation using the Equation Editor in PowerPoint 2010. It looks good on screen but it won't print correctly, or resulting PDFs are incorrect. Only some of the characters in the equation print (parentheses, fraction bar, for example.) If you use Windows XP, you may need to change your Regional and Language settings. This PowerPoint FAQ page explains how.

Photos

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:01:47 EST

There are dozens of companise that provide images on a royalty basis or for free. Search Google for "stock photo" to find plenty of them. We've listed a few here for starters and included links to a tutorial and resource list for Creative Commons licensed images/media.

PowerPoint won't open my older PowerPoint presentations

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:52:56 EST

What version of PowerPoint do I have?

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 20:35:57 EST

When you start searching for technical support, one of the first questions you'll be asked is "Which version of PowerPoint do you use?" Because the different versions of PowerPoint and Office work/behave so differently, it's important to let people know which version you have when you ask for support. This PowerPoint FAQ page helps you decide which version you have.

Edit text during a slide show

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:27:10 EST

Suppose you want to be able to add or edit text during a slide show. In normal view, you'd simply click a shape and add text to it or edit the text that's already there. In slide show view, you can't select anything. It seems like a dead end, yes? No. Visit this PPTFAQ page for details.

April 2011: Update KB2464588 causes problems

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:06:52 EST

After applying the recently released KB2464588 update, PowerPoint may be unable to open existing files, insert images or may display other problems. The problems can be so severe as to render PowerPoint unusable. To date (April 18, 2011) the only solution we know of is to uninstall the update. This PPT FAQ explains the process in more detail.

April 2011: Update KB2464588 causes problems

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:51:18 EST

Grid appears in pasted/linked Excel worksheets

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:36:55 EST

Problem: you copy information from an Excel workbook to PowerPoint and it appears with a grid of lines between cells, just as it does in Excel. The fix is to remove the grid in Excel. This PowerPoint FAQ page explains how.

April 2011: Update KB2464588 causes problems

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 12:07:27 EST

April 2011: Update KB2464588 causes problems

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 12:09:09 EST

April 2011: Update KB2464588 causes problems

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:39:43 EST

After applying the recently released KB2464588 update, PowerPoint may be unable to open existing files, insert images or may display other problems. The problems can be so severe as to render PowerPoint unusable. April 25: Microsoft released a hotfix to correct the problems caused by this update.

Graphics turn black

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:55:47 EST

Graphics, especially JPG graphics, become black rectangles when you open the presentation again.

Message: "The server application, source file or item can't be found ..." when you double-click an embedded PDF

Tue, 03 May 2011 21:49:16 EST

When you try to open a PDF object embedded on a slide in your presentation, you see an error message like the following: The server application, source file, or item can't be found, or returned an unknown error. You may need to reinstall the server application. Adobe Reader X has a new Protected mode. If you turn this off, Reader can handle embedded PDFs. More info on this PowerPoint FAQ page

Corrupted file message when opening files in PowerPoint 2003

Thu, 05 May 2011 21:21:01 EST

After applying the recently released KB2464588 update, PowerPoint may be unable to open existing files, insert images or may display other problems. The problems can be so severe as to render PowerPoint unusable. There's now a hotfix for the problem; PowerPoint MVP Echo Swinford explains where to find it and how to install it (trickier than you'd think!)

Corrupted file message when opening files in PowerPoint 2003

Tue, 10 May 2011 14:19:10 EST

After applying the recently released KB2464588 update, PowerPoint may be unable to open existing files, insert images or may display other problems. The problems can be so severe as to render PowerPoint unusable. There's now a hotfix for the problem; PowerPoint MVP Echo Swinford explains where to find it and how to install it (trickier than you'd think!)

Corrupted file message when opening files in PowerPoint 2003

Tue, 10 May 2011 14:20:03 EST

After applying the recently released KB2464588 update, PowerPoint may be unable to open existing files, insert images or may display other problems. The problems can be so severe as to render PowerPoint unusable. There's now a hotfix for the problem; PowerPoint MVP Echo Swinford explains where to find it and how to install it (trickier than you'd think!)

Contact Microsoft:: suggestions, wishes, lost product keys, lost or broken CDs and DVDs

Wed, 25 May 2011 10:03:53 EST

It can be difficult to contact Microsoft when you want to report a bug, make a suggestion or express a complaint. Or, more important, when you need to replace a lost product key or installation media such as a CD or DVD. We've included some suggestions here.

Message: "Failed to import ..." or "An error occurred while importing ..." while importing CGM or other graphics

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:46:25 EST

After certain patches/updates are applied, PowerPoint and your other Office programs may suddenly be unable to import CGM or other graphics file types. This PPT FAQ page explains why this happens and how to re-enable the ability to import these file types.

Can I use clip-art commercially?

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:34:15 EST

You have some clip art in your PowerPoint (or other Office document) and want to know if it's ok to use it for a brochure, advertisement or other purpose. Is it legal? How do you find out? This page points you to the part of Microsoft's web site that addresses this. Enjoy the fine print!

Can't type notes into the Notes Text pane in Normal view, scrollbar jumps to top in slide thumbnail pane

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:29:21 EST

When you're in Normal view, you click in the Notes Text pane to type some text but either nothing appears when you type or the "focus" jumps back to the slide pane. In any case, you're unable to type notes text. You may also find that the scrollbar in the slides thumbnail pane keeps jumping to the top on its own. Luckily, this is something you can fix yourself. Your computer is not possessed, no need to call in the clergy. This page explains how.

Office 2007 Service Packs

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 09:33:08 EST

Microsoft releases Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Office 2010

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:27:52 EST

Microsoft has released Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Office 2010. This PPT FAQ page explains where to download the service pack, summarizes the fixes in the SP and shows you how to get more detailed information.

How to map a network drive

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:57:40 EST

If you use information from a shared local network drive, you might access it by browsing the network or typing in a "UNC path" like \\ServerName\ShareName\Path\Filename. There are possible problems with this: - Some programs have problems with UNC paths. -Browsing a complex, busy network can be slow and confusing. You can solve either problem by "mapping" a drive. This PPTFAQ page explains what that means and how to do it.

Security warning message when clicking a hyperlink: "files might harm your computer"

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:40:34 EST

You're delivering a presentation, click on a link to an external file and instead of launching the file as you'd expect, PowerPoint displays a useless (and embarassing) warning message that your file might contain viruses, harm your computer, make your face break out and cause the end of civilization as we know it. Or words to that effect. It's your computer, your file and you KNOW it's safe. How can you make this stupid warning go away? This FAQ page has some suggestions.

Message: General failure with email system, action could not be completed

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:34:27 EST

If you get a "General failure with email system" message when you try to email a presentation directly from within PowerPoint, have a look at this page, which explains why and what to do about it.

Pixel-Accurate display of images in PowerPoint screenshows

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:04:13 EST

PowerPoint always blurs your images slightly when you insert them. Sometimes this is ok, sometimes it's the last thing you want it to do. If you need to display images without any modifications from PowerPoint, this will help.

Pixel-Accurate display of images in PowerPoint screenshows

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:05:35 EST

PowerPoint 2010 won't print Black & White; prints grayscale instead

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:40:56 EST

PowerPoint 2010 prints in color or grayscale instead of Pure Black and White. Microsoft has a hotfix to correct this problem.

A test entry

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 17:08:55 EST

New description for this thing

MS warns of TrueType attack vulnerability

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:38:46 EST

Microsoft warns of a Windows vulnerability that can be spread via TrueType fonts. This page explains more and includes information about a workaround that you can easily apply to protect your system until Microsoft releases a more permanent fix.

Batch-convert high resolution images for PowerPoint or web use

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:55:51 EST

Modern digital cameras take photos at much higher resolution than we normally need in PowerPoint presentations. Working with these large images can be slow, and using them in your presentations can bloat your file sizes. The solution is to make copies of the images at lower resolution, a process called "downsampling". This is fairly simple with any image editing program, but can be tedious when you have lots of images to downsample. There's a very useful program called IrfanView, free for non-commercial use, that's kind of the Swiss Army knife of image processing software. One of its most useful features is the ability to batch process huge numbers of images. You can set it up once, then downsample a whole folder full of images at once. This PPT FAQ page explains how you can use IrfanView to downsample dozens, hundreds or even thousands of pictures at a time, unattended.

Batch-convert high resolution images for PowerPoint or web use

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:58:16 EST

Eliminate the screentip that appears over hyperlinks

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:16:15 EST

When you hover the mouse over a hyperlink, PowerPoint displays a little yellow box with some text in it. You can change this to any text you like by editing the hyperlink and changing the ScreenTip text, but you can't eliminate the screentip entirely. The macro on this page will remove the text from all of the screentips in all of the hyperlinks on each slide in your presentation. It doesn't touch hyperlinks on masters, templates, layouts, etc. It replaces the text with nothing, which produces a small dot rather than the usual square yellow blank screentip. It doesnt eliminate the screentip entirely but does make it as unintrusive as possible.

Eliminate the screentip that appears over hyperlinks

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:16:47 EST

Show Me the Document Properties

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:21:22 EST

Word allows you to print the document properties of a document but PowerPoint has no equivalent function. What if you need a record of a presentation's properties? The code on this page describes how to get a listing of a presentation's properties that you can paste into Word or some other application to print.

PowerPoint 2010 autorecover puts users over profile limit

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:04:23 EST

The AutoRecover feature in PowerPoint 2010 is constantly causing users' profiles to exceed the disk space limit set by administrators. Changing the AutoRecover file location from the default (C:\users\user_name\appdata\roaming\microsoft\powerpoint) to another folder outside the profile (e.g. C:\temp\micosoft\autorecover\powerpoint) doesn't help; PowerPoint still puts its autorecover files in the default location, in the user's profile. This PPT FAQ page contains a link to a Microsoft page that describes a workaround.

PowerPoint drops hash (#) characters from links when saving

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:33:44 EST

You add a link with a bookmark, like this, for example: http://www.pptfaq.com/index.html#name_TROUBLESHOOTING The link works when you test it but after you've saved and reopened the file, the link no longer works correctly, and when you check it, you find that PowerPoint has dropped the bookmark portion (the bit after the hashmark). This page explains how to fix the problem.

PowerPoint won't open my older PowerPoint presentations

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:56:08 EST

PowerPoint crashes when I type text

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:56:58 EST

In some cases, when running a Windows version of PowerPoint on a Mac (under BootCamp or similar), PowerPoint will crash when you enter text. A simple Windows keyboard setting usually fixes the problem. This page explains how.

OnSlideShowPageChange event doesn't fire

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:47:11 EST

There's a bit of legacy code in the PowerPoint object model (the OnSlideShowPageChange event) that allows your code to respond when a slide changes during a slide show. It was never officially supported and might disappear in later versions of PowerPoint, but it's still there as of PPT 2010. However, you may find that it doesn't work in some PowerPoint versions when you start a slide show by double-clicking the show's icon. The show begins but your event code never fires. This PowerPoint FAQ page explains how to work around the problem.

OnSlideShowPageChange event does not fire

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:57:49 EST

Should I get 32- or 64-bit Office 2010?

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 13:59:27 EST

When you install Office 2010, you have the option of choosing either 32-bit or 64-bit versions. Which should you choose? This page gives a few quick and easy decision pointers and includes links to Microsoft pages that explain the differences in great detail.

Adding editable points to a shape, editing points when PowerPoint says No

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 11:10:00 EST

PowerPoint allows you to choose nearly any shape and then use the Edit Points feature to modify the shape to suit your needs. However, it won't let you use Edit Points on some shapes (rectangles, circles, ovals). This PowerPoint FAQ page shows you several workarounds.

Handouts sent to Word make huge files

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 18:09:57 EST

When you choose File | Save & Send | Create Handouts (or the equivalent Send to Word command in earler versions of PowerPoint) , the resulting Word files are enormous; they open and save slowly and can be sluggish when you're trying to edit them. Visit this PPT FAQ page for the fix.

CTR, Office 365, Office on Demand .... what does it all MEAN?

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:15:56 EST

Click-To-Run (aka CTR), Office 365, Office on Demand, MSI installers ... there are so many ways to buy the new version of Office but so little hard information about what each means and what you get with it that it's hard to make sense of it all, much less choose which is right for you or your company. Here's our best shot at making it all make sense.

CTR, Office 365, Office on Demand .... what does it all MEAN?

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:16:27 EST

CTR, Office 365, Office on Demand. What does it all MEAN?

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:27:04 EST

CTR, Office 365, Office on Demand. What does it all MEAN?

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:34:56 EST

PowerPoint won't print multiple copies

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:23:37 EST

When you print from PowerPoint and request multiple copies, you only get one copy. The same thing may happen with Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and some other programs. This is a known problem with some HP printer drivers. We've suggested a few simple steps that may fix the problem.

PowerPoint won't print multiple copies

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:41:33 EST

What's new/changed in Office 2013 aka Office 15?

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:08:49 EST

What's new in Office 2013 (also called Office 15)? This PPTFAQ page includes links to some resources that explain more.

Adding or entering text during a show

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 11:44:41 EST

You want to add text to a slide DURING a slide show. There are several ways of going about this and we explain 'em all on this PPT FAQ page.

How to disable add-ins

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:32:26 EST

Unwanted add-ins can be difficult to disable at times. If a rogue add-in prevents PowerPoint from starting up, they can be nearly impossible to locate and get rid off. This PPT FAQ page explains how to locate and disable add-ins.

Convert embedded movies to linked movies

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:37:22 EST

When you insert movies into PowerPoint 2010 and later, PowerPoint embeds them unless you specifically choose to link the movies. Earlier versions always linked movies, leaving them in external files. What do you do when you need to play presentations that include embedded movies in earlier versions of PowerPoint? This PPTFAQ page explains how.

CTR, Office 365, Office on Demand. What does it all MEAN?

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:42:12 EST

Security warning message when clicking a hyperlink: "files might harm your computer"

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:19:04 EST

What about Office 365 RT on Surface RT tablets?

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:30:25 EST

Microsoft Windows 8 RT and the Surface tablet include a new RT version of Microsoft Office 2013 that has somewhat fewer capabilities than the full version of Office 2013. This article summarizes the differences.