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How can I share a PowerPoint so that it opens automatically in presentation mode?

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Hi A teacher in Wa,

Thank you for querying in this forum.

According to your description, it seems that you want to share a presentation with students via Microsoft Teams and you also want your students to immediately watch your presentation as a slide show instead of seeing the slides in edit mode.

May I know if my understanding is right? If so, we’d suggest you save presentation file as .ppsx type file, if you are using PowerPoint in Windows, we’d suggest you go to PowerPoint File > Save as > Click More Options > select PowerPoint Show under Save as type, the file is saved as a .ppsx file. When the file is double-clicked, it opens as a slide show.

For more details, you can refer to this article: Start a presentation automatically with a PowerPoint Show .

Then you can go to Microsoft Teams and find the team > click Files tab > upload this file. And we have tested it on our side, if we saved it as .ppsx file and uploaded to Teams, when we clicked it, it will show as a slide show, as shown below:

If the scenario above is not consistent with yours, you can also post back and provide more details about your requirement.

Best Regards,

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Automatically open Powerpoint in presenter mode, on correct screens

We have a laptop that we only use to present an induction course which is just a powerpoint presentation.

We have a second screen hooked up and when the presentation opens up someone has to navigate to and hit the start presentation button, at that point and it opens in presenter view with the notes on the laptop and the presentation on the second screen.

What I'd like to be able to do is avoid that on element of interaction.

Is it possible to launch a power point directly into presentation mode with no additional user interaction?

• microsoft-powerpoint

3 Answers 3

Save the file in PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx) format . It will open automatically in presentation mode.

From Microsoft's site :

PowerPoint Show .ppsx A presentation that always opens in Slide Show view rather than in Normal view. Tip: To open this file format in Normal view so that you can edit the presentation, open PowerPoint. On the File menu, click Open, and then choose the file.

Note: If you need macros enabled save as a .ppsm. If you're in PowerPoint 2003 the older format you need is .pps.

• it opens the presentation on screen 2 correctly but you don't get the presenters view on screen 1. Can't see an option for configuring it... –  Patrick Jul 7, 2017 at 14:59
• 1 Hmmm. Seems you're right, there's no way to force visibility of the Presenter View in .ppsx files. That's annoying, and weird. So, my next method would be to save as a .pptm (macro-enabled .pptx) and use VBA to launch the slideshow, which would bring up Presenter View. But irritatingly, PowerPoint doesn't allow you to execute macros on open - so we need another workaround. You could download an auto_open PowerPoint add-in to give this functionality, or you could use something like a macro-enabled Excel file to call the .pptx on open. Bit painful but it can be done. –  Andi Mohr Jul 7, 2017 at 15:51
• Frustrating, so close and yet so far. I think I'll just leave an instruction on screen 'open powerpoint, click these two buttons' and be done with it. There is only so much you can automate away :) Thanks for you help. –  Patrick Jul 10, 2017 at 8:38

I achieved this by the following

I Added a macro to the Powerpoint presentation

Then start the powerpoint presentation from the command line with

I used a 2003 presentation in 2016 - so the extension for presentations containing macros is ppt not pptm.

The remaining issue I have is that when I close the presentation it prompts to save - it does not do this if I load and run it using the GUI.

I think I'm a bit late, but this might be helpful to others.

The best way I could find to start in presenter mode is by pressing Alt F5 . It will start from the first slide, though. If you want to start from the current slide, you might need to use the sequence Alt S C . But it doesn't work if you press each individually, they have to be pressed at the same time. Also, this second metho does a weird error sound and I couldn't figure out why.

Anyway, if you are ok about starting on the first slide, Alt S will do just fine.

Source: https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/use-keyboard-shortcuts-to-deliver-powerpoint-presentations-1524ffce-bd2a-45f4-9a7f-f18b992b93a0

• (1) The question says “with no additional user interaction”. It sounds like you’re just offering a different form of user interaction. (2) Or rather, three different forms. What’s the relationship between Alt+F5 and Alt+S? –  Scott - Слава Україні Jun 27, 2019 at 23:38

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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 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.

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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!

• Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view Article
• Add speaker notes to your slides Article
• Rehearse and time the delivery of a presentation Article
• Record a slide show with narration and slide timings Article
• Print your PowerPoint slides, handouts, or notes Article
• Create a self-running presentation Article

Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view

Using Presenter view is a great way to view your presentation with speaker notes on one computer (your laptop, for example), while only the slides themselves appear on the screen that your audience sees (like a larger screen you're projecting to).

If you're using a newer version of PowerPoint, just connect the monitors and PowerPoint automatically sets up Presenter View for you.

If Presenter view appears on the wrong screen, you can swap the display quickly .

Turn off Presenter view if you prefer not to use it.

Start presenting

On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, select From Beginning .

Use the controls in Presenter view

To move to the previous or next slide, select Previous or Next .

To view all the slides in your presentation, select See all slides .

Tip:  You’ll see thumbnails of all the slides in your presentation (as shown below), making it easy to jump to a specific slide in the show.

To view a detail in your slide up close, select Zoom into slide , and then point to the part you want to see.

For more details on zooming in, see Zoom in to part of a slide .

To point to or write on your slides as you present, select Pen and laser pointer tools .

Press the Esc key when you want to turn off the pen, laser pointer, or highlighter.

To hide or unhide the current slide in your presentation, select Black or unblack slide show .

You can use PowerPoint on your smartphone as a remote control to run your presentation and view your speaker notes. See Using a laser pointer on your smartphone when presenting in PowerPoint for more information, including a brief video.

Swap the Presenter view and Slide view monitors

To manually determine which screen shows your notes in Presenter view and which shows only the slides themselves, on the task bar at the top of Presenter view, select Display Settings , and then select Swap Presenter View and Slide Show .

What the notes look like in Presenter view

Tip:  You can add notes either while you’re presenting, directly from Presenter view, or as you’re editing your presentation. For information on how to add speaker notes to your presentation see  Add speaker notes to your slides.

The notes appear in a pane on the right. If you need to add or delete something, simply click in the text box to edit it. The text wraps automatically, and a vertical scroll bar appears if necessary. You can change the size of the text in the Notes pane by using the two buttons at the lower left corner of the Notes pane:

To change the size of the panes in Presenter View, point your mouse at the vertical line that separates them, then click and drag.

Tip:  If you don't need to see the current slide in Presenter View at all, and would like your notes to be larger, drag that vertical separator line all the way to the left.

Turn off Presenter view

If you want Presenter view turned off while you are showing your presentation to others:

On the Slide Show tab of the ribbon, clear the check box named Use Presenter View .

Keep your slides updated

If you're working with a team of people to create your slide deck it may be that changes are being made to the slides right up to the last minute. Traditionally once you've started your presentation your slides wouldn't update. If you're using PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 you have the option to let your slides be updated by your team even as you're presenting so that you always have the up-to-the-minute changes.

You can turn this on by going to the Slide Show tab of the ribbon, selecting Set Up Slide Show , and checking the box for Keep slides updated .  

If you've already started your presentation and you want to make sure that setting is on, you can do that from Presenter view. Select the More slide show options button (which looks like three dots) and on the menu make sure Keep Slides Updated is checked.

Using a laser pointer on your smartphone when presenting in PowerPoint

To start using Presenter view, select Slide Show > Presenter View .

To move to the previous or next slide, select the Previous or Next arrow.

To turn off the pen, laser pointer, or highlighter, press the Esc key.

To make the screen black or to un-black the screen, Press b on the keyboard.

Extend your Mac desktop to the second monitor

On the Apple menu, select System Preferences .

Open the Displays app.

Click the Arrangement tab in the dialog box.

Clear the Mirror Displays check box.

By doing this process, you now have a two-monitor setup. You can present a PowerPoint slide show on one screen while having other applications open on the other screen, keeeping those other apps private to yourself.

To manually determine which screen shows your notes in Presenter view and which shows only the slides themselves, on the task bar at the top left of Presenter view, select Swap Displays .

When your computer is connected to a projector and you start Presenter View, it appears on your computer's screen, while only the slides appear on the projector screen.

The notes appear in a pane on the right:

The text wraps automatically, and a vertical scroll bar appears if necessary.

You can edit the text in the Notes pane.

You can change the size of the text in the Notes pane by using the two buttons at the lower left corner of the Notes pane:

You can adjust the size of the current slide, and notes and next slide panels, by using your mouse to grab and drag the vertical line that separates the two panels.

Turn off Presenter view before a presentation begins

On the PowerPoint menu, select Preferences .

In the PowerPoint Preferences dialog box, under Output and Sharing , click Slide Show .

In the Slide Show dialog box, clear the Always start Presenter View with 2 displays check box.

Close the dialog box.

Turn off Presenter view during a presentation

At the top of the Presentation view window, click Use Slide Show .

This button closes Presenter view. As a result, both your personal computer screen and the projector screen show the slide show.

If you're working with a team of people to create your slide deck it may be that changes are being made to the slides right up to the last minute. Traditionally once you've started your presentation your slides wouldn't update. If you're using PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac you have the option to let your slides be updated by your team even as you're presenting so that you always have the up-to-the-minute changes.

You can turn this on by going to the Slide Show tab of the ribbon, and checking the box for Keep Slides Updated .  

Create a self-running presentation

Record your slide show

Keep slides updated

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PowerPoint Tips  - Open a File in Slide Show Mode

Powerpoint tips  -, open a file in slide show mode, powerpoint tips open a file in slide show mode.

PowerPoint Tips: Open a File in Slide Show Mode

Lesson 4: open a file in slide show mode.

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Open a file in Slide Show mode

When going from your desktop to your presentation, you normally have to open the file, wait for PowerPoint to load, then click a button to open the file. If you’re about to start a presentation, this can be a waste of time.

Instead of waiting and clicking, you can make your PowerPoint files open directly in Slide Show mode , taking you from desktop to presentation in a flash.

From the desktop, right-click your PowerPoint file, then select Show from the drop-down menu. Your file will open in Slide Show mode, where you can present it. To leave your presentation, just press Escape to return to the desktop.

Watch the video below to see how quickly you can open a file in Slide Show mode.

• Navigate to the location of your PowerPoint file on your desktop.
• Right-click on the file and select Show from the drop-down menu.
• The PowerPoint file will open directly in slideshow mode.
• Begin your presentation by clicking through the slides as usual.
• To exit the slideshow mode, press the Esc key on your keyboard. This will bring you straight back to your desktop.

This is another helpful tip for getting right down to business and starting your presentation in a jiffy! 

Next up, we’ll show you a shortcut for jumping to a specific slide.

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