Things That Often Go Wrong
I Can’t Find My File!
You spent hours polishing that presentation and now you can’t find the file. You know that you saved it, butit’s not there! The problem is probably one of two things: Either you saved the file in a directory other than the one you thought you did, or you used a different name to save it than you intended. The solution? Use the File ® Find File command.
I’ve Run Out of DiskSpace!
Nothing is more frustrating than creating a fancy PowerPoint presentation and then discovering that you’re completely out of disk space. What to do? Press Alt+Tab to move over to Program Manager and then launch File Manager and rummage through your flash drive,looking for files you don’t need. Delete enough files to free up a few megabytes and then press Alt+Tab to move back to PowerPoint and save your file.
PowerPoint Has Vanished!
You’re working at your computer, minding your own business, when suddenly —Whoosh! — PowerPoint disappears. What happened? Most likely, you clicked some area outside the PowerPoint window or you pressed Alt+Tab or Alt+Esc, which whisks youaway to another program. To get PowerPoint back, press Ctrl+Esc.A list of all the active programs pops up; double-click PowerPoint to return to PowerPoint.
PowerPoint can also vanish into thin airif you use a screen saver program. Try giving the mouse a nudge to see whether PowerPoint reappears.
/ Accidentally Deleted aFile!
Just learned how to delete files and couldn’t stop yourself, eh? Relax. It happens to the best of us. Odds are that you can get the deleted file back, if you act fast enough. Conjure up File Manager and use the File ® Undelete command or launch the Undelete program from the Microsoft Tools group.
It Won’t Let Me Edit That!
No matter how hard you click the mouse,PowerPoint won’t let you edit that doohickey on the screen. What gives? The doohickey is probably a part of the Slide master. To edit it, use the View® Master ® Slide Master command. This step displays the Slide master and enables you toedit it.
Something Seems to Be Missing!
You have just read the article about Equation Editor, but nothing happens when you try to use it. You, or whoever installed PowerPoint on your computer, probably decided not to install it. To correct this oversight, gather up your original installation disks and launch the PowerPoint Setup program from the Microsoft Office group. (This problem can happen with many optional components of PowerPoint, including Microsoft Chart,clip art, and templates.)
What Happened to My ClipArt)
You just purchased and installed an expensive clip art collection that has 500 stunning photographic-quality images from the 1994 USA Synchronized Swimming Championships, but you can’t find the min the ClipArt Gallery. Where did they go? Nowhere. You just have to tell ClipArt Gallery about them. Fire up the Gallery by clicking the Insert Picture button or by double-clicking a clip art object. Then click the Optionsbutton. Then click Add and tell PowerPoint where the new picture files are located.
One of the Toolbars Is Missing!
You reach for the Boldbutton, but it’s not there. In fact, the whole Formatting toolbar seems to be missing. What gives? Somehow the view got messed up. It happens all the time,so don’t feel bad. Just look in the mirror and say to yourself, “It’s not my fault that the toolbar disappeared. It happens even to experts like that niceMr. Lowe, who wrote a whole book about PowerPoint. I shouldn’t blame myself.After all, I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, doggone it, people like me.”
Then use the View ® Toolbars command to reactivate the missing toolbar.
All the Text Is the Same!
This problem happens in Outline view when you’ve clicked the Show Formatting button. Just click Show Formatting again to restore text formatting, such as font, point size, italics, and so on.