problem formatting background of ppt with image

Question

I am trying to import a photo from my HDD into the background formatting for Powerpoint. I've done this numerous times but all of sudden today I get a message: error! with three options: work offline, try again or cancel. I opened a new PPT just to see if my other file was corrupted by get the same message. I can insert a photo but just cannot get the background formatting function to work where it fills up the whole slide automatically. I have restarted my laptop and even shut down completely and restarted with no avail. I am using Windows 11 and Microsoft Office 365. Below is a screen shot. Help!

Sherri

Answer 1

As a workaround, try opening the image in pretty much any photo/image editing program, select and copy it to the clipboard, then in PPT, use the Clipboard option instead of Insert to bring the image in.

Answer 2

Are you certain you're not inserting the background image from an online source or local source that's synched to an online source?

The error message certainly makes it seem so..

Can you move the image to your computer's desktop, independently of PowerPoint, and if so, try inserting from there?

Answer 3

Thanks Steve - the image I am trying to insert is actually one I licensed and is saved on my laptop hard drive so that doesn't seem to be the problem - I have never seen this before and I cannot find anything in the forums or anywhere on it so it is really strange.

Sherri

Answer 4

Thanks that works but it is a lot more steps than what I was used to - before I could simply insert via Formatting in PPT - this way I have to manipulate the image to get it to fit but it does work around the problem. Someone told me that last Microsoft Windows update screwed up their image/PPT function too so hopefully Microsoft will figure this out.

Answer 5

Glad to hear that it's a workaround, if not a fix.

You might want to choose File | Feedback | I don't like something and report the problem (and encourage others to do the same when they run into this or other problems). It's the best way to kick-start a fix to the problem.