Intermittent audio problem with powerpoint

Question

I have a client with an intermittent audio playback problem.  Audio files embedded in a slideshow will occasionally not play.  Quitting the slideshow and restarting powerpoint always resolves the problem, but this is embarassing during a presentation.  It only happens occasionally, and has happened with different slides in the same slideshow, and different slideshows created from scratch, but it is not predictable whether it will happen at all on any given attempt to test the presentation.

Hardware = MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)

Processor = 1.8GHz Intel Core i5

Memory = 8GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Graphics = Intel HD Graphics 6000 1536 MB

OS = macOS Mojave Version 10.14.1

Powerpoint = Office 365 Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac Version 16.21 (190115)

Presentation is over HDMI.  Vision never stops, laptop never becomes unresponsive.  Does not happen on any other type of playback - works on movies, works on web browsers, works on music playback.

I'd greatly appreciate any solutions.

Answer 1

Hi Richard,

After testing the above suggestions at your end, please let us know the result when you feel free.

Thanks,

Chitrahaas

Answer 2

Hi Richard,

Thanks for writing back to us and providing the detail information.

To move further regarding this problem, can you please try to create a new user account in the problematic Mac and check whether if there is any problem in audio playback.

To create a new user account in Mac, you can refer this article.

In addition to it, if possible, can you contact with school IT administrator and ask for updating the macOS to latest version?

If possible, can you test using another Mac device and let us know the result.

Thanks for your cooperation.

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Regards,

Chitrahaas

Answer 3

Thank you for your reply Chitrahaas, sorry if I was unclear.

1. The problem only occurs occasionally.  A PowerPoint presentation will work normally a number of times, and then the same PowerPoint will work in most respects, except that it will not play the audio, seemingly randomly, of one of the slides, and it is not always the same slide that exhibits the fault.
2. We have never noticed that the fault occurs when playing slides individually, the problem has only been noticed when in a slideshow presentation.
3. The problem has not been noticed when playing back locally, only when in a slideshow with the macbook monitor showing the presenter notes, and the HDMI (over thunderbolt connector) showing the slideshow.

The problem is occurring at a school, so OS upgrades are strictly managed.  It is not so easy for me to arrange upgrading to the latest OS.  The problem has not occurred on my Win10 laptop, but the school is a mac-based school.

Answer 4

Hi Richard,

From the description provided, we would like you to confirm the following:

1. Is problem occurs only with specific PowerPoint presentations or all the presentations containing audio files?
2. Does the audio playbacks when the presentation is not in slide show? We mean to check by playing audio in slides.
3. Does the problem happens only when you connect Mac to HDMI? Does the audio playbacks in Mac without any problem?

In addition to it, can you please update you macOS to latest version, you can refer this article and check whether problem occurs or not.

Regards,

Chitrahaas