PowerPoint FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
QQ. What are the minimum system requirements I need to show a PowerPoint presentation?
AA. Minimum System Requirements:
yy Operating System: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows XP, Windows Vista, or later operating system
¡¡Mac, Apple iOS, and Android devices are NOT currently supported.
yy Platform: PowerPoint 2007 or Newer
yy Memory: 256 megabytes (MB) RAM or higher
yy Hard Disk Space: 1.5 gigabyte (GB)
¡¡Note: Additional System RAM may be required for smooth playback of embedded videos
(4GB or more recommended)
QQ. How do I open a PowerPoint presentation if it is sent to my e-mail as an attachment?
AA. Open your e-mail (in Outlook or any other e-mail app), RIGHT CLICK the attachment and choose
‘Save Attachment’ or ‘Save As...’ Then save your attachment to your desktop for easy access.
QQ. How do I open a PowerPoint presentation if it is on a website, or if I am given a web link?
AA. If you retrieve the PowerPoint presentation from a website, RIGHT CLICK on the download link for the
PowerPoint presentation in your web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, or Safari), and
choose ‘Save link as...’ or ‘Download linked file as...’ and save the PowerPoint presentation file to your
desktop for easy access.
yy NOTE: Do not LEFT CLICK on the link. Depending on your web browser and which version of Windows you use,
your web browser may automatically attempt to load the PowerPoint Presentation inside the web browser and
fail, or it may save the PowerPoint presentation to a folder that you cannot easily locate.
AA. If you retrieve the PowerPoint presentation from a web link that someone else sends you, copy the link
from your e-mail, open your web browser, paste the link in the address bar, and save the PowerPoint
presentation file to your desktop for easy access.
yy NOTE: In the event that your web browser automatically downloads the PowerPoint Presentation or attempts to
load it directly in your web browser, attempt to save the PowerPoint presentation file to your desktop by either
RIGHT CLICKING on the web page that loads and choosing ‘Save link as...’ or ‘Download linked file as...’ , or
by clicking on the ‘File’ menu and choosing ‘Save page as...’
QQ. After I save the PowerPoint presentation to my desktop, how do I open it?
AA. Double click the PowerPoint presentation file icon on your desktop to automatically load it. If it is a
PowerPoint presentation show file (.ppsx), it automatically loads the presentation in show mode.
If it is an editable PowerPoint presentation file (.pptx), it loads in edit mode inside PowerPoint.
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PowerPoint FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
QQ. What if the PowerPoint presentation won’t open?
AA. Verify the following:
1. Make sure you have PowerPoint 2007 or newer installed on your PC. Also see the Minimum System
Requirements.
2. Make sure the PowerPoint presentation you are trying to open has a file name with either .ppsx or .pptx at the
end. If it doesn’t, you may need to reattempt download or try saving it from your e-mail again. If the file name
is still missing one of these extensions, contact the person who provided the PowerPoint presentation, web link,
or e-mail for assistance.
QQ. How do I start the PowerPoint presentation if it opens in edit mode inside PowerPoint?
AA. If the PowerPoint presentation opens in edit mode, you can make changes to the text and images on
each slide. Click on the ‘Slide Show’ tab or menu at the top of the screen and select Start Slide Show
‘From Beginning’ to start the PowerPoint presentation.
Start Slide Show Button
PowerPoint Edit Mode Screen
yy NOTE: You can also run a presentation from the beginning by pressing <F5> on your keyboard.
QQ. How do I go forward in the PowerPoint presentation?
AA. To go forward, click the left mouse button or press <Enter>, <Right Arrow>, <Down Arrow>, or the
<Spacebar> keys on the keyboard.
yy NOTE: Pressing the <A> key on your keyboard during the presentation hides or shows the mouse pointer.
QQ. How do I go backward in the PowerPoint presentation?
AA. To go backward, press the <Left Arrow> or <Up Arrow> on the keyboard.
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PowerPoint FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
QQ. How do I play videos inside the PowerPoint presentation?
AA. In many cases, you see an icon on screen that needs to be LEFT CLICKED to play the embedded video.
This may automatically play the video inside the PowerPoint presentation, or it may open a link inside
your default web browser for playing a YouTube video online.
yy NOTE: If playing an embedded video inside the PowerPoint presentation, the screen may go black at the end of
the video. If it does, advance to the next slide.
yy ALSO NOTE: If playing a YouTube video in your web browser, you need to close your web browser after the video
is finished and go back to your PowerPoint presentation. Make sure you advance to the next slide in PowerPoint
and DO NOT click the link again.
yy IMPORTANT: If video playback is choppy, video is not showing, or audio is not working, you may need to play
the PowerPoint presentation on a newer, faster PC. Additional System RAM may be required for smooth playback
of embedded videos (4GB or more is recommended).
QQ. How do I close my PowerPoint presentation when it is over?
AA. At the end of your PowerPoint presentation, you see a blank, black screen. You may leave this until your
training or presentation is over. To close the PowerPoint presentation, LEFT CLICK anywhere on screen,
or press the <Esc> key.
QQ. Where can I get additional help or training on how to operate PowerPoint?
AA. You may use PowerPoint’s internal help menu by clicking the
your keyboard.
button or by pressing the <F1> key on
yy Microsoft also has extensive help and training resources on its website with online support:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/
(link valid as of 03-25-13)
yy There are also many good training books for PowerPoint available on Amazon.com or in your local bookstore
or library.
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