powerpoint slide show blank screen

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How to Install PowerPoint

Microsoft’s PowerPoint software is an industry-leading presentation software that is excellent for talks and presentations where slides of text and graphics need to appear on a screen. Installing PowerPoint on your computer after purchasing it is easy to do.

Launch the Setup Program

Microsoft’s professional Powerpoint software is often bundled into the paid Microsoft Office suite of software. Microsoft doesn’t offer free installation of Powerpoint.

For the purpose of this tutorial, we’ll outline the basic steps of installing Microsoft Office 2010 — and as an extension Powerpoint — onto your computer from a DVD.

• First, put your Microsoft Office 2010 DVD into your computer’s optical disc drive and close the door.
• The installation program may begin running on its own when you do this, or you may have to manually locate and run “SETUP.EXE.”
• Sometimes, Windows requests the user to give permission to launch the installer. If this happens, grant permission and continue.

Understand Your Product Key

The Microsoft Office installation program will ask for a 25-character “product key.” This is a long string of numbers and letters — rather like a serial number — that Microsoft employs as a copy protection device. It’s designed to prevent the user — or more than one user — from using PowerPoint (and the whole Microsoft Office suite) on more computers than the license agreement allows.

A product key is arranged like this, with the 25-characters broken up into five groups of five:

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

If a product key becomes damaged, Microsoft can help users obtain a replacement.

The product key will probably be included somewhere within the packaging (perhaps in the DVD case) of your Microsoft Office software.

Enter Your Product Key

When entering the product key, Windows will supply the dashes automatically. You won’t have to add them in yourself. Take care to type in the product key precisely as it appears on your sticker. When complete, the installer will check the product key’s authenticity. PowerPoint will need to be activated the first time you use it. If you want PowerPoint to attempt this automatically, check the “Attempt to automatically activate my product online” button and click “continue” to proceed.

Agree to the License Terms

Next, be sure to read the complete Microsoft software license terms. Agreeing to the terms is the only way to use PowerPoint. If you opt out by closing the installer at this point, you won’t be able to use your new software. Once you’ve read the terms and agree, check the “I accept the terms of this agreement” box and choose “continue.”

Install and Finish

The installer will ask you to choose a type of installation. “Install now” uses the default settings, while “customize” can be used by advanced users to tweak the Office installation just the way they want it. In this tutorial, we’ll assume you chose “install now,” which will install PowerPoint along with the rest of the Office package.

Click “install now.” The Office setup program gets to work copying the required files to your computer. This process may take several minutes.

Once the installation is complete, read the final instructions and click “close.”

Now find PowerPoint (it might be in the Start menu) and launch it. PowerPoint may attempt to activate automatically over the internet. When this is done, you are too. You are ready to start creating PowerPoint designs.

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PowerPoint Slides Going Black in Presentation Mode

I run a tutoring program and utilize PowerPoint as a key component of the program. Unfortunately, several of the tutors are experiencing the PowerPoint slides going black when put into presentation or present mode. It has happened on Macs and PCs, through the desktop App and through the web browser. We have had people update their computers (if using PowerPoint through the Desktop App), and clear the cache and update web browsers (if using through the web browser) but it is still regularly occurring. Please advise on next steps/ possible solutions.

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• Microsoft Agent |

Dear Christina N89

Good day! Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community. We are happy to help you.

Based on your description, it seems that some users are experiencing the behavior that PowerPoint slides going black when put into presentation or present mode both on PC and Mac in desktop app and browsers.

Since this behavior happened under circumstance that you're running a tutoring program. To narrow down if the behavior is related to the program or the local environment, can you ask users to do a test that open PowerPoint slides in normal situation without along with the program to check if the same behavior still persist?

Besides, to help you better and for the further troubleshoot, we would like to collect more detailed information you're experiencing so that we can have a further investigation:

And may I know which tutoring program you're using? Can you share a screenshot of the program icon to us?

And a screenshot that PowerPoint slides going black.

If the scenario above is not consistent with yours, you can also post back and point that.

Your understanding and patience will be highly appreciated. I hope that you are keeping safe and well!

Stacey | Microsoft Community Moderator

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Before going too far answering Stacey's (good) questions, let's back up a bit. Are your folks using PowerPoint itself to give the lessons or are they using PowerPoint to create lessons that are delivered via a learning management system (LMS) of some sort? Some of Stacey's questions seem to assume an LMS.

If no LMS is involved, for the Windows computers, in PPT go to File | Options | Advanced, scroll down to Display and put a check next to "Disable slide show hardware graphics acceleration", click OK, restart PowerPoint and see if the problem persists.

Maybe one of our MacLiterate folks can jump in with the equivalent option to try on your Macs, if such a thing exists.

Hi Stacey and Steve,

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I will do my best to answer your questions:

1. The PowerPoints are used for delivering content to students (Tutors are not creating the PowerPoints).

2. The PowerPoints are created in-house by staff.

3. I have two clips to share with you:

a. PowerPoint working as expected: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFdY_KXtls/HF4G-auCMZRKkDAAjyTjyg/watch?utm_content=DAFdY_KXtls&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

b. PowerPoint turning black when put in present or slide show mode: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFdYhFUq3c/1gw7cOjxyYJVDxHkXRYp1Q/watch?utm_content=DAFdYhFUq3c&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

4. I will try Steve's suggestion and encourage other folks to try it as well and see if it helps.

Please let me know if you think of any other reasons why this might be happening or have any other suggestions.

OK, so from what I'm seeing in your links, it's NOT an LMS, but regular PPT that displays the content (and the problem). So Stacey, we'll have to look elsewhere.

Normally, I'd suspect a video driver issue, but the fact that this happens on both Mac and Windows, and in both desktop and web versions of PPT makes me want to stay away from that particular path of investigation.

Does this problem occur with ALL presentations, certain ones, or just this one?

Good question. It appears to be happening with different PowerPoint presentations. I have a sneaking suspicion that more people are experiencing this when using the PPT. through the web browser (even though it does still happen when used through the desktop app). If that is the case, can I have them do the following through their preferred web browser?

Clear the cache

Disable cache

Disable hardware acceleration when available

Or is there something else I can have them try?

Those are always good things to test when there are web issues. Also, have them shut down any running programs and delete everything in their TEMP folder (at least on the Windows PCs)

Steve and Christina,

I am having the same problem with PowerPoint when I am in the presentation mode using PP web version/ Office 365. The screen is black as soon as click on slide show. I also have this problem in the LMS we use. In both situations, I cannot run a slide show presentation, nor can students unless they download and open it on their desktop. I am using a PC. I tried the suggestions I see in the forum and nothing helps. Feeling discouraged. Any new feedback would be helpful.

Thank you, Tracy 9

I hope you are doing well. These suggestions worked! Thank you again for your time and help.

I am sorry you are running into a similar issue. From what I have been told, my tutors have been able to resolve their issues through one of the following actions:

PPT. Desktop App- 'Disable Slideshow Hardware Graphics Acceleration'

Web browser:

Disable the cache

I am sorry I don't have any other suggestions at this time.

Glad to hear it worked for you, Christina, and THANK YOU for taking the time to detail the answer for Tracy.

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How to Make a Computer Screen Go Black With PowerPoint

Last Updated: December 18, 2021

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 12 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 70,270 times. Learn more...

Want to create a dramatic pause or ending in your PowerPoint presentation? This article will teach you how to make the screen go dark while presenting a PowerPoint slideshow.

Pressing "B"

• Pause your presentation to gain the full attention of your audience.
• Talk about something that is not relevant to the slide that is being viewed.
• Show a blank screen at the beginning or ending of your presentation.

Adding a Black Slide

• If you'd like to give every slide a black background, then click Apply to All.

• It's important to save your presentation after making major changes: in case your computer dies, there is a power outage, or you simply forget to save your work.

• Your computer screen should now look completely black except for a small set of pointer arrows in the bottom left corner. Unfortunately nothing can be done about that but from a distance they are not too visible.

Expert Q&A

• Another way is to just turn off your computer screen. This way may be better: if you tell your friends that your computer monitor is broken, they might try to turn on or off the computer screen, but this way it will still stay black. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Don't do this at school, or teachers may think that you broke the computer screen.\ Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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How to Pause PowerPoint Presentation with a Blank Black/White Screen

If you need to temporarily pause your presentation , such as for a break or an impromptu discussion or when you want to gain the full attention of your audience, you may want to blank the screen at that time. There are several simple but highly effective ways to do this. Let's see:

Way 1: Press the B/W key on keyboard

If you are using the latest version of Microsoft PowerPoint, simply press B key during the presentation to make your screen go dark. Or you can press the W key for a white screen. Press the same key again to toggle back to the presentation.

Way 2: Use black screen touch-key

If you are using Wireless USB PowerPoint PPT Presenter Remote Control Laser Flip Pen control your Slideshow, simply press black screen key.

Way 3: Use right-click menu

At times during a PowerPoint presentation, you can right-click on any slide, and then select either Black or White Screen . To return to the presentation, right-click on the slide again, select Unblack Screen(Unwhite Screen).

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Fix: PowerPoint Slide Keeps Going Blank

Can’t figure out why your PowerPoint slide keeps going blank?

PowerPoint is one of the most popular presentation software in the world. It has been around for decades and is certainly among the best tools for creating and viewing presentations for various purposes. 

One of the main selling points of PowerPoint is its easy to navigate interface and straightforward features. 

Even users without a background in the software won’t have a hard time using it. 

Although ease of use is PowerPoint’s most appealing aspect, this doesn’t mean that you won’t encounter problems while using it. 

If you are reading this, we can assume that you are already annoyed by your PowerPoint slide that keeps going blank after adding content. Depending on the situation, this problem could occur after saving your presentation or while working on it. 

Luckily, you have come to the right place. 

In this guide, we will show you exactly what to do if your PowerPoint slide keeps going blank. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Try Moving the Content. 

If you encounter this problem on a specific slide in your presentation, we suggest moving its content to a new slide. The slide you are working on may have encountered a bug or glitch that prevents it from being modified. 

Simply right-click under the problematic slide and select the New Slide option. Once done, transfer the contents of your slide. 

You can also try adding the contents one by one and see if one of them causes the issue. 

2. Move to A New Project. 

The project you are working on may have gotten corrupted, which explains the issue. If this is the case, try creating a new project and transfer all your slides to the new one. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

• First, create a new PowerPoint file. 
• After that, save your existing project to any folder. We recommend saving it on your desktop to find it easier. 
• Now, go to your new project and click on Home . Choose the New Slide option and click on Reuse Slides . 

• Lastly, locate your old PowerPoint file and open it. You can also enable the ‘ Keep Source Formating ’ option if you don’t want your presentation design to change. 

Once done, try adding new content to your slide and see if they will disappear. 

3. Disable PowerPoint Add-ins. 

Add-ins are supplemental tools that add custom commands and features to various Office programs. They are mostly used for PowerPoint but not all add-ins are effective. If you encounter problems while using PowerPoint, we suggest turning off your add-ins. 

Check out the guide below to remove them: 

• On PowerPoint , click on File and choose Options . 
• Now, go to the Add-ins tab. 
• Finally, turn off all your custom commands and features. 

Restart PowerPoint afterward and check if the problem is solved. 

4. Update Your System. 

There might be an issue with your operating system that causes PowerPoint to run into errors. To be sure, we recommend updating your OS to the latest version possible to patch potential bugs and glitches. 

See the guide below to update Windows: 

• On your keyboard, press the Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings . 
• Next, click on the Windows Update tab from the side menu. 
• Finally, hit the Download & Install button and follow the prompts. 

Reboot your system afterward and check if the issue is solved. 

5. Reinstall PowerPoint. 

If none of the solutions above worked for you, we recommend reinstalling the program on your computer. This way, we can ensure that there are no broken or missing files on your system. 

Check out the steps below to delete PowerPoint: 

• First, go to the Control Panel and click on Uninstall a Program . 
• After that, locate PowerPoint from the list. 
• Right-click on the app and choose Uninstall . 

Reinstall PowerPoint afterward and see if the same issue would occur. 

That sums up our guide on what to do if your PowerPoint slide keeps going blank. If you have questions or other concerns, leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn Twitter

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Blank the Screen During a Powerpoint Slideshow

A Powerpoint presentation is usually viewed as a slideshow, which guides us on a specific path through the information presented. During a presentation, you may want to pause and discuss. And you may not want to show a slide at this point. You can blank the screen so that you have the full attention of the audience. Then you can resume the slideshow when ready to do so. To show a blank white screen, press W. Press W again to resume the slideshow. To show a blank black screen, press B. Press B again to resume the slideshow.

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How to Display a Black or White Slide in PowerPoint

When speaking during a presentation, the content of a slide can sometimes distract your audience. Blanking out a slide can help the audience focus on you or your speech/explanation. You might also need to blank a slide during a break, question-and-answer (Q&A) interaction, or when speaking on something unrelated to what’s on-screen.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to display a black or white slide in a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. You’ll also learn to end your PowerPoint slideshow with a black screen/slide.

Display a Black or White Slide Using Keyboard Shortcuts

PowerPoint allows you to blank a slide with a single keystroke during a presentation. You have the option to display either a black or white screen using keyboard shortcuts .

Pressing the W key or Comma (,) key on your keyboard displays a white slide on your screen. Press the W key or Comma (,) key again to return to the slide where you left off. You can also dismiss the white screen by pressing any key on your keyboard.

If you prefer to display a black screen, press the B key or Period (.) key on your keyboard instead. Press the B key or Period (.) key again to resume where you left off. Pressing any key on your keyboard also dismisses the black screen.

Display a Black Slide from the Presentation Menu

Microsoft PowerPoint has a black/white screen option in the presentation menu. Start your presentation and follow the steps below to access the black/white screen option.

• Select the three-dot menu icon in the bottom-left corner of the current slide.
• Select Screen and choose Black Screen or White Screen to blacken or whiten your presentation screen.

Alternatively, right-click anywhere on the current slide, select Screen , and choose Black Screen or White Screen .

If your computer has a touchscreen, tap anywhere on the current slide, and tap the Black/White Screen icon in the bottom-left corner.

That’ll blank the screen with a black slide. Press any key on your keyboard or tap the Black/White Screen icon again to dismiss the black screen.

Display a Black or White Slide Using Presenter Controls

If you’re presenting a slide show in Presenter View , you can display a black slide at the click of a button.

• Switch to Presenter View if you’re in regular presentation mode. Select the three-dot menu icon in the bottom-left corner and choose Show Presenter View .

• Select the Black or unblack slideshow icon to display a black slide.

• Tap the Black or unblack slideshow icon again to dismiss the black screen. You can also tap anywhere on the black screen to return to the slide where you left off.

End Slide Show with Black Screen

PowerPoint also allows you to use a black screen to indicate the end of a slide show or presentation. If you don’t have time to design a closing slide , configure PowerPoint to display a black screen after the last slide in your slide show. Open the PowerPoint file and follow the steps below.

• Select File in the top-left corner.

• Select Options at the bottom of the sidebar.

• Open the Advanced tab, scroll to the Slide Show section, and check the End with black slide box.
• Select OK to close the dialog box.

PowerPoint will display a black screen with an “End of slide show, click to exit” message when you move past the final slide in a presentation.

Improve Audience Focus and Minimize Distraction

Concealing slides using a black or white screen will keep your audience focused and engaged , especially during an interactive session. Use any of the methods above to display a white or black slide when presenting a PowerPoint slide show.

Sodiq has written thousands of tutorials, guides, and explainers over the past 4 years to help people solve problems with Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices. He also enjoys reviewing consumer tech products (smartphones, smart home devices, accessories, etc.) and binge-watching comedy series in his spare time. Read Sodiq's Full Bio

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