Microsoft PowerPoint¶

Common Issues & Fixes¶

Presentation Won't Open / File Corrupt¶

1. Try Open and Repair: File → Open → browse to file → click the dropdown arrow next to Open → Open and Repair.
2. If that fails, change the file extension from .pptx to .zip, extract it, and attempt to recover the XML content inside ppt/slides/.
3. Restore from SharePoint or OneDrive version history if available.

Fonts Look Different on Another Computer¶

PowerPoint substitutes fonts that aren't installed on the target machine.

To prevent this, embed fonts before sharing:

1. File → Options → Save.
2. Tick Embed fonts in the file.
3. Choose Embed only the characters used in the presentation to keep file size small, or Embed all characters if others need to edit it.

Videos / Audio Not Playing in Slideshow¶

• Embedded media plays reliably; linked media breaks if the file is moved. Check: File → Info → Optimize Media Compatibility.
• Click Optimize Compatibility if the option appears — this re-embeds linked media.
• Ensure the media format is supported (MP4/H.264 for video, MP3/AAC for audio). Convert other formats before inserting.
• On presentation machines, check that audio drivers and codecs are up to date.

Slideshow Runs Slowly or Stutters¶

1. Compress images: select an image → Picture Format → Compress Pictures → apply to all slides.
2. Reduce animation complexity — avoid animating large images or using motion paths on many objects simultaneously.
3. Disable hardware graphics acceleration if on an underpowered device: File → Options → Advanced → Display → uncheck "Disable hardware graphics acceleration".

Presenter View Not Working / Showing on Wrong Screen¶

1. In Slideshow mode, right-click the presentation → Show Presenter View.
2. If screens are swapped: in Presenter View, click Display Settings → Swap Presenter View and Slide Show.
3. Ensure the second monitor is detected: Windows Settings → System → Display → Detect.

Slide Numbers Not Displaying Correctly¶

• Slide numbers are offset by the Start slide numbering at value: Insert → Slide Number → Header and Footer → Slide number → check "Start at".
• Ensure the slide number placeholder exists on the Slide Master: View → Slide Master — check the footer area.

Keyboard Shortcuts¶