powerpoint not playing video in presentation mode

PowerPoint Video Not Playing? Here’s How to Fix it Fast!

By: Author Shrot Katewa

It is annoying when you want to play a video during your presentation speech but PowerPoint just refuses to play the video! The video may either fail to work or display just the audio/video. There are actually several reasons why this could happen!

So, in this article, we will take a closer look at the various issues related to playing video in PowerPoint, and I will also provide you with a few quick solutions to each of the issues.

So, without further adieu, let’s get started!

1. Video Not Playing in Presentation Mode 

Although Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the powerful presentation tools out there, it is not perfect. There may be more than a few reasons why video is not playing in the presentation mode of your PowerPoint.

The most common problem that users face is that the format of the media file is either not supported by PowerPoint, or the media file might have missing fragments, or the file may have a syncing issue, or the media file may just be corrupted.

In the following subsection, I will explain the possible solutions to a corrupted media file in your PowerPoint presentation.

1a. PowerPoint Video Cannot Play Media Error 

There are two possible solutions to a corrupted file. You can either optimize the media compatibility or clear the temporary data on your Windows operating system. Both of the solutions are described below.

Optimizing media compatibility

Follow the simple steps given below to optimize the compatibility of the video file with your PowerPoint presentation. 

Step-1: Go to “Info”

The first step of the process is to go to the “Info” section located in the “ File ” tab, which is the first tab in the ribbon of your PowerPoint window.

Step-2: Click on ‘Check Compatibility’

The next step is to click on the “ Check for issues ” button and select the “ Check compatibility ” option from the drop-down menu.

Step-3: Click on the “Ok” button

After you have selected the “ Check compatibility ” option, Microsoft PowerPoint will automatically detect the media files, report to you the issue with your video file, and try to fix it.

To finish optimizing the media file, click on the “ Ok ” button and the issue should be resolved.

Clearing the temporary files

Microsoft PowerPoint may fail to play your video files if there are too many temporary files on your Windows operating system. To clear these temporary files, follow the easy steps described below.

Step-1: Launch the “Run Prompt”

To being, go to the “ Start ” menu of your computer and launch the “ Run Prompt ”

Step-2: Type in the “%temp%” command

After you have launched the “ Run Prompt ”, type “%temp%” in the search box and hit the “ Ok ” button.

Step-3: Delete all the files

Once you have clicked on the “ Ok ” button, a new folder will open on your screen. This folder contains all the temporary files that are present on your computer.

Select all the files and delete them. Skip the files that are still in use and the video should be good to go.

2. YouTube Video Not Playing in PowerPoint 

There are several reasons why a YouTube video may not play in your PowerPoint presentation. Some of the reasons why this may happen and possible solutions to them are given below.

1. The link used to embed the YouTube video was a shared link and not an embedded link. If you have entered the link that is used to share the video, then the video will not play in your PowerPoint presentation. To fix this issue, insert the embedded link of the YouTube video instead of the shared link.

2. The YouTube video that you embedded in your Presentation may not be available anymore. In order to avoid this issue, do not use videos that are in “ Private viewing only ” settings.

3. The embedded file may be in an unsupported format. Most versions of Microsoft PowerPoint supports “.wmv” files. Hence, videos that are in a different format may not play in your PowerPoint presentation. Make sure the video file is in the right format.   

3. Video Only Plays Audio in PowerPoint 

Sometimes, the video file only plays the audio of the video file in Microsoft PowerPoint.

This may happen either because the inserted video file is not supported by the PowerPoint software, or the file is too large. Another reason might be that the file is corrupted, or the Windows operating system is missing some necessary codecs.

Following are 3 possible solutions to these problems.

Solution 1 – Convert the video file

To convert the video file, follow the simple steps given below.

Step-1: Go to the “Info” section

The first step is to go to the “ Info ” section of the “ File ” tab which is located at the right-most corner of the ribbon of your PowerPoint presentation.

Step-2: Click on the “Media Size and Performance” option

The second step is to click on the “ Media Size and Performance ” option which is the first option in the “ Info ” section

Step-3: Click on the “HD (720)” button

After clicking on the “ Media size and performance ” option, a drop-down menu will appear. From that drop-down menu, click on the “ HD (720) ” option.

This will compress the size of the video and convert it to a supported format. 

Solution 2 – Clear temporary files

Like the previous issue, sometimes your computer may be working on too many temporary files, due to which the video file in your PowerPoint presentation may not be functioning properly.

Simply follow the steps described earlier in this article and delete all the temporary files operating in your Windows operating system.

Solution 3 – Install missing codecs

Right out of the box, Windows does not support every media codecs. It is possible that the video file in your PowerPoint presentation is only playing audio because some of the codecs in your Windows are missing.

To fix this issue, you can download a codec pack from the internet. Some of the best Codec packs are,

1. K-Lite Codec Pack

2. Media Player Codec Pack

3. X- Codec pack

4. Audio of the Video Doesn’t Work in PowerPoint  

If the audio of the video in your PowerPoint presentation is not working, try all the solutions mentioned in the above section. If it still doesn’t work, then maybe the PowerPoint software is muted in your computer.

To make sure the audio of your PowerPoint is not muted, turn on the video in your presentation and follow the simple steps described below.

Step-1: “Right-click” on the “speaker/headphone” button

At first, you have to “ Right-click ” on the “ Speaker/Headphone ” volume button in the taskbar of your computer. It is the right-most button on the taskbar and its icon looks like a handheld speakerphone (as showcased in the image below)

Step-2: Select the “Open Volume Mixer” option

After you have opened the “ Speaker/Headphone ” menu from your taskbar, click on the “ Open Volume Mixer ” option which is the second option in the menu.

Step-3: Click on the volume icon under the PowerPoint section

Once you have selected the “ Open Volume Mixer ” option, a pop-up window will appear on the bottom right corner of your screen.

Click on the small volume icon with a red cross over it, which will unmute the PowerPoint software on your computer.

5. Video Doesn’t Play Automatically 

To play a video file in your PowerPoint presentation automatically, you have to change the playback settings of the video file.

This might sound a little difficult but the whole process is described in 2 simple steps below.

Step-1: Go to the “Playback” tab

At first, turn on the video in your PowerPoint presentation. This will allow you to access the “ Playback ” tab which appears on the ribbon when a media file is played.

Step-2: Select the “Automatically” option

Now, select the “ Automatically ” option which is located in the “ Start ” drop-down menu of the “ Video Options ” section in the “ Playback ” tab.

The video should now play automatically when the slide is opened.

6. PowerPoint Export to Video Not Working 

To fix videos not exporting in your PowerPoint presentation, you may have to optimize the media file using the method mentioned earlier in this article.

You might also have to update your PowerPoint software if it is outdated or repair it if needed. To learn more on how to update Microsoft PowerPoint, you can read one of our articles on this topic by clicking here .

I will discuss the process of repairing PowerPoint below:

Step-1: Go to “Add or remove programs”

The first step is to go to the “ Start ” menu of your computer and launch the “ Add or remove programs ” tool.

Step-2: Click on the “Advanced Options” button

The second step is to find your Microsoft Office program and select the “ Advanced options ” button.

Step-3: Select the “Repair” option

After you click on the “ Advanced Options ” button, you will be taken to a new window. From that window, under “ Reset ” select the “ Repair ” option.

Once the scanning and repairing are complete a tick mark will appear beside the “ Repair ” option, which will indicate that the repairing is complete.

7. How to Change Video Source in PowerPoint?

Unfortunately, there is no direct way to change the path of the source of a video in your PowerPoint presentation.

You can use a macro to fix this problem but honestly, it is easiest to simply re-attach the video to your PowerPoint presentation.

To change the video source in your PowerPoint presentation, delete the initial video, move the video file to the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation and insert the video again and the source of the video will change accordingly.

Credit to Benzoix (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited)

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December 13, 2024

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John Korchok  -  Steve Rindsberg  ✅

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In presenter view, video does not play

i have inserted in a slide a video (from Youtube or from archive, it doesn't matter) and it works fine in presentation mode but it does not work in presenter view. No matter how I configure it, it does not play.

So it is quite annoying because I have to change presentation mode when the audience is viewing the screen.

An suggestion? Thans in advance. Best.

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Replies (2) 

• Microsoft Agent |

Hi Ricard,

Sorry for what you encountered.

To check whether this issue is related to Add-ins, please Start your Office in safe mode to see the outcome. If this issue doesn't happen in safe mode, please click File>Options>Add-ins>To disable Add-ins one by one to check which one caused this case.

If this issue still exists, please share with me more info about this issue: 1. Screenshot about the detailed Version number of your Office(File>Account>Product Information) and OS(Win+R>type CMD>OK). 2. Does this issue happen to all PowerPoint files even new created one or only related ones? Thanks, Neo

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Have you tried launch PowerPoint in safe mode to see the outcome? Can you play your video normally now? Do you still need support? Please share with me your recent progress.

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4 Fixes When Videos in PowerPoint Are Not Playing

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• Changing the playback settings will effectively fix audios that are not playing.
• You cannot play videos if they are hidden, so you must unhide them.
• You should also insert the right video formats. If not, they will not be played on Microsoft PowerPoint.

Basic Fixes: 

• Confirm if the video plays outside PowerPoint : You want to ensure the video file isn’t corrupt. Open the video in the VLC media player and check if it plays fine.
• Ensure you’re connected to the Internet to play online videos: If the embedded video is online, you will need an internet connection to play it.
• Add videos in compatible formats: PowerPoint works seamlessly with select video file formats, mostly the ones that Windows supports by default. Microsoft recommends adding videos in an .MP4 format with H.264 encoding and AAC audio.

Fix 1: Change Playback Setting

PowerPoint will set your playback preference as In Click Sequence by default. That means the video will play automatically when you click the next slide button. Change the playback setting to play the video manually to see if it makes a difference. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1:  Open the PowerPoint presentation and add your video to a slide.

Step 2:  Click on the video to select it. At the top, you will see additional formatting options for the video.

Step 3:  Select the Playback tab next to Video Format.

Step 4:  Click on the drop-down menu to start changing the preference.

Step 5: Select When Clicked On .

Fix 2: Unhide Videos During Slide Show

PowerPoint has an option to hide videos during a slideshow. If you’ve selected this option by mistake, your videos won’t appear during a presentation. Here’s how to uncheck the hide option.

Step 4:  Deselect the checkbox for Hide During Show .

Your videos should now show up and play in the slideshow.

Fix 3: Paste Embed Code for YouTube Videos

If you add a YouTube video to your presentation instead of one stored on your computer, you must add the embed code for the video instead of the standard link in PowerPoint. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1:  Open the PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide you want to embed the video.

Step 2: Open the YouTube video you want to embed in a browser.

Step 3:  Click on the Share button under the YouTube video.

Step 4:  Select Embed .

Step 5:  YouTube will show you the embed code. Select Copy at the bottom.

Step 6:  Head back into PowerPoint and navigate to the Insert tab. Select the Video option at the right.

Step 7: In the drop-down menu, select Online Film .

Step 8: PowerPoint will ask you to enter the video’s URL . Enter the code you copied earlier and click on Insert .

Your video will now be added to the slide. Click on it to start playing.

Fix 4: Repair Office or Microsoft 365

If videos are still not playing, you should use the built-in repair function to fix the problem.

Step 1:  Press the Windows  +  I  keys to open the Settings app.

Step 2: Select Apps from the left sidebar > open Installed Apps from the right pane.

Step 3:  Click the  three horizontal dots icon  next to Microsoft Office and select  Modify .

Step 4:  Select  Quick Repair > hit the  Repair  button.

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Last updated on 18 July, 2024

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How to Fix Microsoft PowerPoint Not Playing Videos: 10 Tips

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You’ve put together an impressive PowerPoint presentation, and you press F5 to test it out right before showing it to your audience. Everything looks great, but PowerPoint can’t play the video.

Most of the time, this happens because of an incompatible video format or wrong PowerPoint settings. If you’ve run into the same problem, go through the solutions below to have PowerPoint smoothly play any embedded video.

1. Check the Video Format

If PowerPoint doesn’t support the video format, the video may not play at all or have no audio. For example, if your file extension is .SWF , PowerPoint can’t play the video. In this case, you should search for a different video version or use an online video converter .

2. Redownload the Video

If PowerPoint supports the video file format, but still can’t play it, there might be something wrong with the video. To test it, play the video outside of PowerPoint. There are multiple reasons why you can’t play the video in your PowerPoint slide show:

• The storage location is corrupt.
• The video’s audio is out of sync.
• The video might be missing certain files.
• The video itself is damaged or corrupted.

In this case, the easiest fix is to redownload the video from a different source. Also, if you’re using a YouTube video, check if it’s still available.

3. Check PowerPoint Playback Settings

If you couldn’t find anything wrong with the video, it’s time to move on and check PowerPoint playback settings. You can have PowerPoint play the video automatically, or wait for you to click the video before it starts playing. So let’s make sure PowerPoint is set to play the video according to your expectations.

• In PowerPoint, click the video.
• From the toolbar, open the Playback tab.
• Head to the Video options menu and open the Start dropdown menu.
• There, choose your preferred option.

This is a good opportunity to make sure the audio isn’t muted in PowerPoint. In the Playback tab, click the Volume icon and make sure you haven’t accidentally selected the Mute option.

4. Have PowerPoint Show the Video

Depending on your PowerPoint settings, the video might not be visible until it starts playing. But if you’ve set its playback mode to “Until clicked on”, you might be aimlessly clicking to get the video playing.

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

5. Embed the Code for YouTube Videos

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

• Navigate to the YouTube video that you want to insert into your slideshow.
• Copy the embed code.
• In PowerPoint, open the Insert tab and click Media > Video .
• Click Insert .

If you’ve inserted an online video, make sure to test your internet connection before your presentation. A faulty connection will make the video buffer or affect its quality.

6. Optimize PowerPoint Media Compatibility

If PowerPoint supports the video format but still has trouble playing it, you should optimize PowerPoint media compatibility. Open the File menu and select Info . Then, extend the Check for Issues menu and click Check Compatibility .

PowerPoint will search for any incompatibility concerns and automatically fix them.

7. Compress PowerPoint Media

If you want to use a large video file, PowerPoint might have a difficult time trying to manage it. To make PowerPoint's job easier and have it play videos any time you need, you should compress the media files you’ve added to your presentation.

Start by opening the problematic presentation and go to File > Info . There, open the Compress Media menu. There are three available options:

• Presentation quality/ Full HD (1080p) . It will adjust the video size while keeping its overall video and audio quality. Try this option if the inserted videos are an essential part of your presentation.
• Internet quality/ HD (720p) . This is the option that helps you to compromise between space and quality.
• Low quality/ Standard (480p) . This will save the most space. You should use it if you have to send the presentation to someone else, and you want to make sure the videos will play.

You can experiment with all the options and see which one gives you the best results.

8. Save Your Presentation as .PPTX

Everyone knows the file extension for PowerPoint presentations is . PPT . This comes with the advantage that you can open a . PPT file with older Office versions. However, older versions have problems when it comes to playing PowerPoint videos. So when saving your presentation, select the . PPTX option, which is designed for modern Office versions.

9. Start PowerPoint in Safe Mode

Videos might not be playing in PowerPoint due to a faulty add-in. To test it, you should launch PowerPoint in Safe Mode. Unfortunately, this solution is available only for Windows.

Press Windows key + R to bring up a Run dialog. Then, type in powerpnt /safe and press Enter . If PowerPoint can play the videos, you should take a look at the list of installed add-ins.

Open the Insert tab and go to Add-ins > My add-ins > See all . To remove an add-in, click the three-dot menu next to it and select Remove .

10. Delete Temporary Files

If your computer has accumulated too much temporary data, you may encounter all sorts of problems, including PowerPoint not playing videos.

Even if your system should automatically remove these files, you can manually delete temporary files in Windows . After you have deleted them, restart your computer and check if PowerPoint can now play videos.

Play Any Video in PowerPoint

Adding a video to your PowerPoint presentation is a nice touch that will make your presentation look more professional. Before doing so, play it outside PowerPoint to make sure you’re not dealing with a corrupted or incomplete file. Now, if you want to better interact with the audience, there are a few PowerPoint add-ins that you could give a try.

• Productivity
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Presentations

How to Fix “Cannot Play Media” Error in PowerPoint

Annoying when it happens in the middle of a presentation

Presentations have become a vital tool for communication and sharing information in schools and offices worldwide. Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to create visually appealing presentations that include various multimedia elements, such as video and audio.

However, you might encounter “cannot play media” errors in PowerPoint, causing video playback issues and preventing the smooth delivery of your presentation. If you want to resolve this problem, follow the steps below.

What Causes the “Cannot Play Media” Error in PowerPoint?

The “cannot play media” error in PowerPoint (or “media not found” error) usually occurs when PowerPoint cannot find or play the media file that you’ve inserted in your presentation.

This can happen for several reasons. The file might be missing, moved, renamed, or deleted from its original location, or it could have become corrupted or damaged in some way. You could also have linked to an external source (such as a website) that’s no longer accessible.

However, not every file is compatible with PowerPoint. Files that don’t have the correct file format, or are too large for PowerPoint to use, won’t load.

Depending on the cause of the error, you may see different messages on your screen, such as no supported file type, an audio codec is needed to play the file, a network error has occurred, or the specified file can’t be played.

To fix this error, you need to identify the cause and apply the appropriate solution using the steps below.

Check the Location and Name of the Media File

One of the simplest solutions is to check if the media file that you inserted in your presentation is still in its original location and has the same name. If you moved, renamed, or deleted the media file after inserting it in PowerPoint, PowerPoint may not be able to find it and will show you the error message.

However, this all depends on how the PowerPoint file has been saved. By default, PowerPoint will likely try to embed media files into the PowerPoint file itself—this makes it easier to move media assets with the file. However, if you’ve only added a link to the file, you’ll need to update the link to the file to the new location.

If you want to update the link, follow these steps:

• Open PowerPoint and press File > Info .
• If you have any media files with links (so they aren’t embedded into the file itself), you’ll see a View Links option listed under Optimize Media Compatibility —select this to proceed.

• In the Audio/Video Options dialog box, select your media file and press Change Source .

• Browse to the new location and name of the file and press Open .
• Press Update Now and then Close to update your links when you’re finished.

Use PowerPoint Media Compatibility Mode

Another possible solution to fix the “cannot play media” error in PowerPoint is to use the media compatibility mode in PowerPoint.

This mode allows you to optimize your presentation for compatibility with older versions of PowerPoint or different devices. It can also help you resolve some issues with video playback and conversion. To use the media compatibility mode in PowerPoint, follow the steps below.

• Press Check for Issues under the Inspect Presentation section.
• In the drop-down menu, press Check Compatibility and wait for PowerPoint to scan your presentation for potential compatibility issues.

• In the Compatibility Report dialog box, look for any issues related to media files and check the boxes next to them.

• Fix the problems manually or, if the option is available to you, press Fix and wait for PowerPoint to fix the issues automatically.
• Save your presentation and see if the media files play without any error.

Note that using the media compatibility mode may change some aspects of your presentation, such as the format, quality, or size of your media files. Make sure to back up a copy of your file before you proceed so that you can restore any changes afterward.

Convert the Media Files Using VLC

Another possible solution is to convert or compress the media file that you inserted in your presentation. PowerPoint may not be able to play certain types of media files or play files that are too large or have a high resolution. This can cause compatibility issues and lead to the error message.

To fix this, you need to either convert the media file to a format that is supported by PowerPoint or compress it to reduce its size and resolution. One possible tool that allows you to convert and compress a media file is VLC Media Player.

To convert a media file using VLC Media Player, follow these steps:

• Download and install VLC Media Player from its official website.
• Open VLC Media Player and press Media > Convert/Save .

• In the Open Media dialog box, press Add and select the media file that you want to convert, then press Convert/Save .

• Choose the output format that you want—this will determine the file size. For example, you can choose Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4) for video files or Audio – MP3 for audio files. You can also choose video or audio formats such as MKV, WAV or MP4 .
• Select Browse and choose the destination folder and name for the converted file.
• Press Start and wait for the conversion to finish.

Once the file is converted, you can insert the new file into your PowerPoint presentation.

Embed the Media File in Your Presentation

Another possible solution is to embed the media file in your PowerPoint presentation instead of linking to it. As we’ve already mentioned, linking to a media file means that PowerPoint will look for the file in its original location every time you play it.

Embedding a media file means that PowerPoint will instead store a copy of the file within your presentation file. This can prevent the “cannot play media” error from occurring because PowerPoint will always have access to the file regardless of its location or availability.

However, embedding a media file can also increase the size of your presentation file significantly, so you need to be careful about how many and how large media files you embed. To embed a media file in your PowerPoint presentation, follow these steps.

• In PowerPoint, go to the slide where you want to insert the media file and select Insert > Media > Video > This Device .

• Browse to the location of the media file and select it.
• Press the Insert button—this will automatically embed it into your presentation. If this isn’t available, press the dropdown arrow next to your presentation and choose Insert there instead.

Once the file is inserted, resize and place it into the correct position in your presentation. Repeat these steps for any other video files you want to use in your presentation.

Managing Media in PowerPoint

The “cannot play media” error in PowerPoint can be annoying and frustrating, but it can usually be fixed. You’ll just need to check the location and name of the media file, convert or compress it, or embed it in your presentation. You can also try using PowerPoint’s multimedia compatibility mode to help it load on other PCs.

If all else fails, you can also convert your PowerPoint presentation into a video and play it on another device. Lost the changes to your PowerPoint presentation after a restart? Don’t forget to recover your unsaved presentations to recover the changes.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing. Read Ben's Full Bio

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