6 Ways to Fix “PowerPoint Found a Problem With Content” 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: Repair the Presentation File

When you receive the “PowerPoint found a problem with content” error, PowerPoint offers the option to repair the file. You should first use this option to allow PowerPoint to fix any corrupt or damaged elements within your PPT file. If it’s just a minor issue, this will resolve the error and get PowerPoint to open your file on Windows.

Fix 2: Unblock the File

PowerPoint may fail to open a file if it was modified by an untrusted program or downloaded from the internet. In that case, you will need to unblock the PowerPoint file first.

Step 1:On your PC, locate the PowerPoint file that’s triggering the error. Right-click on it and selectProperties.

Step 2:Under theGeneraltab, clear theUnblockcheckbox at the bottom and hitApplyfollowed byOK.

Fix 3: Disable Protected View

Several users on the Microsoft forums reportedfixing the “PowerPoint found a problem with content” error by temporarily disabling the Protected View feature. However, you should only do this if you are opening a file that you created yourself or that you received from a trusted source.

Step 1:Open Microsoft PowerPoint and click theFilemenu at the top-left corner.

Step 2:SelectOptionsfrom the left sidebar.

Step 3:In the PowerPoint Options window, switch to theTrust Centerfrom the left sidebar and then click theTrust Center Settingsbutton from the right pane.

Step 4:Choose the Protected View tab from the left sidebar, uncheck three checkboxes in the right pane under the Protected View section, and clickOKto save changes.

Fix 4: Mark the Folder Containing the File as a Trusted Location in PowerPoint

Errors like “PowerPoint found a problem with content” or “PowerPoint found unreadable content in PPTX” can also arise if your presentation file is located in an untrusted folder on your PC. To fix this, you need to mark the folder containing your presentation as a trusted location in PowerPoint. Here are the steps for the same.

Step 1:In Microsoft PowerPoint, head toFile > Options.

Step 2:Click on theTrust Centerfrom the left sidebar and then click theTrust Center Settingsbutton in the right pane.

Step 3:Choose theTrusted Locationsfrom the left sidebar and click theAdd new locationbutton from the right pane.

Step 4:Click theBrowsebutton and head to the folder containing your PPT files. Then, hitOK.

Fix 5: Move the File Out From the Synchronized Folder

Are you getting the “PowerPoint found a problem with content” error while accessing files stored in a cloud storage folder like OneDrive? You can copy it from the cloud storage folder to yourcomputer’s local hard driveand open it.

Locate the problematic PPT file, right-click on it, and select theCopy option. Then, switch to your preferred location on the hard drive and pressCtrl + Vkeyboard shortcut to paste the file. After that, check if PowerPoint can open it.

Fix 6: Restore an Older Version of the File

Lastly, if none of the above tips work, your PowerPoint file may be irreparably corrupted. In that case, your best option is to restore an older version of the PPT file. Of course, this is only possible if you have previouslybacked up the file in OneDrive.

Step 1:Press theWindows + Skeyboard shortcut to open the search menu, type inOneDriveand selectOpen.

Step 2:In the File Explorer window that opens, locate your PowerPoint file. Right-click on it and selectShow more options.

Step 3:Select theVersion historyoption from the context menu.

Step 4:Hover your mouse over an earlier version of the file on the list. Click thethree horizontal dotsnext to it and selectRestore.

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Last updated on 15 May, 2024

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