Tips to fix Microsoft PowerPoint not opening videos

This problem usually occurs due to incompatible video formats or wrong PowerPoint settings. If you encounter a similar problem, the following small but 'martial' tips will help you fix the error of not being able to play videos on PowerPoint.

Check video format

If PowerPoint does not support the video format in the presentation, it may not be played. For example, if the file extension is .SWF, PowerPoint cannot open the video. In this case, you can find another version of the video or use an online clip converter.

Reload video

If PowerPoint supports the video file format, but still can't open it, the file may be corrupted. Test by opening the file outside of PowerPoint. There are many reasons why you cannot open a video in a PowerPoint slideshow:

1. The storage location is corrupted.
2. Video audio cannot be synchronized.
3. The video may be missing files.
4. The video itself is corrupted.

In this case, the easiest way is to re-download the video from another source. Also, if you're using a YouTube clip, check to see if it's still available.

Check video playback settings

If you can't find any errors in the video, it's time to check PowerPoint's playback settings. Maybe you have set the video to play automatically on PowerPoint or click to play it. So make sure PowerPoint is set up to open the video according to your expectations.

1. In PowerPoint , click the video.
2. From the toolbar, open the Playback tab .
3. Go to the Video options menu and open the Start drop-down menu .
4. Here, click the option you want.

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This is a good opportunity to make sure the audio isn't muted in PowerPoint. On the Playback tab , click the Volume icon and make sure you don't accidentally select the wrong Mute .

Set up PowerPoint to display video

Depending on PowerPoint settings, the video may not show up until it starts playing. However, if you have set the playback mode to Until clicked on , you can click freely to play the video.

To make the video visible, click on it and open the Playback tab . Then go to Video options and uncheck Hide While not Playing .

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Embed code in YouTube videos

If you want to include in your presentation a video from YouTube, copying and pasting the link into it isn't enough. Instead, you'll have to embed the video code in the presentation. Here's how you can do this:

1. Go to the YouTube video you want to insert into the slideshow.

2. Below the video, click Share > select Embed .

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3. Copy the embed code.

4. In PowerPoint, open the Insert tab > click Media > Video .

5. Select Online Videos and paste the embed code from YouTube.

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6. Click Insert .

If you have inserted an online video, be sure to check your Internet connection before presenting because connection errors can affect the quality of the clip.

Above are the simplest ways to fix PowerPoint not playing video . Hope the article is useful to you.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 03 April 2023