Troubleshooting

Creating Your Own Template

I don't like any of the existing design templates. What can I do?

You can create your own design template and then save it for future use. Start by modifying an existing template and then save it as a design template in the Save As dialog box. Chapter 6, "Formatting Slides and Presentations," covers this in more detail.

The Web is also a rich source of design templates. Many are free; some are for purchase. To get started, type "PowerPoint templates" in your favorite search engine.

Choosing a Save Location

My presentation didn't save in the folder where I thought it would.

By default, your presentation is saved in the My Documents folder unless you specify another location in the Save As dialog box. To change this default, choose Tools, Options, click the Save tab, and type a different pathname in the Default file location field.

Finding a Saved Presentation

I can't find a PowerPoint presentation I saved.

The Open dialog box might be set to a file type other than the one in which you saved your presentation. Check the Files of Type drop-down list to be sure that you chose the right file type. For example, if you're looking for a PowerPoint presentation or a Web page, be sure that you've selected that option.

Also, make sure that you're searching in the right folder. Use the navigation tools in the Open dialog box to find the folder in which you saved your presentation.

If you still can't find your presentation, in the Open dialog box choose Tools, Search to open the Find dialog box. Type words you remember being in the file's name and click Search. You can also perform similar searches using the Search task pane.

Opening a Presentation in a Browser

I want to open my presentation in a browser, but the Open in Browser option isn't available from the menu next to the Open button in the Open dialog box.

You must have saved the presentation in a Web format (such as .htm , .html , .htx , or .asp ) in order to open it in a browser. To save as a Web page, choose File, Save as Web Page.