Sound and image problems in PowerPoint are often a plague for presenters. These problems occur when you create a PowerPoint presentation at home or in the office, and when you transfer it to another computer, there is no sound or image. Or worse, PowerPoint crashes mid-presentation. There are several ways to avoid these scenarios.
The instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2010, and PowerPoint for Mac.
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Causes of PowerPoint Sound and Photo Problems
If PowerPoint doesn’t show images or audio doesn’t play, it’s probably because the elements needed for the presentation aren’t in the same place. There can also be compatibility issues with the media files and the device you are using. If PowerPoint crashes when inserting image and audio files, it may be due to the size of the files.
Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and prevent image and audio file issues in PowerPoint:
Put everything in one folder. It’s a good idea to create a new folder for all of your presentation items. Having these elements in one place makes it easy to transfer a presentation from one computer to another without losing images or sound.
Reduce the PowerPoint file size. Before you insert a photo on a slide, enhance the photos by cutting out unnecessary elements from the photos. If the files are still too large, compress the photos in PowerPoint.
To keep the file size manageable, do not include photos directly from a digital camera or images from other sources.
Disable Malwarebytes. PowerPoint is known to conflict with Malwarebytes, a cross-platform antivirus for Windows, Mac, and mobile devices. If you use this program, disable it and then install another malware removal tool.
Update the graphics card driver. Some older Intel graphics cards in Windows PCs have an issue that conflicts with PowerPoint, so make sure you have the latest drivers installed.
Optimize media compatibility tool. Make sure the presentation is optimized for compatibility before sharing it with someone or trying to run the slideshow on a different computer. See the section below for step-by-step instructions.
Management of media optimization The compatibility tool is always recommended before starting a presentation:
Open the presentation and go to dossier > The information.
If the audio or video you added to the slideshow is in a format that could cause compatibility issues, the Optimize media compatibility appears.
Choose Optimize media compatibility and wait for PowerPoint to improve any media that needs tweaking.
Choose Close when the process is complete.