i lost my microsoft powerpoint presentation

How to Recover a Deleted or Unsaved PowerPoint File

After hours of piecing together the perfect presentation, disaster happens the next morning as you go present it: It’s gone. No matter how frantically you search File Explorer, your precious PowePoint presentation is gone. Microsoft, though, has your back. As long as you haven’t disabled autorecovery, the file should still be on your machine -- or in the cloud, if you’re an Office365 user. It’s not foolproof, but you can often recover these accidentally deleted files.

Next time, however, you might want to save a redundant copy to the cloud, just in case.

1. Open a blank Microsoft PowerPoint document and click the File tab .

2. Click the Options link at the bottom.

3. Choose the Save option from the left .

4.Once you find the section with a path showing where your autosaved documents go, select and copy it . In my case, it’s here: C:\Users\Bryan\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\PowerPoint\

5. Open File Explorer and paste in the copied file path . Hit enter .

Stay in the know with Laptop Mag

Get our in-depth reviews, helpful tips, great deals, and the biggest news stories delivered to your inbox.

6. Here, we’ll see the last save of the document I was working on, which starts with the name “MYPRESENTATION.” Click it to open the file .

7. Right click the Microsoft PowerPoint file, and select Open with .

8. Choose PowerPoint, and click Ok .

Microsoft PowerPoint Tips

• Previous Tip
• Change Templates in PowerPoint
• Upload a PowerPoint Presentation to YouTube
• Change a Presentation to Portrait Orientation
• How to Insert a Screen Recording in PowerPoint
• Change Slide Size in PowerPoint
• How to Make a Picture Transparent in PowerPoint
• Convert a Presentation to PDF in PowerPoint
• Add a YouTube Video in PowerPoint
• How to Print Notes with Slides in PowerPoint 2016

How to convert PDF to JPG, PNG, or TIFF

How to add Outlook Calendar to Google Calendar

AR Smart glasses are everything the Vision Pro should have been

Most Popular

• 2 Samsung Galaxy green line fault: What is it, how to troubleshoot, and will Samsung repair?
• 3 Surface Pro 10 with Snapdragon X Plus appears — new leaked specs for Microsoft's 2-in-1
• 4 The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of our favorite phones, and it's now $200 off!
• 5 Meta just took a bold step to try to beat Apple Vision Pro with Horizon OS

How to Recover Unsaved PowerPoint Presentations

Always happens five minutes before the meeting

It’s not uncommon to lose hours of work in PowerPoint because of an unexpected system crash, shutdown, or power failure. Microsoft knows that, which is why the program comes with AutoRecover. It’s a feature that helps you retrieve unsaved PowerPoint presentations.

This tutorial will teach you how to use Microsoft PowerPoint’s AutoRecover feature in Windows and macOS, including other tips to recover lost or deleted PowerPoint presentations.

Recover Unsaved PowerPoint Presentations on Windows

Whenever you work on a presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 10 and 11, the program’s built-in AutoRecover functionality makes periodic backups to a temporary file once every 10 minutes.

If you forgot to save a Microsoft PowerPoint document because of an unexpected issue, you can get it back. There’s no guarantee it may contain the most recent changes, though.

By default, AutoRecover opens the unsaved presentation when you relaunch PowerPoint after a system or application crash. If you see a Recovered Unsaved File banner, select the Save button inside to save it permanently.

In Microsoft Office 2021 and earlier versions of PowerPoint, a Document Recovery pane should show up to the left of the PowerPoint window, letting you pick the file you want to recover.

If that does not happen, you can view the AutoRecover folder with the following steps:

• Open PowerPoint and select Open on the Start Screen.
• Select the Recover Unsaved Presentations button.

• On the File Explorer pop-up, open the folder related to the PPT file you want to restore.
• Select the file and choose Open .

• Review the presentation and save it to your PC’s hard drive.

If the Recover Unsaved Presentations option is not visible or PowerPoint repeatedly crashes before you can do anything, visit the program’s AutoRecover file location and retrieve the presentation via File Explorer.

• Open File Explorer.
• Copy and paste the following into the address bar, replacing <username> with your Windows user name. Then, press Enter :

C:Users <username> AppDataRoaming Microsoft PowerPoint

• Copy the unsaved PPT file you want to recover to another directory, then double-click to open it in PowerPoint.

To increase the frequency with which AutoRecover backs up your PowerPoint presentations and improve the chances of retrieving the most recent unsaved changes, you must:

• Select the File tab and choose Options (or More > Options ).

• Select the Save category on the PowerPoint Options sidebar.
• Modify the box next to Save AutoRecover information every x minutes .

For example, enter a value of 1 if you want the PowerPoint recovery tool to back up unsaved changes every minute.

Recover Unsaved PowerPoint Files on macOS

Like on Windows, AutoRecover is available on Microsoft PowerPoint for macOS. If you’re working on a PowerPoint presentation on a Mac and experience a sudden crash or shutdown, you should be able to use it to recover the unsaved changes and prevent data loss.

Just re-open PowerPoint. AutoRecover should automatically re-open the presentation you were last working on, allowing you to save the changes permanently.

Suppose that doesn’t happen. Just:

• Open the Home button and choose Open .
• Select Recover Unsaved Presentations .
• Double-click the PPTX file you want to recover.

If the Recover Unsaved Presentations button is not visible, manually visit PowerPoint’s AutoRecover temp folder and retrieve the presentation via Finder.

• Open Finder and select Go > Go to Folder on the menu bar.

• Copy the following path and press Return :

~/Library/Containers/com. Microsoft.Powerpoint /Data/Library/Preferences/ AutoRecovery

• Copy the file you want to recover to a different location.

Manually recovered AutoRecover backups for the Mac do not have a specified file type, so you must go through the following steps to view them in PowerPoint.

• Right-click the auto-recovered PPTX file and select Open with > Other .

• Select All Applications on the drop-down menu next to Enable .
• Select Microsoft PowerPoint within the list of applications and choose Open .

By default, AutoRecover saves your presentations every 10 minutes. If you want to increase the chances of recovering the most recent changes:

• Open PowerPoint and select PowerPoint > Preferences on the menu bar.

• Select Save .

• Modify the box next to Save AutoRecover information every x minutes and enter a new value—e.g., 1 to make AutoRecover back up your presentation every minute.

Other Methods to Recover PowerPoint Files:

Unsaved PowerPoint presentations aside, you might have to deal with misplaced or deleted PowerPoint files every now and then. When that happens, here are several ways you can try to get them back.

Check PowerPoint’s Recents List

If you can’t remember the location of a PPTX file, just check PowerPoint’s Recent list on the Start Screen. If the presentation is listed there, select to open it.

Use Windows Search or Spotlight

Your PC or Mac keeps an index of whatever’s in its internal storage. If you can remember the file name of a lost presentation (or even part of it), try searching for it through Windows Search or Spotlight Search.

Check the Recycle Bin or Trash

Windows and macOS store deleted items for 30 days, so check the Recycle Bin or Trash if you can’t find a presentation. If the PPTX file is inside, you can restore it to its original location.

Use File History or Time Machine

You should be able to recover a lost PowerPoint file if your PC or Mac is set to back up to an external hard drive. Learn how to retrieve deleted files or previous versions using File History or Time Machine.

Use a File Recovery Tool

If all else fails, use data recovery software to retrieve deleted PowerPoint files. Check our list of top file recovery programs for the PC and Mac .

Don’t Forget to Save or AutoSave Your Presentations

Losing an unsaved PowerPoint presentation can be a frustrating experience, but with AutoRecover, you can recover your work and stop having to start over from scratch.

Regardless, it’s best not to leave things to chance, so remember to always save your work frequently. If you prefer storing your presentations on OneDrive, use the AutoSave feature in Microsoft Office to avoid lost data.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn't hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube. Read Dilum's Full Bio

Read More Posts:

• The Best Tech Gifts Under $100
• Traveling? Get These Gadgets!

How to Recover an Unsaved PowerPoint

Get that PowerPoint presentation back

• Western Governors University

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• AutoRecover
• Alternate Method
• Recover Deleted Presentation
• Enable AutoSave
• Frequently Asked Questions

What to Know

• File > Open > Recover Unsaved Presentations .
• Or: File > Info > Manage Presentations > Recover Unsaved Presentations .
• Check your Recycle Bin and automatic backup folders for deleted presentations, or use recovery software.

This article explains how to recover an unsaved PowerPoint. These instructions apply to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, and Microsoft 365 .

How Do I Recover a PowerPoint That Was Not Saved?

There are a few ways to recover an unsaved PowerPoint. If one method doesn't work, you should try the other options outlined below.

PowerPoint has a feature called AutoRecover which periodically stores data from your presentations. In newer versions of PowerPoint, you can access AutoRecover files from within PowerPoint:

Go to the File tab.

Select Open .

Select Recover Unsaved Presentations at the bottom of the list of recent files.

Select your presentation to open it. If you don't see it, move on to the next section to try a different method.

Alternate Way to Recover an Unsaved PowerPoint

Depending on your version of PowerPoint, the steps for recovering unsaved presentations might be different:

Select Info .

Select Manage Presentations > Recover Unsaved Presentations .

Select your presentation to open it.

If you don't see the Recover Unsaved Presentations option in PowerPoint, you might find your presentation in the following folder on Windows:

On Mac, you can find AutoRecover data in this folder:

Copy and paste the above file path in the File Explorer or Finder address bar; then press Enter to open the folder. Replace User with your Windows or Mac username.

If you still don't see your file, try looking in the following folder on Windows:

Alternatively, press Windows key + R to bring up the Run command and enter %temp% in the Run prompt to open the Temp folder. To find your presentation, search for ppt files.

How Do I Get My Deleted PowerPoint Presentation Back?

If you previously saved a presentation and it got deleted, there are a few things you can try to recover your PowerPoint.

First, check your Windows Recycle Bin or Mac Trash folder. Depending on how long ago a user deleted it, you may be able to restore files from the Recycle Bin or recover files from the Trash on Mac . If successful, the file should return to its original folder.

If you use automatic backup software , check your backup folders. You can also restore your file using recovery software like Recuva or Disk Drill .

Enable PowerPoint AutoSave

PowerPoint includes an AutoSave feature that backs up your work every few seconds. Select the AutoSave toggle switch in the upper-left corner of your presentation to turn it On , or go to go to File > Options > Save and check the AutoSave box.

To recover an unsaved Word document , go to File > Manage Documents > Recover Unsaved Documents . If you see the document listed, select it. Or, search for a backup of the file by going to File > Open > Browse . You can also use Windows Explorer to search for recovered or temporary files.

To recover an unsaved Excel file , if you have AutoSave enabled, view the Document Recovery interface when you launch Excel. In the section called Available Files , you'll see all your autosaved workbooks and document files. To recover a file, select the arrow next to the file details and choose Open .

To recover a deleted or unsaved Notepad file, go to your Windows 10 search function, type %AppData% , and press Enter . The Roaming folder will open. Search for files that end in .txt to find your unsaved Notepad file.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

• How to Recover an Unsaved Word Document
• How to Use the Samsung My Files App to Find Your Downloads
• How to Fix It When Microsoft Word Is Not Responding
• The 21 Best Free Data Recovery Software Tools of 2024
• Tips for Solving Common PowerPoint Problems
• How to Recover Deleted Facebook Posts
• EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard v18 (A Free Undelete Tool)
• How to Find Trash on an Android
• How to Recover an Excel File
• How to Merge PowerPoints
• How to Find Deleted Phone Numbers on Android
• How to Recover Deleted Files on a Mac
• How to Turn on AutoSave in Excel
• How to Save PowerPoint Presentations as PDF Files
• How to Recover Deleted Files (Easy, 5 to 25 Minutes)
• How to Use Microsoft's Free PowerPoint Viewers

• Get started with computers
• Learn Microsoft Office
• Apply for a job
• Improve my work skills
• Design nice-looking docs
• Getting Started
• Smartphones & Tablets
• Typing Tutorial
• Online Learning
• Basic Internet Skills
• Online Safety
• Social Media
• Zoom Basics
• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Career Planning
• Resume Writing
• Cover Letters
• Job Search and Networking
• Business Communication
• Entrepreneurship 101
• Careers without College
• Job Hunt for Today
• 3D Printing
• Freelancing 101
• Personal Finance
• Sharing Economy
• Decision-Making
• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Image Editing
• Learning WordPress
• Language Learning
• Critical Thinking
• For Educators
• Translations
• Staff Picks
• English expand_more expand_less

PowerPoint Tips  - Recover Unsaved Presentations

Powerpoint tips  -, recover unsaved presentations, powerpoint tips recover unsaved presentations.

PowerPoint Tips: Recover Unsaved Presentations

Lesson 7: recover unsaved presentations.

/en/powerpoint-tips/spell-check-and-thesaurus-shortcuts/content/

Recover unsaved presentations

Sometimes you don’t get the chance to save your presentation before your computer crashes or you lose power. Thankfully, PowerPoint can help you recover unsaved presentations .

Watch the video below to see how you can restore your work.

• If PowerPoint recovers any unsaved files when you open it, a Document Recovery window will appear.
• Click on the file to open it and then close the window.
• If the Document Recovery window does not appear, click on the File tab in the PowerPoint menu.
• Select Open at the bottom of the recent presentations.
• Click on Recover Unsaved Presentations .
• Select the unsaved file that you want to recover and open it.

We also recommend saving the recovered file in order to prevent losing it in the future. Keep this shortcut in mind next time you have computer trouble, and hopefully, your hard work won't be lost!

Now let’s go over the steps for compressing media files in PowerPoint. 

/en/powerpoint-tips/compress-media-files/content/

How to Recover Deleted/Unsaved PowerPoint Files (Multiple Methods for Windows)

No robots used , our articles are crafted by humans under strict Editorial Guidelines .

In that situation, you can use the methods below to recover the PowerPoint file and save yourself a lot of time.

Quick Navigation

How to Recover Unsaved PowerPoint File

Forgetting to click the save button when creating a PowerPoint presentation is a fairly common problem, which is why Microsoft made it possible to recover unsaved presentations directly from PowerPoint.

Method #1: Click Recover Unsaved Presentations

As soon as you create a presentation, PowerPoint saves it in a special folder, called UnsavedFiles. The presentation is stored in this folder until you click the Save button and provide your own directory. Here’s how you can recover unsaved PowerPoint presentations that are still located in the UnsavedFiles folder:

• Launch PowerPoint.
• Open the File menu and click Open.

• Open your presentation and save it someplace safe.

If the UnsavedFiles folder is empty, then you need to try the other methods described in this article.

Method #2: Use the AutoRecover Feature

Located inside the Save section of PowerPoint Options is the AutoRecover feature. When enabled, this feature stores information about opened PowerPoint files every X minutes, and when PowerPoint is closed without saving.

The recovery files created by the AutoRecover feature can be found in the following location (USERNAME = your username):

You can recover them from this location by copying the path and pasting it in the File Explorer address bar.

Then, simply move the PPT or PPTX file to a safe location.

Method #3: Check the Temp Folder

Windows allows any application to store temporary inside the following folder:

You can quickly open this folder by pressing Windows key + R on your keyboard and typing %temp% in the Run prompt.

Since the Temp folder tends to be rather messy, we don’t recommend you go through it manually. Instead, enter the following search queries in the search box located in the top-right corner of File Explorer:

If these search queries fail to yield any results, then it’s possible that your PowerPoint files are deleted. The good news is that there are several ways to recover deleted PPT files, and we explore them in the next section of this article.

How to Recover Deleted PowerPoint File

The three methods we’ve described so far can help you recover a presentation that was closed without saving, but what about presentations that were saved, only to be deleted? Well, that’s where the following three methods come in.

Method #1: Look Inside the Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin should be the first place you look for lost PowerPoint files:

• Press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt.
• Enter: explorer.exe shell:RecycleBinFolder

• Find your PowerPoint file.

No luck finding your PowerPoint document inside the Recycle Bin? Then it’s most likely permanently deleted .

Method #2: Retrieve Your File from a Backup

It would be beyond the scope of this article to describe all popular backup applications available to Windows users, so we decided to narrow them down to just three:

• Local backup:
• OneDrive backup:
• File History:
• Connect your backup drive to your computer.
• Open it using File Explorer.
• Find your PPT presentation.
• Copy it to your computer.
• Open a web browser.
• Visit:  https://onedrive.live.com/
• Log in with your username and password.
• Download it to your computer.
• Open the Start menu.
• Type “file history.”
• Select Restore your files with File History.
• Navigate to where your PPT file was located and restore it.

Don’t have a backup of your lost PowerPoint file? Don’t despair! There’s still one method that you can try, and it works even if you don’t back up your files.

Method #3: Use Data Recovery Software

Data recovery software can undelete even permanently deleted files, as long as they haven’t been overwritten by new data. Such software applications are available from many different vendors, some of which are targeting enterprise customers, while others are focusing on individual home users.

To recover a PowerPoint presentation with Disk Drill :

• Add the lost PPT/PPTX file to the recovery queue by clicking the checkbox next to it.

Tips to Avoid Losing PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX) Files

Creating PowerPoint presentations is hardly ever fun, but having to recreate a lost presentation from scratch can be a torturous ordeal. Here’s what you can do to avoid losing your PowerPoint files:

• 💾 Enable AutoSave : If you’re using the latest version of PowerPoint (2016 or 2019) and have a Microsoft 365 subscription, then you can enable the AutoSave feature to save your files automatically, every few seconds, as you work. All you need to do is sign in with your Microsoft account and click the AutoSave button in the top-left corner. Unfortunately, the AutoSave feature is not present in PowerPoint 2003/2007/2010/2013.
• 💻 Back up your presentations : It’s never a good idea to keep just a single copy of an important presentation. Instead, consider using the 3-2-1 backup strategy , which states that you should always have three copies of your data, stored on two different media, with one copy off-site.
• ⚡ Buy a UPS : An uninterrupted power supply, or UPS for short, is essentially a battery that sits between your computer and the wall outlet the computer draws power from. In case of a power outage, the UPS quickly turns on to power your computer, allowing you to save your work.
• 💀 Avoid pirated versions of PowerPoint : Obviously, you should never use a pirated version of any software, but it’s especially dangerous to use a pirated version of PowerPoint and other Office applications because you never know if it hasn’t been tampered with and infected with malware.
• 🔧 Maintain your system : Unless your operating system is rock-solid, there will always be a chance of PowerPoint crashing at the worst possible moment. That’s why you should avoid installing dubious software applications from the internet. Instead, try to keep your system as clean as possible by following basic system maintenance tips .

How to recover deleted PowerPoint files?

Follow these simple steps to recover deleted PowerPoint presentations:

• Download, install & run Disk Drill on your PC.
• Select the disk containing the deleted PowerPoint files.
• Start the scan & wait for it to finish.
• Select the PPT files you want to recover & click “Recover”.
• Choose a safe recovery destination & hit “Confirm”.

How to recover a PowerPoint file after a crash?

To recover a PowerPoint file after a crash, open PowerPoint on your computer, click the File menu > Open > Recover Unsaved Presentations.

Can you recover deleted slides from PowerPoint?

No, even the latest version of PowerPoint doesn’t make it possible to recover deleted slides. The best you can do is restore an older version of the PowerPoint file, which can be easily done using OneDrive.

How to recover a corrupted PowerPoint file?

PowerPoint has a built-in file repair option, and you can access it by opening the File menu and selecting > Open > Browse > Open and Repair (accessible after clicking the small arrow next to the Open button).

How to recover a PowerPoint file that was saved over?

Unfortunately, you can’t recover a PowerPoint file that was saved over unless you have a backup safely stored somewhere on your computer or in the cloud.

In this article, we’ve described multiple methods that you can use to recover deleted and unsaved PowerPoint files, so all you need to do is pick the one that best fits your situation by consulting the Quick Navigation section at the start of this article.

This article was written by David Morelo , a Staff Writer at Handy Recovery. It was also verified for technical accuracy by Andrey Vasilyev , our editorial advisor.

Curious about our content creation process? Take a look at our Editor Guidelines .

• Data recovery for Mac
• Data recovery for Windows
• All Articles

How to Recover Deleted or Unsaved PowerPoint File

• Recover Deleted Files on Windows
• Recover Deleted Files on Mac OS X
• Hard Drive Recovery Tips
• SD Card & Flash Drive Recovery Tips
• All About Data Recovery
• All about iOS
• All about Android
• Recovering File Types & Formats
• Data Recovery in Your City
• Mac OS X Tips & Troubleshooting
• Windows Tips & Troubleshooting
• Software Reviews
• Best Software & Services in 2022
• Best Hardware in 2023
• Tech Related Articles

Have you lost your PPT file due to a system crash or deletion and aren’t sure how to retrieve it? Don’t worry, this is the place for you. Data loss scenarios are quite common, and several methods are available to help recover your PPT file back. Follow our instructions for quick and easy methods to restore your deleted files.

What is the PowerPoint File Type (PPT, PPTX)

PPT stands for the Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation binary format, and it is the main file extension that saves PowerPoint presentations. The software is widely used to design presentations for educational and business purposes. All slides, videos, texts, images, etc., are stored within the PPT file.

Introduced in 1987 with the release of PowerPoint, the PPT extension used to be the primary file type to save your presentations for versions 2003 and older.

How to Recover Deleted PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX) Files

There are many possible fixes to assist you in restoring your lost PPTX files. Go through the table below for an overview of available recovery methods:

While these solutions can be convenient, it is also important to keep certain practices in mind while working on your PPTX file. A few tips and tricks that can be helpful in data-loss situations are:

• 💾 Keep more than one backup of your PPTX file. In case of an unexpected file loss, having backups would ensure a smooth recovery process.
• ❌ If your device crashes or you want to retrieve your file, avoid writing new data to that drive. It can lead to complications while restoring the desired file.
• ⏩ Start the data recovery process as soon as you can. The longer you wait to attempt getting the file back, the restoration chances would become more uncertain.
• 💯 Try the most sure-shot method of file recovery first. It would increase the possibility of successful recovery and might prevent permanent file damage.

Being mindful of these pointers can help avoid severe data loss and make the recovery process quite efficient.

How to Recover PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX) Files with Software

Although various data recovery methods are available to help you restore your PPTX files, third-party software is perhaps the most effective. Instead of relying on temporary folders, these solutions can permanently retrieve your files. While it may seem challenging at first, most file recovery software like Disk Drill is relatively user-friendly.

Steps to recover your PPT, PPTX files with Disk Drill:

• While it is faster than most recovery software, Disk Drill will take some time to scan your device for lost data. You can choose your recovery method — Quick Scan or Deep Scan . ⏯️ You can also pause and resume scans halfway to glance through the files found.

Recover PPT, PPTX Files from Windows Recycle Bin and Mac Trash

If you wish to retrieve your deleted PPT, PPTX files, there’s a simple solution to help you get them back. You can use the Windows Recycle Bin or Mac Trash to restore your files to their original location.

Both these folders in your system temporarily store your deleted files. This makes it easy to recover your data without much effort.

Recovering PPT, PPTX files from the Windows Recycle Bin

• Once you’ve opened the folder, find and select the PPT or PPTX file you wish to recover.

Recovering PPT, PPTX files from Mac Trash

Restore from a Recent Files Folder

While the Windows Recycle Bin and the Mac Trash folders offer effortless data recovery, they can only recover deleted files — whether accidental or voluntary. However, you don’t necessarily need to download software to retrieve your data. There are other solutions within your system that can help you restore your lost PPT, PPTX files.

Let’s go through both the options one by one:

Recovering Files Using Windows File History

• Make sure you have turned on the File History option. If not, select an internal or external drive to which you want to backup your information, and turn it on.

• Go through available backups and locate the PPT or PPTX file you want to recover.

Recovering Files Using Mac Time Machine

• Navigate through the folders to locate your PPT or PPTX file from available backups.

Having backups of your data is a valuable practice that always comes in handy in the long run. The techniques mentioned above can assist you with the convenient recovery of your PPT, PPTX files only if you’ve saved them. It may seem like a limitation in comparison with the data recovery efficiency of software. However, there is a bonus feature on PowerPoint that can help recover your lost files.

Recover PPT, PPTX Files using Windows File Recovery

Windows File Recovery is Microsoft’s command-line recovery utility and is available for free download from the Microsoft Store. Since it doesn’t have a graphical user interface, users must enter the corresponding command prompt to recover lost files. This utility supports various file systems and types and is a helpful tool for data recovery. 

Here’s how you can recover PPT, PPTX files with Windows File Recovery:

• Download Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store and Install it on your PC.
• Launch Windows File Recovery and click the Run as administrator option.
• Once the Command Prompt window opens, enter the command in the following format: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]
• You need to specify a mode in the format mentioned above, according to what’s suitable for your file system. You can use two basic modes to recover files – Regular and Extensive .
• You can also mention any specific file extensions according to the files you wish to retrieve. For instance, enter a similar command to retrieve PPT, PPTX files: winfr C: E: /extensive /n *.ppt /n *.pptx
• Note that the source and destination drives must be different. After you’ve entered, Microsoft automatically creates a recovery folder on the destination drive.

Recover PPT, PPTX Files from your Temporary Files Folder

Another method that you can use to retrieve your unsaved PPT, PPTX files is through the temporary files folder. Windows has this temporary folder dedicated to saving files from various applications. Here’s the path to the temporary files folder: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Temp

There are other ways to access this folder as well. Follow these steps to recover your lost or unsaved PPT, PPTX files from the temporary files folder:

• Once you run the command, the folder window will open in File Explorer. To narrow down your search options, you can filter through the results by using the following extensions – *.pptx, *.ppt, ppt*.tmp . 

Recover PPT, PPTX File from a Local Backup

An easier way to retrieve your PPT, PPTX files is to look for them in a local backup. However, turning to this method will only be feasible if you’ve created backups of your files either on hard drives, or on the cloud. In this article, we shall look at the steps to recover PPT, PPTX files from a local backup:

• Connect your backup drive to your computer.
• Open it using File Explorer.
• Look through the data to find your PPT presentation.
• Copy it to your computer and access the backed up version. 

Recovering PPT, PPTX Files with PowerPoint Features

Did your presentation disappear? PowerPoint provides features that can help recover your unsaved or deleted files. All versions from 2010 and onwards have the Auto Recovery feature and the Recover Unsaved Presentations option. The former saves the file you’re working on at regular time intervals. Both features help the user ensure they have a place from which they can retrieve their lost files.

Auto-Recovery

If you haven’t saved the PPT or PPTX file you’re working on; PowerPoint creates a temporary folder to save these files. You can navigate to the Auto-Recover File Location and look for your file there. However, to enable this feature, you must ensure that the AutoRecover information option is turned on.

Recover Unsaved Presentations

If PowerPoint or your system crashes while you’re working or before you have the chance to check a saved version, you can use this feature. Once you click on the Recover Unsaved Presentations option, it will open your missing file.

On Windows: Open File > Info > Manage Versions > Recover Unsaved Presentations .

You can find more information on these features at the Microsoft Community.

How to Open PPT, PPTX on Mac and Windows

Microsoft PowerPoint is the most suitable application to open your PPT, PPTX files. It supports all the texts, transition effects, images, clipart, videos, etc., which are vital assets to format the presentation. It is available on both Windows and Mac operating systems as well as on Android and iOS. You can purchase a subscription to Microsoft 365 from Microsoft’s official website.

You can also view PowerPoint files in several other presentation programs. Some examples are Apple Keynote, Corel Presentations, or PPTX viewer. If you have a Microsoft Account or a Microsoft 365 account, it will allow you to view and edit your presentations in the web browser.

Programs that Open PPT, PPTX Files

While Microsoft PowerPoint works best, multiple applications can support PPT, PPTX files. You may not be able to edit them using these applications, but you can view them easily. Some programs that support PPT, PPTX files are:

On Windows: Microsoft PowerPoint 354 Corel Presentations 2021 File Viewer Plus

On Mac: Microsoft PowerPoint 354 Apple Preview Apple Keynote

Android: File Viewer by Android Microsoft Office Microsoft PowerPoint Google Drive Google Slides

iOS: Microsoft Office Microsoft PowerPoint Google Drive Google Slides

Tips to Avoid PPT, PPTX File Loss

While it is quite possible to recover your lost PPT, PPTX files conveniently, it is advisable to try and avoid data loss situations. Here are a few tips you can follow to keep your files safe:

• 💿 Save your work manually – While technological advancements have made it easier to recover files, it is good to keep saving your file manually while working. If the system crashes or an unforeseen problem arises, you can seamlessly get back your precious presentations.
• 💾 Keep multiple backups – Ensure that you have backups of your files. You can either backup your PPT, PPTX files to a different storage device or use the backup features on your systems. Both Windows and Mac OS offer some advanced features that allow you to back up your files safely.
• ☁️ Enable AutoRecover and AutoSave – Verify that AutoRecover has been turned on in PowerPoint. This feature can help you recover your deleted or unsaved files without hassle. A lot of users fret that they forgot to save their presentations. This is where the AutoSave option is a real gamechanger: It automatically saves the changes you continue to make onto the OneDrive cloud storage.
• 🩺 Install a good Antivirus – It is crucial to have reliable antivirus software installed on your computer. It will protect your files from malware and prevent file corruption.
• 🔋 System and Power compatibility – It is suggested that you ensure your system’s compatibility with the software. With constant technical developments, outdated software versions would not work on newer systems. To avoid data loss due to sudden power outages, invest in an Uninterrupted Power Source (UPS).
• 🗄️ Separate software from other data – You should keep your software and other data, including your media files and documents on different drives. If this isn’t followed, your system can crash, or you risk disk failure. It can thus result in significant data loss.

This information can help you avoid losing your data. However, if a data-loss situation arises, the methods mentioned above can help you recover files or other data.

How to recover unsaved PowerPoint files in Windows 11?

PowerPoint comes ready with features that actively work to keep a record of your presentations, even if you haven’t saved it yet. To do this, PowerPoint takes regular snapshots of your file, which allows you to recover it in the event of sudden power or application failure.

To recover an unsaved PowerPoint file, follow these steps:

• Open PowerPoint .
• Click File , then Open . At the bottom of the recent files list, click Recover Unsaved Presentations .
• Select the unsaved presentation file in the UnsavedFiles folder, then click Open .

Once opened, save the presentation file like normal.

Where are PowerPoint AutoSave files stored?

If you’re not a Microsoft 365 user, the AutoSave feature that automatically saves your presentation almost immediately after any change won’t be available to you. Instead, you must rely on the AutoRecover feature.

AutoRecover, when enabled, will automatically make a copy of your file every 10 minutes by default. The path to this AutoRecover folder is typically C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\PowerPoint\ , but the below instructions will show you how to find the exact location for you.

• Click File , then Options .
• Click Save .
• Copy the path in the AutoRecover file location box and open it in File Explorer .

How to recover unsaved PowerPoint files on OneDrive?

If your PowerPoint presentation crashes before you get a chance to save it in OneDrive, you may still be able to recover it from a version that was automatically saved. To do so, follow these steps.

• Click File , then Open .
• Click Recover Unsaved Presentations .
• Select your unsaved presentation and click Open .

Going forward, if you’re a Microsoft 365 user, consider saving your file in OneDrive immediately after creating it. This way, the AutoSave feature will be enabled from the beginning, which will save your file every few seconds.

How do I recover PowerPoint history?

Follow these steps to recover PowerPoint file history:

• Open the file you want to view.
• Click File > Info > Version history . 
• Select a version to open it in a separate window.
• If you wish to restore a previous version you’ve opened, select Restore .

Where are temporary PowerPoint files stored?

Temporary PowerPoint files are stores under the following path: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Temp

Follow these steps to recover temporary PPT, PPTX files:

• Press Win + R and type in %temp% in the Run prompt.
• You can filter through the results in File Explorer by using the following extensions – *.pptx, *.ppt, ppt*.tmp . 
• If the presentation is located within the temporary files folder, it should show up in the results and you can recover it.

How to recover PowerPoint files that were not saved on the iPad?

All PowerPoint presentations are saved automatically on iOS devices. In the event that the AutoSave feature was manually disabled, there will be no way to recover an unsaved presentation.

Joshua Solomon

Technology, SaaS, and digital marketing are Joshua's go-to niches. He understands the need for simple and easy-to-read articles on the internet. As technologies grow in complexity, guides and how-to pieces must remain com...

Brett Johnson

This article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Brett has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Systems and Network, 12 years of experience.

• March 30, 2023 How to Recover Deleted Photos from a Canon Camera
• December 23, 2021 How to Recover Lost Dir Files from SD Card
• June 13, 2022 How to Recover Deleted Emails on a Mac
• November 8, 2023 LaCie Data Recovery: Solutions to Fix the Drive &…
• April 4, 2022 How To Recover Data From Sony SD Cards?
• July 21, 2022 How to Recover Deleted Screenshots on a Mac
• March 6, 2023 How to Recover Deleted Photos & Videos from a…
• February 14, 2024 How to Recover Deleted Videos from Dashcam

How-To Geek

How to view and restore old versions of powerpoint files.

Accidentally deleted something important from a PowerPoint presentation?

Quick Links

Requirements, how to see older versions of your powerpoint presentations.

Microsoft PowerPoint lets you view and switch to older versions of your presentations. If you accidentally deleted something important and it got overwritten in PowerPoint, here's how to restore it.

Before you get started, make sure that you have a Microsoft 365 subscription. The ability to view and restore previous versions of PowerPoint presentations can be accessed only through a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Fortunately, this subscription also gives you access to all other Office apps, along with 1TB of OneDrive storage. You can put the cloud storage to good use by automatically saving your presentations to OneDrive.

Also, enabling auto-save  on PowerPoint is required for accessing version history. To do so, you'll need to create a new PowerPoint presentation and then turn the "AutoSave" switch on in the document's title bar. When PowerPoint shows you a confirmation pop-up, select "OneDrive."

Related: How to Automatically Save PowerPoint Presentations to OneDrive

Now that you've sorted out the basics, open PowerPoint and load any PowerPoint presentation. There are two ways to check version history here, and we'll show you both.

First, click "File" in the menu bar.

In the left pane, click "Info."

Click "Version History" on the right.

Alternately, you can click the file name at the top of the document that you've opened and select "Version History" from the pop-up menu.

No matter which method you choose, a new pane labeled "Version History" will open up on the right-hand side of your presentation in PowerPoint.

Microsoft PowerPoint sorts older versions of the document by date and time here. To load a previous version of the presentation, click the "Open version" button below the version that you need to go back to.

This will open a read-only file that shows an older version of your PowerPoint presentation. Right below the ribbon menu, you'll see a button labeled "Restore." Click it to go back to the previous version.

Note that this will overwrite your PowerPoint presentation. You can always repeat the same steps to visit the modified version of your document in case you want to copy any additional changes to the older version.

If you use Microsoft 365 apps frequently, you might also be interested in knowing how to restore previous versions of Excel workbooks or Word documents .

Related: How to View and Restore Previous Versions of a Word Document

• Files & Documents

How to Recover a Deleted or Unsaved PowerPoint Presentation

Last update: March 22, 2023

PowerPoint is very popular presentation software. It can be disastrous to lose or delete an important PowerPoint file. Fortunately, there are ways to get lost PowerPoint presentations back. Read on to see how you can recover your valuable data.

Ways to Recover Deleted or Unsaved PowerPoint Presentations

There are multiple ways to recover deleted or lost PowerPoint files. Let’s take a look at the various methods you can use to get back deleted or unsaved PowerPoint files.

Method 1: Use Operating System Features

The first place to look for any lost files is in the special folders that the Windows and Mac operating systems provide to temporarily store deleted items.

To recover a PowerPoint presentation from the Windows Recycle Bin , follow these steps:

• Open the Recycle Bin by clicking on its icon.
• Find the file you wish to restore.
• Click or tap on Restore to recover the file to its original location.

Mac users can use the Trash to recover recently deleted PPT files with these steps:

• Open the Trash by clicking on its icon.
• Locate the item you want to recover.
• Right-click on the PowerPoint file and click Put Back.

Method 2: Try Native PowerPoint Features

PowerPoint provides two powerful native methods of recovering data. You can use the PowerPoint Autorecover feature or the Recover Unsaved Presentation feature. Here’s how they work.

AutoRecover – PowerPoint automatically saves files temporarily via the AutoRecover feature. Recovering them requires navigating to the appropriate folder and searching for your file. To see where PowerPoint is storing the files, use the following steps in PowerPoint.

• Open File > Options > Save.
• The file is specified in the AutoRecover file location field.

You can also  enable or disable AutoRecover  from this window and modify the elapsed time between automatic saves of your PowerPoint files.

Recover Unsaved Presentation  – If PowerPoint crashes before you have a chance to save your presentation, you can use this feature to recover your work. Just follow these steps:

• Open the File tab in PowerPoint.
• Select Recent.
• Click on the Recover Unsaved Presentation icon on the bottom-right of the window.

Recover from temporary PowerPoint files  – You may be able to manually save files that have been temporarily saved by the application. Look in these locations for your operating system if you have lost a PowerPoint file.

• Windows – C :\ Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Temp
• Mac – /Users/<username>/Library/Containers/com.Microsoft.Powerpoint /Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery

Method 3: Use PowerPoint Recovery Software

In cases where the previous recovery methods are not successful, specialized software may help you restore a lost PPT file. Data recovery software works by taking advantage of the way modern operating systems delete data. When a file is deleted on a Windows or Mac machine, the data is not immediately removed from a disk-based storage device. The operating system disables logical access to the deleted data but it remains on the disk until it is overwritten by new information.

Our editorial team has extensively used licensed copy of Disk Drill data recovery software, which has proven to be a reliable solution for various data loss situations. The steps with other recovery applications will be similar to the following procedure that we use with Disk Drill for Windows.

• Download and install the software. Don’t use the disk that contained the lost PowerPoint files or you risk overwriting them.
• Launch the application and select the disk with the missing PowerPoint presentations from the list of available devices.

• Click the  Recover  button to сhoose a safe storage location that is not on the disk being recovered.

There are many data recovery software solutions available for Mac and Windows computers. Some are freeware applications while others are commercial products. When you are tasked with recovering a lost PowerPoint file, you want to choose the right software tool. Here are some things to keep in mind when making your choice.

Freeware solutions such as Disk Drill data recovery software provide more features than free alternatives.The only real benefit of free tools is the price. The features included with a commercial solution are generally far superior to free alternatives. When faced with a data loss situation, you want to use the best tool available, and a paid/freeware solution will give you a better chance of successful recovery.

Method 4: Recover PowerPoint Presentation From a Backup

If you are following accepted best practices and backing up your computer regularly, you may have a copy of the lost PowerPoint available on backup storage media. Whatever tool you choose to use for making backups, the recovery process is essentially the same and will follow these general steps.

• Connect the storage media containing the backup files to your computer.
• Start the backup and recovery application.
• Search for the PowerPoint presentation you want to recover.
• If found, restore the file to your computer.

The fact that the last resort may be to use a backup copy to recover your files demonstrates the importance of making it a regular practice to back up your data. Take the time to do it. Someday you will be very happy that you did.

Why Do PowerPoint Files Get Deleted?

Just as with any other type of file living on your computer or laptop, there are many ways that PowerPoint presentations can be lost or deleted. Here are some of the most common reasons you might lose one of these important files.

• Human error is involved in a large majority of data loss incidents. It’s very easy to inadvertently delete the wrong file and then empty the Trash or Recycle Bin. You may also accidentally format a drive or partition that contained some PowerPoint files.
• An infection with a virus or malware can be responsible for the loss of data on a Mac or Windows 7/8/10/11 machine. Files may be randomly deleted or the filesystem can become corrupted depending on what type of malware has entered your system.
• Physically damaged disks will often exhibit lost and deleted data. Disks can be damaged due to simple wear and tear or by treating them badly and exposing the devices to excessive moisture or heat.

Protecting Your PowerPoint Files

There are several measures that you can take to protect your PowerPoint files.

The information presented in this section should help you protect your PowerPoint presentations and recover them if you are impacted by a sudden data loss. Here are a few more points of interest regarding recovering deleted PowerPoint files.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i recover a powerpoint that i have overwritten.

Once you have saved a PowerPoint over an older copy, the best way to recover it is with a backup. Windows users may also be able to use the Restore Previous Version feature that also depends on restore points being saved by the operating system.

How can I recover deleted PowerPoint files from an iPad?

Data recovery software can be used to restore a PowerPoint file deleted from an iPad. Connect the iPad to your computer and let the recovery software scan it as it would any other disk-based device.

How can I recover a file if PowerPoint crashes?

Use the Recover Unsaved Presentation feature to recover files that you were working on when PowerPoint stopped responding or crashed. Alternately, you can use PowerPoint’s Autorecover feature which can be configured to automatically save presentations on a time-frame of your choosing.

• 12 publishings

Robert is a freelance writer and technology enthusiast who graduated from Pace University in New York with a degree in Computer Science in 1992. He is a former computer specialist at IBM. During his long career in IT, he has worked for a number of major service providers in various roles related to data storage, management, and protection.

• How to Recover Data from an External Hard Drive
• How to Recover Data From a Dead External Hard Drive
• How to Recover Deleted Music, Songs & Audio Files on Windows
• How to Recover Deleted Files From a Flash Drive
• How to Recover Files From an SD Card on Mac

• Frisco, Texas, United States

Yevgeniy Tolkunov is Hardware Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Yevgeniy has a Master's Degree in Physics, Information Technology; 15+ years of experience.

• Office Document Solutions
• Photo/Video/Audio/Camera Solutions
• Email-Related Solutions
• Windows Computer Solutions
• Mac Computer Solutions
• Linux Solutions
• Hard Drive Solutions
• SD Card Solutions
• USB Drive Solutions
• NAS Disk Solutions
• Data Backup Solutions
• File Format
• File System
• Storage Media
• Disk Parition
• DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD
• Buy Now Buy Now

PowerPoint File Recovery

• Recovers deleted, lost, and unsaved PPT files effectively and completely.
• Handles 500+ data loss scenarios, including accidental deletion, system crash, disk corruption, virus attack, etc.
• Recovers lost documents, photos, videos, music, and other 1000+ file types with a high success rate.

• How to Fix Missing DLL files in Windows 10
• 4 Methods to Fix the Cannot Delete Files Error
• How to Recover Shortcut Files in USB
• How to Recover Unsaved or Deleted Wordpad Document
• How to Restore Corrupted Files on Windows?
• How to Use Testdisk to Recover Files on Windows?
• [2024] Top 10 Free Data Recovery Software for PC (Windows 10/11 & Mac)
• How To Recover a Deleted or Unsaved PowerPoint on Mac
• How To Recover a Word Document That Was Not Saved Easily
• A Comprehensive Guide on Recovering Unsaved Excel Files

PowerPoint File Recovery: How To Recover Unsaved or Deleted PPT Files

• How to Backup QNAP to QNAP NAS
• How to Backup Windows 10 to QNAP NAS
• How To Back Up Your QNAP NAS Using Veeam Backup & Replication?
• Guide to Setup and Configure RAID on QNAP NAS
• What Is Plex Media Server for QNAP and How to Use it?
• Everything You Need to Know About Veeam NAS Backup and Recovery
• Linux vs. Windows - What are the differences between Linux and Windows
• How to Repair Linux Disk Using FSCK and Recover Linux File?
• Recovering Deleted Linux Files for Free – Best Tools to Get It Over Within a Heartbeat
• How to Sync Files between Two Linux Server?
• How to Mount Linux Drive on Windows for Free
• How to Access Windows Partitions from Linux/Ubuntu?
• How to Recover Deleted Windows Files With Linux
• How To Delete Files in Linux/Unix
• How to Recover Files Deleted from the Recycle Bin?
• How to Empty the Recycle Bin on Windows
• The Quick and Easy Way to Delete Windows Update Files
• How to Fix Microsoft Excel cannot Paste the Data Error
• How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from PC
• 4 Easy Solutions To Delete Downloads From Any Device
• How to Recover Deleted Files from Computer
• How to Recover Permanently Deleted Folders | 5 Ways
• Top 15 Undelete Freeware to Help You Recover Lost Files
• 5 Easy Ways to Delete Undeletable Files
• How to Clear Playlist and Library in Windows Media Player
• How to Clear Cache and Cookies in Safari
• How to Clear Cookies in Internet Explorer
• How to Remove Bookmarks from Firefox
• How to Permanently Delete Files from Windows
• How to Recover Files from Emptied Recycle Bin or Trash on Mac
• How to Recover Deleted Folders and Files
• How to Fix Missing DLL Files? [2024]
• How to Get Wondershare Recoverit Crack/ Gratis/Coupon?
• How to Get Wondershare Recoverit 10 Activation/Serial Key?
• How To Fix the Terraria "Load Failed, No Backup Found" Error
• How To Recover Deleted Minecraft Worlds (Java & Bedrock)

Since its release in 1987, PowerPoint has been a go-to platform for creating presentations that support speeches with graphical data. The app first used the PPT format, which was replaced by PPTX in 2007 and brought numerous improvements.

However, neither the PPTX format nor the PowerPoint app are perfect. The files are prone to corruption and viruses, and forgetting to save your work or experiencing a system crash when working with PowerPoint can lead to data loss.

Fortunately, Microsoft has fixed most issues with AutoSave and AutoRecovery features, but there's still a need for a reputable data recovery solution.

Table of Content

How powerpoint files get lost.

• Recover Deleted/Lost/Unsaved PPT With Wondershare Recoverit
• Look for Your Unsaved PowerPoint Files in Temporary Folder
• Use PowerPoint's Recover Unsaved Presentations Feature
• Recover an Unsaved PPT File Using PowerPoint AutoRecover
• Recover a Deleted PowerPoint File From Recycle Bin
• Recover a Lost PowerPoint File Using Windows File History

How To Ensure You Don't Lose PowerPoint Files in the Future

To help you navigate various data loss scenarios, we've created a detailed table explaining how PowerPoint files get lost, the causes behind these issues, and their appropriate solutions.

How To Recover Deleted or Unsaved PowerPoint Files

Now that we know more about the possible issues related to PowerPoint files and their respective causes and solutions, we can dive straight into the steps for applying each solution. In this article, we are focusing on recovering a deleted or unsaved PPT file on Windows 11/10. If you are a Mac user, you can refer to our guide for PowerPoint file recovery on Mac .

Method 1. Recover Deleted/Lost/Unsaved PPT With Wondershare Recoverit

Situations where your deleted or unsaved PowerPoint files are gone can be particularly frustrating. Fortunately, dedicated data recovery solutions like Wondershare Recoverit can help and work wonders in numerous data loss cases.

• Recover deleted, unsaved, or lost PPT/PPTX files effectively, safely, and completely.
• Manages over 500 data loss situations, such as accidental deletion, app or system crashes, virus infection, and hard drive failure.
• Repairs corrupted PowerPoint file automatically in the preview process.

Using the app is also incredibly straightforward. Here's how you can do that:

Accidentally deleting data like PowerPoint presentations can be scary. Still, there's nothing to fear when you have a dedicated data recovery tool like Wondershare Recoverit. Recovering deleted files is quick and effortless - as you can see, it only takes a few clicks and minutes of your time.

It can recover over 1,000 file types, including photos, videos, music, and documents, and works wonders with over 2,000 different storage devices like internal and external drives, NAS servers, USBs, etc.

Method 2. Look for Your Unsaved PowerPoint Files in Temporary Folder

Windows and macOS systems have a temporary file folder, also known as a cache folder, which stores the most recent data the user or system uses. This folder is often filled with recently downloaded Windows or macOS updates, files downloaded through the browser, and items currently in use, like PPT/PPTX files.

Therefore, looking into these folders on either operating system for PowerPoint presentations is an excellent idea. On Windows, you can access the folder by following these steps:

• Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\ YourUserName \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft .

• Copy and paste these files to the desktop and change their extension from ".tmp" to ".ppt" or ".pptx" depending on your Microsoft Office version, with PPTX being the default format for versions from 2007 and newer.

For macOS, you'll need to follow different steps:

• Close down all your active applications.
• In Finder, click on Go > Go to Folder , and enter the following command: ~/Library/Caches
• Once inside the cache folder on Mac, locate PPT/PPTX files and drag them to the desktop, or open them and save your presentations elsewhere.

It's worth noting that deleting temporary files and cache is also an excellent way to increase your storage space, but it should only be done after you've found the data you need.

Method 3. Use PowerPoint's Recover Unsaved Presentations Feature

Temporary or cached PPT/PPTX files can also be found in the Microsoft PowerPoint app through the Recent feature, which requires similar steps on Windows and macOS. Here's how you can find it:

• Launch the Microsoft PowerPoint app after it or the system has crashed.
• Click the File menu and then select Open .

• Choose the unsaved recent PowerPoint presentation and open it.

It's highly recommended that you save the file to a safe location as soon as you open it to avoid app or system crashes affecting your files again.

Method 4. Recover an Unsaved PPT File Using PowerPoint AutoRecover

The last few versions of PowerPoint include a nifty little feature called AutoRecover. Microsoft added this feature into a few Office apps to allow users to recover files in case of system or app crashes. You can find the AutoRecover feature by following these steps on Windows or macOS:

• Open a PowerPoint presentation and navigate to File > Home > Options > Save .

• Open Windows Explorer, paste the path on the address bar and hit"Enter" to search the lost unsaved PowerPoint file.

You can also change the frequency of the Autorecover feature by modifying the Save every X minutes box. The AutoRecover File Location box is also here, allowing you to change the location where PowerPoint files are saved.

Method 5. Recover a Deleted PowerPoint File From Recycle Bin

If you've accidentally deleted PowerPoint presentations that you still need, these PPT or PPTX files have likely wound up in Windows' Recycle Bin, so you can effortlessly recover them. Here's how:

• Open the Recycle Bin.

• Find the restored PPT/PPTX files in the folders they've previously occupied before deletion.

If you have emptied the Recycle Bin , you'll need to go back to the Wondershare Recoverit solution and use that, as a dedicated data recovery app is the only thing that can help in such situations.

Try Wondershare Recoverit to Recover Unsaved/Deleted PowerPoint

Method 6. recover a lost powerpoint file using windows file history.

If you're a Windows user, you're likely aware of the built-in backup and recovery tools by the name File History. This tool is handy in situations related to accidental file deletion, failing disk drives, and mistakenly formatted storage devices.

Here's how to use File History on Windows 10 to recover your lost or unsaved PowerPoint presentations:

• Click it, then you will get the list of the backed up files. Find the unsaved powerpoint file you wish to recover, then click the green icon to restore it.

If you have upgraded your system to the latest Windows 11 version, follow these steps:

• If you didn't use File History before, you need to turn it on and select a drive to backup.

• Check the avaiable backup files and find the powerpoint file you are trying to recover.
• Once you find it, click the green icon and restore it.

Remember that you can only use File History if you've previously set up these features and use them as backup options. If that's not the case, you'll have to use the mentioned data recovery method.

Although recovering PPT/PPTX nowadays is effortless, with numerous solutions that can help regardless of how you lost data, prevention is still better than treating. We've included a few tips to help you avoid PowerPoint data loss in the future:

• Manually Save Files - While Microsoft's AutoSave and AutoRecover features are fantastic, and you should undoubtedly keep them enabled on supported apps, manually saving your work is still relevant and necessary. Creating a habit of hitting CTRL + S whenever you get up from the PC or every few minutes can be immensely helpful.
• Use Reliable Backup Software - Windows and macOS provide decent and helpful built-in backup tools like Backup and Restore , File History , and Time Machine . However, a dedicated backup tool like Wondershare UBackit is even better, providing more options and features like scheduled and automatic backups.
• Install a Trustworthy Antivirus - Keeping a reliable AV or anti-malware tool on your computer is vital for protecting yourself from digital threats. And since viruses and malware can cause chaos, delete data, encrypt files, and lead to corruption, there are even more reasons to get a proper security app.
• Invest in a UPS - System crashes are often caused by power loss, and if you live in an area where power surges are common, investing in a UPS is a terrific idea. Not only will it save you from losing valuable data, but it'll also keep your hardware components healthy, as power surges can damage them.

Separating your OS, applications, media, and vital or work files is also a great option, and you can do that by dividing your disk drive into partitions. Alternatively, you can invest in multiple HDD/SSDs, each with different types of files.

Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most widely used applications for creating graphical presentations that support speeches. It uses PPT and PPTX files, which, although massively improved over the years, are still prone to accidental deletion, viruses, or corruption. The app can also suffer from power losses and system crashes, resulting in deleted or unsaved PowerPoint presentations.

There are numerous culprits behind PowerPoint presentation data loss, and we've included a detailed table with the most common cases and their causes and appropriate solutions.

From utilizing PowerPoint's AutoSave and AutoRecover features to looking through temporary files to using dedicated data recovery tools like Wondershare Recoverit, there are numerous methods for retrieving PPT/PPTX data, and we've included the top solutions for recovering deleted and unsaved PowerPoint files.

Easily recover deleted or lost files from 2000+ storage devices like HDDs, SSDs, external drivs, USB drives, memory cards, and more. The software confidently retrieves all data types, regardless of how they went missing.

You May Also Like

Related articles

• Password Tools For Windows Password Genius Windows Password Genius Windows 10 Password Genius Windows 7 Password Genius RAR Password Genius ZIP Password Genius SQL Password Genius Chrome Password Genius WiFi Password Genius For Office Office Password Genius Word Password Genius Excel Password Genius PowerPoint Password Genius Access Password Genius Outlook Password Genius Outlook Email Password Genius PDF Password Genius For Removing Office Password Remover Word Password Remover Excel Password Remover Workbook Unprotect Genius PowerPoint Unprotect Genius Word Unprotect Genius

• More Utilities Data Recovery BitGenius Word Repair Genius Excel Repair Genius PowerPoint Repair Genius Office Repair Genius Photo Data Genius Android Data Genius BitLocker Tools BitLocker Genius for Mac BitLocker Genius for Windows More Tools Product Key Finder SafeUSB Genius ISO Genius All Products
• Support Support Center FAQ & Contact Resource Center How-to Articles Blog Blog, News & Guides

How to Recover A Deleted or Lost PowerPoint Presentation

By  Michael  | Last Updated January 04, 2024

It is really annoying that sometimes we unconsciously delete some important PowerPoint presentations by accident. Later when we find that the PowerPoint presentations are lost, we have no idea how to get them back. If you have the same trouble, this post is what you need. In this post, we will introduce to you four methods to recover a deleted or lost Powerpoint presentation easily and effectively.

Method 1: Recover deleted ppts from Recycle Bin

Method 2: recover deleted ppts in autorecover folder, method 3: recover deleted ppts in onedrive, method 4: recover deleted ppts with data recovery tool, bottom line.

When you find that the PowerPoint presentation is lost, the first choice that you should consider is to recover it from Recycle Bin. Recycle Bin in Windows is used to store the deleted files and folders. If you are not accustomed to empty the Recycle Bin, you can try to find the deleted Powerpoint slide is in Recycle Bin or not. Here are detailed steps.

Step 1 : Double-click the icon of Recycle Bin on the desktop.

Step 2 : Type .ppt in the search box on the top right corner.

Step 3 : Right-click the ppt that you want to recover and select Restore option. Then, the deleted ppt is restored to the original location.

There is an AutoRecover feature in PowerPoint software, which attempts to saves a recovery file by periodically. If it is enabled, the deleted PowerPoint presentation may have a backup file in the specific directory. Follow the guide below to find it out.

Step 1 : Open PowerPoint app and go to File < Options < Save .

Step 2 : If the checkbox next to Save AutoRecover information is checked, it means the feature of AutoRecover is enabled. Copy the AutoRecover file location.

Step 3 : Open File Explorer and paste the location in the address bar. Then you can find out all the recovery files. The name of ppt files is different from that of their original files and you need to take time to find out the deleted PowerPoint presentation.

If you have signed in to Office and synchronize Office files, your Office files will have a backup in Onedrive including the deleted ppts files. So, you can try to recover the deleted ppts in Onedrive and here's what to do.

Step 1 : Open Onedrive in the browser and sign in with your Microsoft account.

Step 2 : Then you can check if the deleted files are backed up in the Onedrive or not. Once you find out the deleted ppt, right-click it and select Download option to download it on your computer.

If the methods above can't help you get the deleted ppts back, a powerful data recovery tool is the only way out. iSunshare BitGenius is such kind of tool that aims to safely and effectively recover the lost data from hard drive. You can use it to recover the deleted ppts in ease and the following guide shows you how to do.

Step 1 : Download and install iSunshare BitGenius on your computer.

Step 2 : Open it and click the hard drive where the deleted ppt is located in the Hard Disk Drives section. If you remember the detailed location of deleted ppt, you can choose to customize a location. Then click Start button on the bottom right of interface.

Step 3 : The app will start to scan the lost or deleted files, which may take much time. Once completed, all the lost files and their directories will be displayed.

Step 4 : Click Filter button and a box pops up. Check the checkbox of Documents and then click Apply button. Then all the office files including words, excels, ppts will be shown on the right pane. Type .ppt in the searching box and hit Enter. Then you can see all the lost or deleted PowerPoint files. Select the ppts that you want to recover and click Recover button.

Step 5 : Select a location for the PPT files to be recovered.

Step 6 : In the end, the deleted files are restored to your computer. Then a tips box pops up to ask you if open the recovery folder. Click Yes button and you will see all the deleted ppt files are recovered successfully.

As long as you follow the detailed methods above, the deleted PowerPoint presentations should be recovered successfully. It is the most effective method to recover the deleted ppt files with iSunshare BitGenius. Besides, iSunshare BitGenius is so powerful that it enables you to recover various kinds of lost files like words, photos, videos in a very high success rate.

Related Articles:

• How to Recover Data from Formatted Hard Drive or Partition
• How to Restore Lost Data from Windows 10 Hard Drive
• How to Undelete Access Database File Lost from Recycle Bin
• How to Retrieve Important Data after Deleted or Lost Accidently

iSunshare is dedicated to providing the best service for Windows, Mac, Android users who are in demand for password recovery and data recovery.

Copyright © 2024 iSunshare Studio All Rights Reserved.

All-In-One Products

Data & Security Products

Productivity Products

Performance Products

Utility Tools

• AI Utilities

Multimedia Tools

Support Center

WiseCleaner Forum

Windows Tips

WiseCleaner Think Tank

Encounter difficult computer problems? All about maintenance and optimization of your Windows System.

How to Recover a Lost, Deleted, or Unsaved PowerPoint File

Nov 18, 2022

PowerPoint presentation (or PPT/PPTX) files are vital nowadays to manage your daily work, especially in the business/corporate sector. However, due to work pressure, you can forget to save your essential files or accidentally lose or delete your crucial information due to multiple loss scenarios.

A few loss scenarios are:

• System crash
• Power outage
• System shutdown (abruptly)
• PC virus attacks
• Unmount the external drive during the PPT file transfer

These are only a few of the multiple reasons. So instead of panicking, you can spare your time here for a valuable read. This article guides you through recovering unsaved, deleted, and lost files on Windows and Mac PCs in multiple scenarios and circumstances.

Part 1. What Is a PowerPoint File

A PowerPoint file is crucial in all organizations, including educational institutions. The images, texts, slides, videos, etc., are stored within the PPT file. Since its release in 1987, PPT extensions/file types have been used to save visual PowerPoint presentations for Windows versions 2003 and up.

However, since 2007 a newer version, PPTX, has replaced the older PPT extension to become the default file type for all Microsoft PowerPoint files. It is inclusive of both the XML and ZIP formats to compress files. If you are still a user of the older versions, the PPTX file format allows you only to view the slide shows and not edit them.

Be it PPT or PPTX file format, losing any file can cost you your efforts and essential data. However, using multiple recovery methods, you can retrieve them in under minutes. So let us check the best recovery methods in different delete/lost files scenarios.

Part 2. How to Recover Unsaved or Deleted PowerPoint Files Via PowerPoint Features

PowerPoint provides its built-in features Auto-Recover and Recover Unsaved Presentations to recover your unsaved and lost/missing PPT/PPTX files. Since these files are stored here temporarily, you must be quick enough to recover and save them in time.

1. Recover Unsaved/Deleted PowerPoint Files Using Auto-Recover

PowerPoint's Auto-Recover option recovers your unsaved and lost files without taking much time. However, remember to enable the Auto-Recover option beforehand for a quick and seamless recovery. Follow the steps below to allow the feature to recover your missing PPT/PPTX files.

(1) Open the PowerPoint presentation > File > Options > Save > Save presentations

(2) Check the options for:

• Save AutoRecover information every _ minutes .
• Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving .

(3) Copy your missing file's destination path from the AutoRecover file location

(4) Visit Windows Explorer > Paste the copied file path on the address bar > Click Enter to search your lost/unsaved PPT/PPTX file.

2. Recover Unsaved/Deleted PowerPoint Files Using Recover Unsaved Presentations

You can quickly recover your unsaved or lost PPT/PPTX files using the PowerPoint built-in option of Recover Unsaved Presentations. Just go through the below-given guidelines to get back your missing file:

(1) Open the PowerPoint on your device (Windows PC).

(2) Now tap the File tab (at the upper-left corner) > Click Open > Visit the Recent section > Click Recover Unsaved Presentations (at the bottom).

(3) Now a folder for Saved Drafts will open. Search for your lost file and double-click to open it.

(4) Finally, save your recovered PPT/PPTX file.

Part 3. How to Recover Deleted PowerPoint Files on Windows and Mac PCs

Windows Recycle Bin and Mac's Trash/Bin can help you retrieve your deleted PowerPoint files in their original location. For example, suppose you accidentally delete your crucial PPT/PPTX file. In such a case, you can opt for any of the below-given methods depending upon your system. However, be careful to recover them as soon as possible, as these folders only store your files temporarily.

1. Recover Deleted PowerPoint Files in Windows Using Recycle Bin

Now recover your deleted PPT or PPTX files in Windows quickly using the Recycle Bin without much effort, following the below-mentioned steps:

(1) Visit your Windows desktop > Click the Recycle Bin icon.

(2) Open the folder > Search and select your deleted PPT/PPTX file to need to recover.

(3) Right-click on your chosen file > Click the Restore option to retrieve the file in its original location.

2. Recover Deleted PowerPoint Files on Mac Using Trash/Bin

Mac PC lets you recover your deleted PowerPoint files using the Trash/Bin option. Simply check the steps provided below for a quick recovery:

(1) Open your Mac dock and click the Trash/Bin icon.

(2) Open the folder to search for deleted PPT/PPTX files > Select the PowerPoint files you need to recover.

(3) Right-click the chosen file and click the Put Back option to recover it to its original location. Alternatively, you can retrieve your file by dragging and dropping it into a different folder.

Part 4. How to Recover Missing/Lost PowerPoint Files on Windows and Mac PCs

Suppose you lose your essential PowerPoint file. In such a case, you can still recover it using your device's built-in functions like File History (Windows) and Time Machine (Mac). However, to recover your PPT/PPTX files from these features, ensure you already have a backup copy of your missing file.

1. Recover Lost PowerPoint Files in Windows Using File History

Windows PC facilitates you to recover your lost PowerPoint files through its built-in File History option. Check the below-given steps to retrieve your lost PPT/PPTX files via the File History feature.

(1) Open the Windows menu > Type Restore your files using File History in the Search bar.

(2) Once the Control Panel opens before you, turn on the File History option. You can also select an internal/external drive to which you need to back up your essential data and turn it on.

(3) Now tap the Restore personal files option and go through the available backup files to locate PPT/PPTX files you need to recover.

(4) After finding your file, click the green-colored Recover button at the bottom to restore it to its original location.

2. Recover Lost PowerPoint Files on Mac Using Time Machine

You can quickly recover your lost PowerPoint files using the Mac PC's inbuilt Time Machine option. Follow the below-given steps to restore your lost PPT/PPTX files through the Time Machine feature.

(1) Open the Spotlight Search using the Command + Spacebar keys and type Time Machine .

(2) Now scroll through the backed-up PowerPoint files to locate your desirable (lost) PPT/PPTX file.

(3) Once found, select it and click Restore to retrieve it.

While these methods can guide you to retrieve your PowerPoint files in the respective loss scenarios, the recovery process can be troublesome. For example, your file recovery can only be possible if you have previously backed up your data or have enabled the Auto-Recover feature. 

Unless you are an expert or know your device well, you must not try these methods yourself. Even a slight mistake can cost you tremendous effort and result in impossible file recovery. Additionally, it can be time-consuming and might not deliver the expected results. So you can use a professional data recovery tool like Wise Data Recovery for a speedy and seamless recovery of your PPT/PPTX files in all loss scenarios. Let us check it below. 

Part 5. Wise Data Recovery: Best Recovery Solution for All Your Lost/Deleted PowerPoint Files

You must instantly switch to the Wise Data Recovery app's reliable services once you lose or delete any essential PPT/PPTX files. It is a data recovery tool that recovers vital data and file formats from multiple devices in numerous loss scenarios.

Moreover, it is highly compatible with all Windows versions from XP and above on all desktops and laptops. Its advanced mechanism scans quickly and deeply to recover your files even if the disk is formatted. So let us have a closer look at its prime features.

Exclusive Features

Wise Data Recovery recovers data seamlessly in a matter of minutes. Its noteworthy features are:

1. Recovers files in multiple loss situations:

Its advanced WinPE bootable media technology recovers accidentally/permanently deleted files, including lost files from disk format, system crashes, virus attacks, etc.

2. Recovers multiple file formats:

It recovers files of multiple formats, including Word documents, Excel sheets, PowerPoint files, graphics, videos, images, texts, audio, emails, and archive files.

3. Recovers files from multiple devices:

It recovers files from multiple devices, including HDD, SSD, SD cards, Floppy Disks, USB Flash Drives, Digital cameras, etc. Additionally, it supports various file systems like FAT, NTFS, HFS/HFS+/HFSX, and Ext2/Ext3.

4. Quickest scanning speed:

It takes less time to scan and recover your missing files. Moreover, you can input keywords of lost files to cut down the search time before scanning. 

5. Availability of a portable version:

It also has a portable version to enable you to work on it without installing it. Download it on a computer and move it to a flash drive. Run the drive on a PC having lost/missing files to retrieve them.

Steps to Recover Unsaved/Lost/Deleted PPT/PPTX Files

Check the below-mentioned simple steps to quickly recover your targeted files using the Wise Data Recovery app:

Step 1: Launch the app and select the drive:

First, launch the Wise Data Recovery app and select the drive where you lost your PPT/PPTX file. For example, C: drive. If you have not installed it, please click here to download the latest version of Wise Data Recovery .

Step 2: Scan the selected drive:

After selecting the C: drive, Wise Data Recovery starts the scan automatically. The scan may take a long time, depending on the size and performance of the selected disk. Please wait patiently for the scan to finish.

Step 3: Recover your lost file:

After scanning, please click the Office file under the File Type to find the PPT . Finally, select your chosen file and click Recover to retrieve and save it on your PC or external storage.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. how to open a powerpoint file on mac pc.

Suppose you have the PowerPoint app on Mac, Double-click on the file to open. However, in the absence of an app, right-click your PPT/PPTX file > Select Open With > Click Keynote .

2. How can I recover unsaved PowerPoint files on OneDrive?

Check the below-given steps to open PowerPoint files on OneDrive:

• Open PowerPoint > File > Open > Recover Unsaved Presentations
• Select your desired file > Open

3. How to save a PowerPoint file on Windows PC?

Use the shortcut keys Ctrl+S to save your PPT/PPTX file. Alternatively, you can

• Click File > Save > Computer
• Under the Save As option > Recent Folders > Browse > Select a file path and folder > Name the file > Save

Using the Save As type list, you can pick a different file format (PDF, XPS, etc.) to save your PowerPoint file.

Wrapping Up

While making a PowerPoint presentation can be tedious, accidentally losing your file can be heartbreaking. However, if you ever misplace or delete your essential files, you can resort to the goodness of the Wise Data Recovery app. It is a free and reliable solution to recover your crucial files under any loss circumstances. Moreover, it is an effective and virus-free program that is perfectly suited even for beginners. Using it, you can retrieve even permanently deleted files across multiple devices.

Discover WiseCleaner

Get Our Newsletter

International

View, manage, and install add-ins for Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

When you enable an add-in, it adds custom commands and new features to Microsoft 365 programs that help increase your productivity. Because add-ins can be used by attackers to do harm to your computer, you can use add-in security settings to help protect yourself.

Note:  This article only applies to Microsoft 365 applications running on Windows.

View installed add-ins

You can directly install add-ins from this page or select  More Add-ins  to explore.

In the Office Add-ins dialog, select  My Add-ins  tab.

Select an add-in you want to view the details for and right-click to select  Add-in details  option.

Click a heading below for more information .  

Add-in categories explained

Active Application Add-ins      Add-ins registered and currently running on your Microsoft 365 program.

Inactive Application Add-ins      These are present on your computer but not currently loaded. For example, XML schemas are active when the document that refers to them is open. Another example is the COM add-in: if a COM add-in is selected, the add-in is active. If the check box is cleared, the add-in is inactive.

Document Related Add-ins      Template files referred to by open documents.

Disabled Application Add-ins     These add-ins are automatically disabled because they are causing Microsoft 365 programs to crash.

Add-in      The title of the add-in.

Publisher      The software developer or organization responsible for creating the add-in.

Compatibility      Look here for any compatibility issues.

Location      This file path indicates where the add-in is installed on your computer.

Description This text explains the add-in function.

Note:  Microsoft Outlook has one add-in option in the Trust Center: Apply macro security settings to installed add-ins . InfoPath has no security settings for add-ins.

Permanently disable or remove an add-in

To disable or remove an add-in follow these steps:

Select  File > Get Add-ins . Alternatively, you can select  Home > Add-ins .

In the Office Add-ins dialog, select  My Add-ins  tab.

Select an add-in you want to remove and right click to select  Remove  option.

View or change add-in settings

You can see and change add-in settings in the Trust Center, descriptions of which are in the following section. Add-in security settings may have been determined by your organization so not all options may be available to change.

Select  File  >  Get Add-ins .

Select  More Add-ins > Manage My Add-ins.

Select  Trust Center  >  Trust Center Settings  >  Add-ins.

Check or uncheck the boxes you want.

Add-in settings explained

Require Application Add-ins to be signed by Trusted Publisher      Check this box to have the Trust Center check that the add-in uses a publisher's trusted signature. If the publisher's signature hasn’t been trusted, the Microsoft 365 program doesn’t load the add-in, and the Trust Bar displays a notification that the add-in has been disabled.

Disable notification for unsigned add-ins (code will remain disabled)      When you check the Require Application Extensions to be signed by Trusted Publisher box, this option is no longer grayed out. Add-ins signed by a trusted publisher are enabled, but unsigned add-ins are disabled.

Disable all Application Add-ins (may impair functionality)      Check this box if you don't trust any add-ins. All add-ins are disabled without any notification, and the other add-in boxes are grayed out.

Note:  This setting takes effect after you exit and restart your Microsoft 365 program.

While working with add-ins, you may need to learn more about digital signatures and certificates , which authenticate an add-in, and trusted publishers , the software developers who often create add-ins.

Manage and install add-ins

Use the following instruction to manage and install add-ins.

To install a new add-in:

You can directly install popular add-ins on the page or go to More Add-ins  to explore. 

Select the add-in and select  Add . Or browse by selecting  Store  tab in the Office add-in dialog to find other add-ins to install and select Add for that add-in.

To manage your add-ins:

Select  File > Get Add-ins and from the bottom, select More Add-ins.  Or select  Home  >  Add-ins > More add-ins.

In the Office dialog, select My Add-ins tab. If you are not able to see your add-ins, select  Refresh to reload your add-ins.

Select  Manage My Add-in  to manage and select  Upload to browse and add an add-in from your device.

How to cancel a purchased add-in

If you've subscribed to an add-in through the Microsoft 365 Store that you don't want to continue, you can cancel that subscription.

Open the Microsoft 365 application and go to the Home  tab of the ribbon.

Select  Add-ins  and then select  More Add-ins > My Add-ins tab   to view your existing add-ins.

Select the app you want to cancel and select  Manage My Add-ins .

Under the Payment and Billing section choose Cancel Subscription .

Select  OK and then Continue .

Once that's complete you should see a message that says "You have cancelled your app subscription" in the comments field of your apps list.

Why is my add-in crashing?

Some add-ins might not be compatible with your organization's IT department policies. If that is the case with add-ins recently installed on your Microsoft 365 program, Data Execution Prevention (DEP) will disable the add-in and the program might crash.

Learn more about DEP

Get a Microsoft 365 Add-in for Outlook

Get a Microsoft 365 Add-in for Project

Taking linked notes

If you're looking for Help on linking notes in OneNote to a Word or PowerPoint document, see Take linked notes .

Excel Windows Add-ins

If you're looking for Help on specific Excel Add-ins, such as Solver or Inquire, see Help for Excel for Windows add-ins .

If you're looking for additional help with Excel add-ins using the COM Add-ins dialog box, see Add or remove add-ins in Excel .

Get a Microsoft 365 Add-in for Excel

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Find solutions to common problems or get help from a support agent.

Online support

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

How To Get Free Access To Microsoft PowerPoint

E very time you need to present an overview of a plan or a report to a whole room of people, chances are you turn to Microsoft PowerPoint. And who doesn't? It's popular for its wide array of features that make creating effective presentations a walk in the park. PowerPoint comes with a host of keyboard shortcuts for easy navigation, subtitles and video recordings for your audience's benefit, and a variety of transitions, animations, and designs for better engagement.

But with these nifty features comes a hefty price tag. At the moment, the personal plan — which includes other Office apps — is at $69.99 a year. This might be the most budget-friendly option, especially if you plan to use the other Microsoft Office apps, too. Unfortunately, you can't buy PowerPoint alone, but there are a few workarounds you can use to get access to PowerPoint at no cost to you at all.

Read more: The 20 Best Mac Apps That Will Improve Your Apple Experience

Method #1: Sign Up For A Free Microsoft Account On The Office Website

Microsoft offers a web-based version of PowerPoint completely free of charge to all users. Here's how you can access it:

• Visit the Microsoft 365 page .
• If you already have a free account with Microsoft, click Sign in. Otherwise, press "Sign up for the free version of Microsoft 365" to create a new account at no cost.
• On the Office home page, select PowerPoint from the side panel on the left.
• Click on "Blank presentation" to create your presentation from scratch, or pick your preferred free PowerPoint template from the options at the top (there's also a host of editable templates you can find on the Microsoft 365 Create site ).
• Create your presentation as normal. Your edits will be saved automatically to your Microsoft OneDrive as long as you're connected to the internet.

It's important to keep in mind, though, that while you're free to use this web version of PowerPoint to create your slides and edit templates, there are certain features it doesn't have that you can find on the paid version. For instance, you can access only a handful of font styles and stock elements like images, videos, icons, and stickers. Designer is also available for use on up to three presentations per month only (it's unlimited for premium subscribers). When presenting, you won't find the Present Live and Always Use Subtitles options present in the paid plans. The biggest caveat of the free version is that it won't get any newly released features, unlike its premium counterparts.

Method #2: Install Microsoft 365 (Office) To Your Windows

Don't fancy working on your presentation in a browser? If you have a Windows computer with the Office 365 apps pre-installed or downloaded from a previous Office 365 trial, you can use the Microsoft 365 (Office) app instead. Unlike the individual Microsoft apps that you need to buy from the Microsoft Store, this one is free to download and use. Here's how to get free PowerPoint on the Microsoft 365 (Office) app:

• Search for Microsoft 365 (Office) on the Microsoft Store app.
• Install and open it.
• Sign in with your Microsoft account. Alternatively, press "Create free account" if you don't have one yet.
• Click on Create on the left side panel.
• Select Presentation.
• In the PowerPoint window that opens, log in using your account.
• Press Accept on the "Free 5-day pass" section. This lets you use PowerPoint (and Word and Excel) for five days — free of charge and without having to input any payment information.
• Create your presentation as usual. As you're using the desktop version, you can access the full features of PowerPoint, including the ability to present in Teams, export the presentation as a video file, translate the slides' content to a different language, and even work offline.

The only downside of this method is the time limit. Once the five days are up, you can no longer open the PowerPoint desktop app. However, all your files will still be accessible to you. If you saved them to OneDrive, you can continue editing them on the web app. If you saved them to your computer, you can upload them to OneDrive and edit them from there.

Method #3: Download The Microsoft PowerPoint App On Your Android Or iOS Device

If you're always on the move and need the flexibility of creating and editing presentations on your Android or iOS device, you'll be glad to know that PowerPoint is free and available for offline use on your mobile phones. But — of course, there's a but — you can only access the free version if your device is under 10.1 inches. Anything bigger than that requires a premium subscription. If your phone fits the bill, then follow these steps to get free PowerPoint on your device:

• Install Microsoft PowerPoint from the App Store or Google Play Store .
• Log in using your existing Microsoft email or enter a new email address to create one if you don't already have an account.
• On the "Get Microsoft 365 Personal Plan" screen, press Skip For Now.
• If you're offered a free trial, select Try later (or enjoy the free 30-day trial if you're interested).
• To make a new presentation, tap the plus sign in the upper right corner.
• Change the "Create in" option from OneDrive - Personal to a folder on your device. This allows you to save the presentation to your local storage and make offline edits.
• Press "Set as default" to set your local folder as the default file storage location.
• Choose your template from the selection or use a blank presentation.
• Edit your presentation as needed.

Do note that PowerPoint mobile comes with some restrictions. There's no option to insert stock elements, change the slide size to a custom size, use the Designer feature, or display the presentation in Immersive Reader mode. However, you can use font styles considered premium on the web app.

Method #4: Use Your School Email Address

Office 365 Education is free for students and teachers, provided they have an email address from an eligible school. To check for your eligibility, here's what you need to do:

• Go to the Office 365 Education page .
• Type in your school email address in the empty text field.
• Press "Get Started."
• On the next screen, verify your eligibility. If you're eligible, you'll be asked to select whether you're a student or a teacher. If your school isn't recognized, however, you'll get a message telling you so.
• For those who are eligible, proceed with creating your Office 365 Education account. Make sure your school email can receive external mail, as Microsoft will send you a verification code for your account.
• Once you're done filling out the form, press "Start." This will open your Office 365 account page.

You can then start making your PowerPoint presentation using the web app. If your school's plan supports it, you can also install the Office 365 apps to your computer by clicking the "Install Office" button on your Office 365 account page and running the downloaded installation file. What sets the Office 365 Education account apart from the regular free account is that you have unlimited personal cloud storage and access to other Office apps like Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Read the original article on SlashGear .

How to Use Microsoft Copilot: Maximizing Your Productivity with AI Technology

Microsoft Copilot is an innovative tool that leverages artificial intelligence to enhance productivity and creativity within the Microsoft 365 suite of applications.

By understanding and anticipating user needs, Copilot helps to execute a variety of functions across different Microsoft apps, effectively serving as an advanced assistant.

The integration of Copilot within Microsoft 365 provides users with the flexibility to harness the power of AI to automate routine tasks, generate ideas, and even draft emails and documents.

Its intuitive nature allows for conversational interaction, making it an accessible for all users regardless of their technical proficiency. This tech will significantly cut down the tedium of everyday tasks and projects, enabling users to focus on the more complex aspects of their work.

In this post, we'll explore:

How Microsoft Copilot works under the hood

How to enable Copilot and start using it

Different use cases in each Microsoft application or platform

Whether it's PowerPoint, Word, Excel or Outlook, Copilot's functionality is tailored to enrich the user experience.

Let's dive in.

Getting Started with Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot integrates seamlessly into Microsoft 365 to enhance productivity through AI assistance, enabling users to make the most out of their daily tasks and services.

Understanding Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant designed to augment user capabilities within Microsoft 365. It interprets and executes tasks based on natural language commands.

The true power of Copilot lies in its integration with Microsoft Graph . Microsoft Graph is a comprehensive API that enables developers to access and integrate various Microsoft 365 services and data into their applications.

It acts as a gateway to data in Microsoft services like Azure, Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, and more, making it a central hub for accessing a wide array of organizational and user data across Microsoft's cloud services.

This means Copilot can access and read your recent messages from Outlook, analyze data from a PowerPoint presentation, and even draft documents based on your writing style in previous files.

And all of this happens within any application in the Microsoft 365 suite.

To learn more about how Microsoft's large language models (LLMs) work and keep your information safe, check out Microsoft's official release post.

For now, let's get into how to enable Copilot and start utilizing its features.

Enabling Copilot in Microsoft 365

Step 1: experiment with copilot outside of the microsoft 365 apps.

It's important to recognize that Microsoft Copilot functions similarly to an AI like ChatGPT but is specifically tailored for the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Microsoft first released it as a standalone AI chatbot and is now integrating it into the Microsoft software suite.

To familiarize yourself with how Copilot works, navigate to the Copilot chat interface and experiment with some prompts.

When you're ready to purchase, you can move to the next step.

Step 2: Access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Log in as an Administrator : You need to be the administrator for your Microsoft 365 tenant to manage subscriptions and licenses.

Navigate to the Admin Center : Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center by visiting admin.microsoft.com .

Step 3: Purchase Microsoft 365 Copilot

Go to Billing : Once in the admin center, navigate to the Billing section and then select Purchase services .

Find Copilot in the Service List : Look for Microsoft 365 Copilot in the list of available services. If you don't see it immediately, use the search bar to find it.

Purchase Licenses : Click on the Copilot service option, and then choose how many licenses you need and the subscription duration. Complete the purchase process by setting up or confirming your billing profile.

Step 4: Assign Licenses

Manage Licenses : After purchasing, go back to the admin center. Under Users > Active users , select the users to whom you want to assign the Copilot licenses.

Edit Product Licenses : Click on a user, then select Licenses and Apps and assign the Microsoft 365 Copilot license to them.

Step 5: Verify and Use Copilot Features

Log In to Office.com : Users should log in to Office.com with their Microsoft account where Copilot has been enabled.

Check for Copilot Features : Once logged in, users should see new Copilot options available in their Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Update Office Applications : It’s crucial to ensure that all Office applications are updated to the latest version to support Copilot features. Users might need to restart their Office applications after the license assignment.

Now let's look at some of the specific ways you can leverage Copilot's AI assistant in various Microsoft applications.

Harnessing AI in Word

Microsoft Word now integrates AI technologies to enhance the user experience, making writing more efficient and effective.

How Copilot Utilizes Microsoft Graph in Word

Access to files.

Copilot uses Microsoft Graph to access a wide range of files stored across Microsoft 365 services. For instance, it can retrieve documents from OneDrive, SharePoint, or even attachments from Outlook emails that are relevant to the user’s current task.

Content Creation Based on Existing Files:

Contextual Awareness : By accessing previous documents related to a current project or topic, Copilot can understand the context and content requirements more deeply. This allows it to suggest content that is not only relevant but also consistent with previous work.

Content Suggestions : While working in Word, Copilot can offer real-time suggestions for completing sentences or paragraphs by referencing content from related documents. This could include standard text blocks, formatted content like headers or bullet points, and even complex elements such as tables and charts that are appropriate for the current document.

Summarization and Analysis : Copilot can summarize long documents stored in your Microsoft 365 environment, pulling key points and integrating them into the new document you are working on. This is particularly useful for creating executive summaries or consolidating information from multiple sources.

Enhancing Collaboration:

Document Insights : By analyzing the content and metadata of documents accessed through Microsoft Graph, Copilot can provide insights such as document trends, collaboration patterns, and more.

Collaboration Cues : Copilot can suggest when to include content from other team members or when to reference work done in parallel documents, enhancing the collaborative efforts within a team.

Practical Use Cases in Word

Drafting Legal Documents : Copilot can access previous legal documents to ensure that new documents adhere to established formats and content standards.

Research Papers and Reports : For academic or research-oriented work, Copilot can pull data from previous research papers or reports to craft new documents that maintain consistency in style and content.

Business Proposals : When creating proposals, Copilot can integrate content from past proposals, ensuring that the new document aligns with company branding and historical data.

Leveraging Copilot in Excel

Microsoft's Copilot in Excel empowers users to perform complex tasks with ease. It transforms the way they handle data analysis, execute workflows, and manage financial operations, turning Excel into an even more powerful tool.

Analyzing Data

In Excel, Copilot serves as an indispensable aide for analyzing data. Users can pose data questions in natural language and receive answers instantly.

For instance, "What is the average sales growth over the past quarter?" and Copilot will generate the formula and perform the calculation. It effectively eliminates the need for painstakingly combing through datasets.

Common data questions include:

Calculating trends over time

Summarizing large data sets

Identifying outliers and anomalies

Automate Workflows

Excel users can automate repetitive tasks with Copilot's assistance. By simply describing the desired outcome, they can instruct Copilot to automate workflows like sorting, formatting, or even generating custom reports.

It understands tasks such as "Organize the sales data by region and then by the highest to lowest revenue," streamlining Excel's intricate capabilities into manageable workflows.

Workflow automation takes care of:

Data entry and sorting

Complex formula applications

Report generation and formatting

Financial Operations

For financial tasks, Copilot in Excel is unmatched. Users managing finance-related activities can execute a wide range of financial operations, from constructing intricate financial models to generating forecasts.

By leveraging Copilot, they can perform tasks like "Calculate the net present value of these future cash flows," thus directly translating financial queries into actionable Excel commands without delving deep into financial formula syntax.

Crucial financial tasks facilitated by Copilot include:

Budget creation and tracking

Financial forecasting and modeling

Variance analysis and reconciliation tasks

Streamlining PowerPoint Presentations with AI

Microsoft PowerPoint now integrates AI technologies to transform the way presentations are created and delivered, enhancing both efficiency and engagement.

Generative AI Features

Copilot introduces powerful generative AI capabilities directly within your PowerPoint presentations. It utilizes advanced algorithms to generate slides, design layouts, and provide dynamic content recommendations.

Slide Generation : Provide a topic or outline, and AI can automatically create compelling slides that are visually appealing and contextually relevant.

Design Suggestions : AI offers design layouts and styling tips to ensure your presentation is professional and engaging.

Dynamic Content Recommendations : From diagrams to relevant images, generative AI can suggest and implement content that enhances the message of your presentation.

Adapting Files Across Programs : Need to convert a Word or Excel document to a PowerPoint presentation? Once Copilot has access to your Microsoft business data, simply prompt the chatbot by asking it to create presentation based on another file.

How Copilot Utilizes Microsoft Graph in PowerPoint

Contextual Integration : By analyzing past presentations related to the current topic, Copilot ensures the new slides are informed by historical data and presentations, maintaining consistency in messaging and style.

Content Enhancement : While crafting slides, Copilot can propose content enhancements by suggesting visual elements, text refinements, or complex animations that align with existing corporate standards.

Summarization and Customization : AI can summarize detailed content into bullet points or graphics that are easy to digest, ideal for quick reviews or high-level discussions.

Practical Use Cases in PowerPoint

Marketing and Sales Presentations : Copilot can auto-generate slides for new product pitches or marketing strategies by referencing past successful presentations, ensuring consistency and quality.

Training Modules : For educational or training purposes, Copilot can design comprehensive training modules by assembling content from various educational resources, tailored to the learning objectives.

Corporate Reporting : When preparing for board meetings or stakeholder updates, Copilot can assist in the creation of data-driven presentations that clearly communicate performance metrics and business strategies.

Email Productivity with Copilot

Email is the biggest creativity and productivity killer. Thanks to Copilot's integration with Outlook, you can get to inbox zero quickly (and back to your best work).

Copilot in Outlook leverages powerful generative AI capabilities directly within your email environment.

It utilizes advanced algorithms to assist in composing emails, summarizing conversations, and managing your calendar more efficiently.

Email Drafting : By providing a prompt or context, AI can help draft emails, ensuring the message aligns with your professional tone and style.

Conversation Summarization : AI can condense long email threads into concise summaries, highlighting key points and action items, saving you significant reading time.

Calendar Management : Generative AI assists in scheduling and adjusting meetings based on the availability and preferences extracted from your emails and calendar data.

How Copilot Utilizes Microsoft Graph in Outlook

Access to communications.

Copilot uses Microsoft Graph to seamlessly integrate with emails, calendar entries, and contacts stored across Microsoft 365 services, enhancing its responsiveness and relevance to your tasks.

Content Creation Based on Existing Communications:

Contextual Insights : By analyzing past emails and conversations, Copilot gains an understanding of ongoing projects or discussions, allowing it to suggest responses and follow-ups that are contextually aligned with previous interactions.

Smart Suggestions : While managing emails, Copilot can propose reply drafts, follow-up reminders, and meeting summaries by leveraging content from relevant communications, ensuring continuity and efficiency.

Summarization and Smart Alerts : AI summarily provides briefs of long discussions and alerts about important emails or deadlines, integrating them intelligibly into your daily workflow.

Practical Use Cases in Outlook

Efficient Email Management : Copilot can help manage high volumes of emails by prioritizing important messages and summarizing content, which is essential for executives and managers.

Meeting Preparation and Follow-up : For individuals who often prepare for meetings, Copilot can draft agendas based on past meeting contents and follow up on action items after discussions.

Customer Interaction : In roles that require constant customer interaction, Copilot can streamline responses and ensure timely follow-ups, enhancing customer service and engagement.

By integrating AI through Copilot in Outlook, professionals can significantly enhance how they manage emails, schedule tasks, and collaborate, turning everyday communications into an optimized, AI-enhanced workflow.

Smarter Web Browsing with Copilot

Microsoft Copilot enhances the browsing experience in Microsoft Edge by integrating AI-powered assistance directly into the web browser.

This integration allows users to interact more dynamically with online content, automate repetitive tasks, and gain insights from the vast amount of information available on the internet.

Key Features and Benefits:

Content Summarization : Copilot can quickly summarize lengthy articles and reports, allowing users to grasp essential information without having to read through extensive content.

Search Assistance : Copilot improves search efficiency by interpreting queries contextually and providing more accurate, tailored results. It can also suggest alternative search queries to better align with user intent.

Learning and Research : For students and researchers, Copilot acts as a study aid by pulling key data, generating citations, and even creating comprehensive outlines for papers or projects.

Shopping and Comparison : When shopping online, Copilot can compare products, gather reviews, and provide recommendations based on user preferences and past behavior.

Accessibility Enhancements : Copilot offers tools to improve the browsing experience for all users, including text-to-speech functions for reading content aloud and simplifying complex web pages.

More Efficient Meetings in Microsoft Teams

In Microsoft Teams, Copilot transforms collaborative work by embedding AI-driven communication and organizational tools directly into the team collaboration platform.

It helps streamline workflows, enhance meetings, and foster more effective team interactions.

Efficient Meeting Summaries : During meetings, Copilot provides real-time summaries that capture who said what and the main points discussed. This allows participants who join late or those who are multitasking to catch up quickly and stay informed.

Dynamic Tracking of Discussion Points : Copilot continuously monitors the flow of discussions, identifying unresolved questions and key discussion points. This ensures that meetings cover all necessary topics thoroughly, enhancing productivity.

Post-Meeting Follow-Up : For participants who cannot attend, Copilot offers the ability to follow meetings remotely. After the meeting ends, it generates a detailed recap that includes shared content, summarized notes, and action items, ensuring no one misses out on important information.

Interactive Clarifications : Users can ask Copilot for more detailed explanations about discussions, decisions made during the meeting, or any other queries they might have. Copilot responds with insights and citations from the transcript, providing a deeper understanding of the meeting’s outcomes.

Time-Saving Conveniences : Copilot significantly reduces the time needed to manage meeting follow-ups by automatically generating meeting minutes, identifying action items, and summarizing critical information. This allows team members to focus on more strategic tasks and decision-making processes.

Through these capabilities, Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft Teams redefines how meetings are conducted, making them more efficient and ensuring that all team members, regardless of their physical presence, are equally informed and engaged.

Final Thoughts

Microsoft Copilot stands out as a transformative tool across the Microsoft 365 suite, bringing AI-powered efficiency to every application from Word and Excel to Outlook and Teams.

By seamlessly integrating with Microsoft Graph, Copilot accesses and analyzes vast arrays of data to enhance user productivity and facilitate a more intuitive workflow.

Whether drafting documents, analyzing data, managing emails, or even browsing the web, Copilot offers a tailored AI assistant experience that adapts to the unique needs of each user.

That way we can let AI do the tedious work, gain our time back, and get back to the tasks that truly matter.

Online, TechConnect: *Online: Microsoft Powerpoint for Beginners

This event is online only. Must register with a full name and valid email address.

Learn how to create a slideshow presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint. Topics include creating and editing slides, inserting images and clipart, and running your slideshow.  

You will receive an email 2 hours prior to the start of the class with the link to join the virtual class. 

*Please note that some people using older or less common email addresses have experienced issues with receiving emails from TechConnect. Using a Gmail account will prevent this in most instances.

• Audience: Adults

Contribute to the Microsoft 365 and Office forum! Click  here  to learn more  💡

April 9, 2024

Contribute to the Microsoft 365 and Office forum!

Click  here  to learn more  💡

PowerPoint Top Forum Contributors: Steve Rindsberg  -  John Korchok   👍✅

April 17, 2024

PowerPoint Top Forum Contributors:

Steve Rindsberg  -  John Korchok   👍✅

• Search the community and support articles
• Microsoft 365 and Office
• Search Community member

Ask a new question

when i go to present on powerpoint most of the words i wrote are missing

when i go to present on powerpoint most of the words i wrote are missing. how can i fix this. I have a samsung laptop

• Subscribe to RSS feed

Report abuse

Replies (1) .

• Microsoft Agent |

Dear Kait12301 ,

Welcome to the Microsoft community.

We fully understand the inconvenience the issue has caused and that the current situation can be frustrating. I understand that this data is very important to you and sometimes data recovery does present a greater challenge, but I will do my best to assist you with advice.

I would like to confirm the following information with you to have a better understanding of your situation and usage environment:

Based on your description, am I able to assume that this issue is occurring in a specific PowerPoint document? If so, was this document all created and presented by you directly on your Samsung computer?

What is the name and version number of the PowerPoint product you are using, and if convenient, can you share a screenshot of the Product Information screen with me. Open the PowerPoint document and click on File - Account - Product Information.

Where is the document saved? A local folder on your computer, or cloud storage like OneDrive?

Will the text in this document be lost in a non-presentation state? If the text is lost even in a non-presentation state, it indicates that the problem may be with the original PowerPoint file or the system settings of your Samsung laptop.

In addition, here are some possible causes of this problem that you can also refer to:

1. Check Compatibility:

Ensure you're using compatible versions of PowerPoint on both your Samsung laptop and the device you're presenting on.

If presenting on a different laptop or computer, make sure it has PowerPoint installed and updated to a compatible version.

2. Font Issues:

Verify that the fonts used in the presentation are installed on your Samsung laptop.

If not, install the missing fonts from a trusted source or use common fonts that are widely available.

3. Embedded Objects:

Double-click on any embedded objects (e.g., graphics, charts) in the presentation to ensure they're properly linked and not corrupted.

If an embedded object is missing or corrupted, try re-inserting it or replacing it with a new one.

4. Slide Size:

Go to "Design" > "Slide Size" in PowerPoint and check if the slide size matches the aspect ratio of the screen you're presenting on.

Mismatched slide sizes can cut off text and objects.

5. Test on Another Device:

Try opening and presenting the PowerPoint on another device to see if the issue persists. This can help determine if the problem is specific to your Samsung laptop or the PowerPoint file itself.

Thank you for your understanding and patience. If you have any other updates, please let me know so we can discuss next steps, thank you.

Best regards,

Mia - MSFT |Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Was this reply helpful? Yes No

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

Thanks for your feedback.

Question Info

• Norsk Bokmål
• Ελληνικά
• Русский
• עברית
• العربية
• ไทย
• 한국어
• 中文(简体)
• 中文(繁體)
• 日本語