Where did my slides go?

If the presentation was stored in OneDrive or your school’s SharePoint, restore the version from before the slides disappeared; otherwise, check PowerPoint’s AutoRecover copies on the Windows PC.

1. Preserve the current file

Before attempting recovery:

1. Leave the original file unchanged.
2. Use File → Save As and create a copy with a different name.
3. Perform the recovery steps on that copy or open recovered versions separately.

2. Restore the OneDrive or SharePoint version

Version History is available only when the presentation is stored in OneDrive or SharePoint in Microsoft 365.^1^

1. Open the presentation.
2. Select its file name in the title bar.
3. Select Version History.
4. Open a version dated before the slides disappeared.
5. Verify that it contains the missing slides.
6. Select Restore.

Alternatively, in Windows File Explorer, right-click the presentation in its OneDrive folder, select Version history, open the menu beside the required version, and select Restore. The restored version becomes current, while the version it replaces remains in the history.^2^

If this is a school-managed account and Version History is unavailable, your administrator may have disabled document versioning. Contact the school’s Microsoft 365 administrator and ask whether a SharePoint or OneDrive version can be recovered.

3. Check the saved-file recovery copy

Because the file was saved after the slides disappeared, PowerPoint might still have a version captured before the final save:

1. Open the presentation.
2. Go to File → Info.
3. Under Manage Presentation, look for a file labeled (when I closed without saving).
4. Open it and check for the missing slides.
5. If they are present, use Save As to preserve that version. Microsoft also provides a Restore option, but saving under another name first avoids immediately replacing the current file.^3^

4. Check AutoRecover

In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 on Windows:

1. Go to File → Home.
2. At the bottom, select Recover Unsaved Presentations.
3. Open each likely file, beginning with the most recent.
4. If one contains the missing slides, immediately select Save As and give it a new name.

You can also inspect the default AutoRecover folder in File Explorer:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\PowerPoint

Replace <username> with your Windows user name. AutoRecover normally records a background recovery copy periodically, but it does not guarantee that every change can be recovered.^4^

If neither Version History nor AutoRecover contains an earlier copy, recovery will require another source, such as a school backup, an emailed copy, or a copy held by a collaborator.

References

1. View previous versions of Office files | Microsoft Support
2. Restore a previous version of a file stored in OneDrive | Microsoft Support
3. Recover an earlier version of an Office file | Microsoft Support
4. [Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/powerpoint/recover-your-powerpoint-files#microsoft-365)