How to Fix PowerPoint on Mac: Troubleshooting Guide

Is your PowerPoint not working on your Mac? PowerPoint is an essential tool for creating presentations, but sometimes it can run into issues on macOS systems. Whether PowerPoint is crashing, freezing, not opening, or having other problems, don’t worry – there are steps you can take to troubleshoot and fix PowerPoint on your Mac.

In this article, we’ll walk through the common causes of PowerPoint issues on Mac and provide simple solutions to get the app running smoothly again. We’ll cover everything from checking system requirements and updating software to more advanced techniques like Safe Boot and reinstalling Office. By the end, you’ll be equipped to diagnose and fix most PowerPoint problems you may encounter on your Mac.

Check System Requirements

Before attempting any fixes, first make sure your Mac meets the minimum system requirements to run Microsoft PowerPoint. PowerPoint may not function properly if your computer doesn’t have enough processing power, memory, or storage.

If your Mac doesn’t meet these specifications, consider upgrading your operating system or hardware if possible. Running the latest version of macOS and having at least 4 GB of RAM will help ensure smooth performance in PowerPoint.

It’s also a good idea to check your available disk space. PowerPoint needs room to store temporary files and data while running. If your hard drive is nearly full, this can lead to performance issues and crashes. Try to maintain at least 10 GB of free space for best results.

Update Microsoft PowerPoint

Running an outdated version of PowerPoint can lead to bugs, glitches and incompatibilities. Microsoft regularly releases updates to fix known issues, add new features, and improve performance and stability. Making sure you have the latest version of PowerPoint installed is an important first troubleshooting step.

To check for and install PowerPoint updates:

1. Open PowerPoint on your Mac
2. Click “Help” in the menu bar
3. Select “Check for Updates”
4. If an update is available, click “Update Now”
5. Restart PowerPoint after the update installs

If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you can also enable automatic updates to ensure you always have the latest version:

1. Open any Office app like PowerPoint or Word
2. Click “Help” in the menu bar
3. Select “Check for Updates”
4. Check the box for “Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date”

With automatic updates enabled, you won’t have to manually check for new versions of PowerPoint. The app will notify you whenever an update is available.

Keeping PowerPoint updated will help reduce the risk of encountering bugs or compatibility issues. If you’re experiencing crashes or errors, making sure you have the latest version should be one of the first things you try.

Restart Your Mac

Sometimes a simple restart of your computer can clear temporary issues with PowerPoint. Over time, your Mac’s memory can become cluttered with old data from closed applications and processes. This can interfere with PowerPoint’s ability to run smoothly.

Restarting your Mac will clear its RAM and stop any background processes that may be conflicting with PowerPoint. To restart:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner
2. Select “Restart”
3. Wait for your Mac to completely shut down and power back on
4. After your Mac reboots, re-open PowerPoint

If PowerPoint was previously crashing, freezing, or not opening, check to see if the issue persists after restarting. Restarting is a simple yet often effective way to resolve minor software glitches.

For best results, make sure to fully shut down your Mac rather than using sleep mode. A complete shutdown will clear more system data and give your computer a fresh start.

Safe Boot Your Mac

Safe Boot is a special diagnostic mode that starts your Mac with minimal functionality. In Safe Mode, your Mac will check its startup disk, only load necessary kernel extensions, and disable third-party fonts and login items. This can help you determine if a PowerPoint issue is being caused by conflicting software or settings.

To start your Mac in Safe Mode:

1. Shut down your Mac completely
2. Power on your Mac
3. Immediately press and hold the Shift key
4. Keep holding Shift until you see the login screen
5. Login to your Mac – you may need to login twice
6. Open PowerPoint

If PowerPoint works normally in Safe Mode, it’s likely that the problem lies with an application, extension, or system setting that loads during a standard boot. You can troubleshoot further by managing your login items, fonts, or extensions.

To exit Safe Mode, simply restart your Mac normally without holding any keys during startup. Keep in mind that performance will be slower in Safe Mode since some caches and features are disabled.

Remove PowerPoint Preferences

All applications store settings in special preference files on your Mac. These files tell the application how it should look and behave. PowerPoint keeps its preferences in a .plist file within your user Library folder.

In some cases, PowerPoint’s preference file can become corrupted and cause the application to crash, freeze, or behave erratically. Removing the file will force PowerPoint to create a new preference file with default settings.

To remove PowerPoint preferences:

1. Completely quit PowerPoint and make sure it’s not running
2. Open Finder
3. Click on the “Go” menu and choose “Go to Folder”
4. Type in ~/Library/Preferences/ and hit enter
5. Find and select the file named com.microsoft.PowerPoint.plist
6. Drag this file to your Desktop – do not delete it immediately
7. Re-open PowerPoint and see if your issue is resolved

If PowerPoint runs properly after removing the preference file, you can delete the file from your Desktop. If the issue still persists, drag the preference file back into the original folder.

Resetting an application’s preferences can resolve a variety of strange behaviors, but keep in mind you will lose any custom settings you previously had. Fortunately, PowerPoint’s default preferences work well for most users.

Repair Office Disk Permissions

Your Mac’s hard disk has a special set of permissions that control which users and applications can read, write, or execute specific files and folders. Over time, these permissions can become improperly set and cause issues opening or using certain files.

PowerPoint relies on having the proper permissions to access its application files and create new data. If these permissions are incorrect, it can lead to crashes, freezes, or file corruption. Luckily, you can repair disk permissions using the Disk Utility application on your Mac.

To repair Office disk permissions:

1. Quit PowerPoint and all other Office applications
2. Open Finder
3. Go to Applications > Utilities
4. Locate and open the Disk Utility application
5. Select your Mac’s primary startup disk, typically named “Macintosh HD”
6. Click the “First Aid” button at the top
7. Click “Run” when prompted to confirm
8. Wait for the repair process to complete – this may take several minutes
9. Click “Done” when finished
10. Re-open PowerPoint

Repairing disk permissions with Disk Utility is a safe, non-destructive process. It will examine all the files and folders on your startup disk and reset their permissions to the proper defaults. This can often resolve strange bugs and crashes with PowerPoint and other applications.

For best results, try to run Disk Utility every few months as part of regular Mac maintenance. This will keep your disk permissions in proper order and help prevent potential issues.

Remove and Reinstall Office

If you’ve tried all the above methods and PowerPoint still isn’t working properly, you may need to resort to a complete uninstall and reinstall of Microsoft Office. This process will remove all traces of PowerPoint and other Office applications from your Mac, allowing you to start fresh with a clean install.

Before beginning, make sure you have your original Office product key available as you will need this to reactivate the applications. You should also backup any important PowerPoint files and documents you want to keep.

To fully remove Office and reinstall:

1. Open Finder and go to Applications
2. Drag Microsoft PowerPoint to the Trash – do the same for Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Office apps
3. Go to the “Go” menu and choose “Go to Folder”
4. Enter ~/Library/ and click Go
5. Look for and remove the following folders:
   • Containers/com.microsoft.errorreporting
   • Containers/com.microsoft.Excel
   • Containers/com.microsoft.onenote.mac
   • Containers/com.microsoft.Outlook
   • Containers/com.microsoft.Powerpoint
   • Containers/com.microsoft.RMS-XPCService
   • Containers/com.microsoft.Word
   • Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.ms
   • Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office
   • Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.OfficeOsfWebHost
6. Empty the Trash to permanently delete all Office files
7. Restart your Mac
8. Download the latest version of Office from Microsoft’s official website
9. Open the Office installer and follow the on-screen instructions
10. Enter your product key when prompted to reactivate Office
11. Open PowerPoint and other Office apps to ensure they’re working

Performing a clean install of Office will remove any corrupted files or settings that may have been interfering with PowerPoint. It will also ensure you have the most recent, compatible version of the application installed.

Keep in mind that reinstalling Office should be a last resort when troubleshooting, as it will remove all your previous customizations and preferences. Only attempt this if other methods have failed to resolve your PowerPoint issues.

Final Thoughts

PowerPoint is a powerful presentation tool, but it can occasionally experience hiccups and issues on Mac computers. If you’re facing crashes, freezes, or errors, don’t panic – there are several techniques you can use to troubleshoot.

Start by making sure your Mac meets the minimum system requirements for PowerPoint and you’re using an up-to-date version of the software. Simple steps like restarting or running Safe Mode can also resolve many common issues.

If those don’t work, try repairing disk permissions or removing PowerPoint’s preferences to eliminate corrupted files and settings. As a last resort, you can completely uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Office to get a fresh start.

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Trish Dixon

Trish Dixon is the founder of PPTBliss and a PowerPoint expert with over a decade of experience in presentation design. Passionate about visual storytelling, Trish shares her expertise through easy-to-follow tutorials on slide design, animations, transitions, and best practices, helping professionals create impactful presentations across industries.

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