If you have ever arrived a little early to see a PowerPoint presentation, you might have witnessed the following scenario:

The presenter is hurriedly looking through folders to locate the right presentation.  In the process, you get a glimpse of their instructor notes.  As they search, you see some of their unread emails and documents not meant for public view.

How do you avoid this same scene when it’s your turn to present?

There are two ways to begin a PowerPoint presentation directly from the folder where the item is located.

To start the PowerPoint presentation from the first slide,  simply right-click on the file you wish to use.  Then, click on “Show” under the drop-down list.   This will start your presentation on the first slide.

You can also save your PowerPoint so that it will start automatically after double-clicking on the file name.

To do this, make sure you have completed all of your edits.  Choose “Save As” from the File tab.  A pop-up window will appear where you can name your file and then choose “PowerPoint Show” from the drop-down menu of file types.

This will create a PPS or PPSX file that will only open as a PowerPoint show.  It will automatically open and start the show on the first slide.

Using either of these tips will allow your show to go on … in a bit more professional manner.