PowerPoint Melting Pot

This is the part of the site where we put all the answers to those little Microsoft PowerPoint questions that we get asked, but the answers are so short there’s no need to write up an entire tutorial, just a few quick words will suffice. This is our version of a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, so please feel free to ask us your questions, it’s unlikely we’ll answer your question directly, but we’ll post the answer here for all to see.

How can I turn my presentation into a movie file?
There are numerous ways to do this that involve rigging up your PC to external DVD recorders etc, but one of the easiest and hassle free ways is to use some screen capture software to record your presentation into something like a Flash or WMV file. The software package we have used with a fair degree of success is called ‘Wink’. To do this you will need a reasonably powerful PC to run both PowerPoint and your screen capture software. If you don’t have the inclination or capability to create your own movies, contact us for information on how we can help you.

How do I make a rollover button on a slide?
Insert the object that you want to use add the rollover effect to. Select it, then right-click. from the menu Select Action Settings. In the dialog box, select the Mouse Over tab. Now you can set the options that will give you the necessary effect for your rollover button.

Are there any hidden Easter eggs in PowerPoint?
Yes, although versions of PowerPoint from 2000 Sr-1 have had the Easter Eggs Removed, to see a picture of the PowerPoint development team click on the Help option on the menu bar, select About option and click on the PowerPoint logo to see the creators of PowerPoint. If you don’t see anything then you’ve got a more recent version of PowerPoint with the Easter egg removed.

Can I make my presentation automatically start when I double click its icon in Windows?
PowerPoint uses two different file extensions, .ppt which is the default for slideshows, the other is .pps. By saving your file as a .pps file (or renaming it once saved) your slideshow will automatically load PowerPoint in slide show mode and start the presentation.

Can I blank the screen when I pause a presentation?
It can be useful to blank the screen when you pause a presentation, after all, you’re the speaker, and if you’re pausing the presentation you will probably want the audience to focus on anything other than the screen. Pressing the ‘B’ key will pause the presentation with a black screen, and pressing the ‘W’ key will pause the presentation with a white screen. Hit the ‘B’ or ‘W’ key again to return to your paused slide, and the Space Bar or ‘N’ key to continue at the next slide in the sequence.