PowerPoint was first developed by Dennis Austin and Robert Gaskins in 1987 at Forethought, a software development company. After three months of the introduction of this product, Microsoft purchased it for 14 million dollars. Since then, Microsoft has owned PowerPoint. It is one of the most frequently used programs to design presentations and present complex ideas in a simple way.
The demand for the use of PowerPoint has always been on the rise. Be it the education sector or the corporate industry, PowerPoint is equally popular everywhere. Though the number of people using this program is increasing day by day, many users come across the “PowerPoint not opening” problem. If you are experiencing the same thing, worry not, and follow the below-listed ways to fix the PowerPoint not responding issues.
Part 1. The Reasons Why My PowerPoint Not Opening
Are you trying to open your PowerPoint presentations but unable to access them? It may be due to a number of reasons. A few of the common ones are listed below. Let’s look at them one by one.
- File Corruption: This is the biggest reason behind PowerPoint not opening. If your PPT file is corrupt due to power outages or any other reason, it will not allow you to open your presentation.
- Incompatible PowerPoint Version: If your PowerPoint file is not compatible with the version of this program, you will not be able to open it.
- Password Protection: If you are unable to open document presentations, it may be protected by a password. In this case, you must enter the correct password to get access to the presentation’s content.
- Low Disk Space: If your disk is full, you won’t be able to store more presentations on it, and it may make your PPT files inaccessible until you delete some unnecessary data and create a free space.
- Virus Attacks: Malware or viruses are the biggest enemies of not only PowerPoint presentations but also the entire data on your computer. If your PPT document is corrupted due to a virus attack, you will experience the “PowerPoint won’t open” problem for sure.
Part 2. How to Fix the “PowerPoint Not Opening” Problem?
Now you are familiar with the reasons behind “PowerPoint not responding” problems. This section presents the top-grade ways to get rid of the “PowerPoint won’t open” issue.
1. Use File Repair Tool – Wondershare Repairit File Repair
If you are looking for the most trusted method to fix “PowerPoint not opening” problems, you must try Wondershare Repairit File Repair. This tool not only helps you repair PPT files, but it is equally beneficial to restoring your Word, PDF, and Excel documents.

The best part of using Repairit File Repair is that you can repair every PowerPoint object with this software, including but not limited to charts, headers, footers, tables, graphs, and the list continues. A highlight feature of this utility is its ability to fix more than one corrupted PowerPoint file at one time. Repairit is highly compatible with Microsoft Office 365 and PowerPoint 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019.
A Step-By-Step Guide to Repairing the “PowerPoint Won’t Open” Issue
Repairit File Repair makes it very easy to fix “PowerPoint not opening” issues. Before we proceed, make sure you have installed this software on your system.
Step 1: Open Repairit File Repair. The main interface will show you a blue-colored button, namely “+Add.” Click this button and load a corrupted or damaged PowerPoint presentation file from your Windows or Mac computer.

As soon as your PPT file is fully loaded, you can see the details on your screen, as shown below.

Step 2: This step is about repairing the file you have loaded to the tool. Initiate the PowerPoint repair process by clicking on the “Repair” button.

You are free to repair multiple PPT files in one go. Once the files are repaired, a notification will appear showing the progress, as shown below.

Step 3: Now, preview the presentation file the Repairit has just repaired for you. If it is restored correctly, save it immediately on your device, and you can now open it.

2. Update the New Version
Updating your PowerPoint program to the newest version is another great way to get out of the troubles like PowerPoint not opening. You will see some regular PowerPoint updates from Microsoft. So, make sure your program is upgraded to the latest version to avoid any sort of issue. Doing this will fix a number of bugs automatically. To check for PPT updates, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Tap on the “File” menu from the top.
Step 2: Click on “Account” and select “Update Options.”
Step 3: If you see some updates there, hit the “Update Now” option.

Step 4: Now, restart the program and open your PowerPoint presentation.
3. Unblock the PowerPoint files
Are you still facing the “PowerPoint not responding” problem? Your Windows may have blocked the file you are trying to open. Sometimes, Windows blocks a PPT file that it thinks is unsafe to open. In this case, you can simply unblock your PowerPoint presentation to make it accessible. Let’s look at the steps required to unblock your PPT file.
Step 1: Right-click on your PowerPoint document and tap on the “Properties” option.
Step 2: Now, hit the “Unblock” button, as shown below.

Step 3: It will unblock your file. Now, try to open it in the PowerPoint program. This time, you will not face any issues.
If the problem still persists, try the methods listed below.
4. Disable Protected View Settings
Microsoft has introduced a special feature – Protected View – to keep your system away from dangerous files. But the bad news is that this feature, sometimes, may not allow you to open PowerPoint presentations that are legitimate. If this is the problem you are experiencing, disabling this feature may do the job. Don’t you know how to disable the Protected View feature? Follow the steps given below.
Step 1: Open PowerPoint on your computer and go to the “File” menu.
Step 2: Now, tap on “Options” and choose “Trust Center.”
Step 3: It is time to hit the “Trust Center Settings” button.
Step 4: Scroll down a bit in the “Trust Center” window and enter the “Protected View” section. Then, uncheck all the options available, as shown below.

Once you follow the above steps, you will be able to open your PowerPoint file.
5. Launch PowerPoint in Safe Mode
Is the “PowerPoint won’t open” problem still there? Launching the program in safe mode will fix this issue efficiently. Doing this will troubleshoot the problem and disable all the features, including add-ins. If you want to launch PowerPoint in the safe mode, follow the steps mentioned below.
Step 1: Open PowerPoint on your computer and keep holding the “CTRL” key from your keyboard when the program is opening.
Step 2: A new window will appear on your screen, displaying the message whether or not you want to open PowerPoint in safe mode. Hit the “Yes” button, as shown below.

Step 3: Once PowerPoint opens on your system, open your PPT file again. You will not face any issues while opening your presentation file this time.
Final Words
PowerPoint is an excellent presentation tool. Along with putting content in the PPT file, you can also create appealing graphs and easily understandable tables with this program to keep the audience engaged when presenting your idea. Both students and professionals frequently use this software for presentation purposes. Though a number of other presentation tools are available in the market, the demand for PowerPoint is still increasing every day.
At the same time, thousands of users from around the world face the “PowerPoint not opening” issues. It has now become the leading problem with PowerPoint. Don’t worry if you have the same issue, as Wondershare Repairit File Repair fixes the “PowerPoint won’t open” error very well within a few minutes.
With this document repair utility, you can restore everything from text to tables, graphs to hyperlinks, and other similar things. Repairit File Repair is available for both Windows and Mac computers. Give its free trial a try.