PowerPoint presentations are a fantastic tool to convey ideas in education, business, and government. But there can be frustrations when trying to perfect your settings, with options often buried within the ribbon or layers of clicks. One common frustration might be:
“Why does my presentation only show in full screen mode?”
In this blog, I’ll show you how to present a PowerPoint slideshow within a window, so your audience can focus on your fantastic presentation without any distractions. I provide a short video below where I run through the steps. But feel free to read on for a run-through with screenshots and other tips…
Stop PowerPoint Presenting in Full Screen
So let’s get to it, here’s how to stop PowerPoint presenting your slide show in full screen. Instead, we’ll present the PowerPoint slideshow in a window for your viewers. This option can be handy if like me you want to do a screen recording of your presentation, or just don’t want to take over your entire workspace when previewing your content.
Step 1: Navigate to “Slide Show” tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
As with many options in PowerPoint, you’ll find the solution somewhere within the Ribbon; it’s just a case of knowing where to look! First navigate to the “Slide Show” tab, as shown in the screengrab below, which covers step 1 and 2.
Step 2: Select the “Set Up Slide Show” option
click on the “Set Up Slide Show” option. This will open a new window where you can configure your presentation settings.
Step 3: Choose “Browsed by an Individual (Window)” option
In the “Set Up Show” window, under the “Show type” section, choose the “Browsed by an individual (Window)” option. This ensures that your presentation is opened within a window and not in full screen mode. Click the “OK” button to save your changes. Now you’re ready to start your presentation within a window, not full screen!
Presenting PowerPoint within a window is a great way to focus your audience’s attention on your content without any distractions. By following these simple steps, you can easily configure your presentation settings to present your PowerPoint within a window.
I hope you’ve found this explainer helpful and it saves you from headaches, frustration, and wasting time figuring out how to present your slide show within a window. Let me know in the comments if it has helped save you time!
Kind Regards, Adrian
I hope this guidance and video is supportive and saves you a headache! Subscribe to my EATO YouTube channel for more MS Office how-to videos and presentations. Liking the content? Please like and share with friends and colleagues who may also find it useful. If so inclined, supporting my work helps keep free content flowing. Want fantastic, time-saving templates or dashboards tailored to you and your business? Then please get in touch to arrange a bespoke quote. Finally, please feel free to leave your feedback below, including what tutorials or templates you’d like created.