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power point not working, please fix it

Rajesh H 0 Reputation points
2026-04-29T13:34:08.9033333+00:00

When i want to do work on PPT, repair, help and close options are shown then automatic ppt does not work

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | For education | Windows

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  1. Henry-N 13,980 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-29T14:51:25.26+00:00

    Hi @Rajesh H, 

    Thank you for reaching out. To better understand the PowerPoint issue and assist you effectively, I’d like to gather a bit more information. 

    Could you please help clarify the following: 

    • Does the issue occur with all PowerPoint files, or only one specific file? 
    • If it’s just one file, how was it created or obtained (for example: downloaded, shared via email, recovered, etc.)? 
    • If possible, could you provide a screenshot of the error? (Feel free to hide or blur any private information.) 
    • Which version of PowerPoint are you currently using? 
    • Does the same issue occur with other Office applications? 
    • Are you opening the file from a local computer, network drive, email attachment, or OneDrive/SharePoint? 
    • You mentioned trying a repair option previously could you please let me know which repair option you used (Quick Repair or Online Repair)?  

    If possible, could you please try the two repair options below to see if the issue persist : 

    1. Right‑click the Start button (lower‑left corner) and select Installed apps.  User's image
    2. Locate Microsoft 365 or Office, click the three dots (⋯), and select Modify. User's image
    3. If prompted to allow changes to your device, click Yes.  User's image
    4. Choose Online Repair and follow the on‑screen instructions. 

    Thank you very much for your time and understanding. While this initial response may not resolve the issue immediately, the information above will help me narrow down the cause and provide a more accurate solution. 

    I truly appreciate your patience and look forward to your reply. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".        

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  2. AI answer

    2026-04-29T13:34:26.8566667+00:00

    Follow these steps in order to fix PowerPoint not working and always showing “repair/help/close” dialogs:

    1. Install the latest Office updates
      Problems with PowerPoint hanging or crashing are often fixed by updating Office. Install all important and recommended updates for Microsoft 365/Office. For detailed steps, see Install Office updates in the article referenced below.
    2. Check if PowerPoint is in use by another process
      If a dialog says PowerPoint is busy or another process is using it (for example, printing or syncing), wait for that process to finish, then try again.
    3. Disable add-ins (test for conflicts)
      Faulty add-ins can cause repeated repair prompts and crashes. Start PowerPoint in safe mode (which loads without add-ins) and test. If it works in safe mode, disable or remove any suspicious add-ins, then restart normally.
    4. Repair Office from Control Panel
      Use a full repair instead of the small “Repair now” prompt:
      1. Close all Office apps.
      2. Open Control Panel → Programs and Features.
      3. Right‑click the Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365 installation.
      4. Select Change → Repair and complete the repair wizard.
    5. Check antivirus software
      • Make sure antivirus is up to date.
      • If it integrates with Office/PowerPoint, temporarily disable the PowerPoint integration or related add‑ins (not the whole antivirus) and test again. Changing antivirus settings can increase risk, so only adjust what is necessary and re‑enable protection afterward.
    6. Change the default printer
      PowerPoint loads the default printer at startup; a problematic printer driver can cause hangs or crashes:
      1. Open Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Devices and Printers.
      2. Right‑click Microsoft XPS Document Writer or Send to OneNote.
      3. Choose Set as default printer.
      4. Start PowerPoint again and test.
    7. Advanced: Selective startup / clean boot
      If the problem continues, perform a selective startup (clean boot) of Windows to see if another background program is conflicting with PowerPoint. Follow the Windows startup settings guidance in the referenced article. If PowerPoint works correctly in a clean boot, re‑enable background apps gradually to find the conflicting one.

    If none of these steps resolve the issue, contact Microsoft Support and provide details about the repair dialog and any error messages shown.

    References:

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