Powerpoint template opens twice

Question

I created a new Powerpoint template and set it as default. When I launch Powerpoint, the usual blank presentation appears. But when I open another file, the file opens but the blank presentation remains. How can I make it disappear automatically like it did with the MS Office default template?

Answer 1

As I recall, this came up once before and we concluded that there's no way to make PPT do this, short of writing and installing an add-in. 

But

Go to Office Button | PowerPoint Options | Advanced

Under Display, remove the check next to "Show all windows in the task bar"

Click OK

Now there will be a small black X beneath the bigger red X in the upper right corner of the PPT window.

Click the smaller x when your new blank presentation opens automatically; that'll close the presentation w/o closing PowerPoint altogether.

Or just leave the blank presentation open. Normally it's not going to hurt anything or eat enough resources to be worth worrying about.