5 Fixes for Microsoft PowerPoint Not Playing Audio on Windows
Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.
Fix 1: Check the Volume Level in PowerPoint and Windows
Your first step is double-checking the volume level in PowerPoint and on your Windows computer. If thevolume is too lowor muted, it may give the impression that sound is not working in PowerPoint.
Step 1:Open your PowerPoint presentation and select any audio or video file.
Step 2:Switch to thePlaybacktab, clickVolume, and select theMediumorHighoption.
Step 3:Right-click on thespeaker iconon the taskbar and selectOpen volume mixer.
Step 4:Move the slider forPowerPointto your right to increase the volume.
Fix 2: Use Optimize Media Compatibility Option
Another thing you can do to fix the no sound issue in presentation mode is to optimize the media files in PowerPoint for compatibility. This is especially useful if you plan to share or use the presentation on another device.
Step 1:Open your PowerPoint presentation and click theFilemenu in the top-left corner.
Step 2:Switch to theInfotab and click theOptimize Compatibilitybutton.
Step 3:Wait for PowerPoint to optimize all the audio and video files in your presentation and clickClose.
Fix 3: Embed the Audio File Instead of Linking It
Are you experiencing audio playback issues with linked audio files in your presentation? While linking audio files can make your presentation file size smaller, it can occasionally cause problems as PowerPoint has to rely on the external file to play audio.
To avoid any issues, it’s best to embed your audio files in the presentation rather than link them. Here’s how:
Step 1:Open your PowerPoint presentation and switch to theInserttab. Click onMedia, selectAudio, and selectAudio on my PC.
Step 2:Select your audio file and selectInsert. After this, check if it plays fine.
Fix 4: Open PowerPoint in Safe Mode
The PowerPoint may not play audio automatically due to a faulty third-party add-in. To check for this possibility, you can open PowerPoint in safe mode. Press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Typepowerpnt /safein the Open field and pressEnter.
When PowerPoint opens in safe mode, check if it can play audio. It means one of your add-ins is causing the problem if it can. To identify the one causing the issue, you will need to disable all add-ins and re-enable them one at a time. Here’s how:
Step 1:Open PowerPoint and click theFilemenu at the top-left corner.
Step 2:SelectOptionsfrom the left pane.
Step 3:In the PowerPoint Options window, switch to theAdd-instab. Click the drop-down menu next toManageand selectCOM Add-ins. Then, click theGobutton next to it.
Step 4:Uncheck all the boxes to disable your add-ins and clickOK.
Restart PowerPoint after this and enable your add-ins one at a time. You will need to check for audio issues after enabling each add-in. Once you find the problematic add-in, it’s best to remove it to avoid such issues in the future.
Fix 5: Run the Office Repair Tool
If nothing else works, consider running the Office repair tool. This tool can help you troubleshoot allissues with Office appslike Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and others. Here’s how to run it.
Step 1:Press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Typeappwiz.cplin the box and pressEnter.
Step 2:In the Programs and Features window, select the Office suite and click theChangebutton at the top.
Step 3:Select theOnline Repairoption and clickRepair.
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Last updated on 14 August, 2024
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