6 Ways to Fix Microsoft PowerPoint Not Saving Files 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: Ensure the File Is Not Opened Elsewhere

Having a PowerPoint file open in multiple apps can prevent you from editing it. To avoid this, ensure your presentation isn’t open in any other program.

Such issues can also arise if the file is opened in File Explorer’s Preview Pane.Several users on the Microsoft forums reportedfixing the problem by disabling the Preview Pane in File Explorer. You can also try it.

Step 1:Press theWindows + Ekeyboard shortcut to open File Explorer.

Step 2:Click theViewmenu at the top, go toShow, and deselectPreview pane. After this, try saving your file and see if it works.

Fix 2: Save the File in Another Location

A lack of relevant permissions to access a specific directory on Windows could prevent PowerPoint from saving files. To fix this, try saving the file in a different directory.

In the PowerPoint app, press theCtrl + Shift + Skeyboard shortcut to bring up the Save As dialog box. Select a new location for the file and hitSave.

If you can’t save the file in the PPTX format, use the “Save as type” drop-down menu to selectPPTand hitSave.

Fix 3: Copy Your Presentation to a New File

If PowerPoint is having trouble saving a specific PPT, there might be a problem with the file itself. You can resolve the issue by copying the slides from the problematic PowerPoint file and pasting them into a new file. Here are the steps for the same.

Step 1:Open your PowerPoint file and select any slide. Then, pressCtrl + Ato select all the slides.

Step 2:Right-click on your selection and chooseCopy.

Step 3:PressCtrl + Nto create a new PowerPoint file, and pressCtrl + Vto paste your slides.

Step 4:Press theCtrl + Skeyboard shortcut and save your file.

Fix 4: Remove ActiveMovie Control From Microsoft Visual Basic Userform

Another thing you can do when PowerPoint displays the “An error occurred while PowerPoint was saving the file” message is to remove the ActiveMovie control from Microsoft Visual Basic Userform. Here’s how to go about it.

Step 1:In the PowerPoint app, switch to theDevelopertab and click onVisual Basic.

Step 2:Click on theInsert UserForm iconon the toolbar and selectUserForm.

Step 3:Click theFilemenu at the top and selectRemove UserForm.

Step 4:SelectNoto continue.

Step 5:Click on theFilemenu again and selectClose and Return to Microsoft PowerPoint.

Try to save your file once again and see if it works.

Fix 5: Sign Out and Sign Back In

Authentication problems with your Office account can sometimes prevent PowerPoint from saving your files. You can sign out and back in to the app to fix the problem.

Step 1:Open thePowerPointapp and click on theFilemenu at the top.

Step 2:Switch to theAccounttab and click onSign out.

Sign back into the app with your account and check if the issue persists.

Fix 6: Run the Office Repair Tool

Running the Microsoft Office repair tool effectively fixes issues with Office apps like PowerPoint. So, if nothing works, run the Office repair tool as a last resort.

Step 1:Right-click on theStart iconand selectInstalled appsfrom the list.

Step 2:Locate the Microsoft Office suite on the list. Click themenu iconnext to it and selectModify.

Step 3:SelectOnline Repairand clickRepair.

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Last updated on 03 July, 2024

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