PowerPoint on Mac keeps crashing and won’t open presentations

Frederickson 60 Reputation points
2026-02-08T02:54:29.9566667+00:00

I’m using PowerPoint on my MacBook, and it suddenly started crashing every time I try to open a presentation. Even existing files that previously worked now either cause PowerPoint to freeze or close immediately after launch.

I haven’t made any changes to the files themselves, and the issue happens with different presentations. Other Office apps seem to work fine, so it looks specific to PowerPoint on macOS.

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | For business | MacOS
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Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2026-02-08T04:13:32.5166667+00:00

Hi Frederickson

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum.

I understand that PowerPoint for Mac has started crashing abruptly when opening files, while your other Office applications are functioning correctly. Please try the following troubleshooting steps

1, Make sure PowerPoint and macOS are fully up to date

2, Force quit PowerPoint and close all Office apps

  • If PowerPoint is unresponsive, press Command + Option + Esc, select Microsoft PowerPoint, and choose Force Quit.
  • If it does not close, open Activity Monitor, select Microsoft PowerPoint, then choose X > Force Quit.
  • Close all other Office applications as well.

3, Reset PowerPoint local container data

  • If the issue persists, close all Office apps.
  • Open Finder, click Go in the menu bar, hold the Option key, and select Library.
  • Open the Containers folder.
  • Locate com.microsoft.Powerpoint (or Microsoft PowerPoint) and move it to the Trash (do not empty the Trash yet).
  • Restart the Mac and test PowerPoint.
  • If this resolves the issue, the Trash can be emptied. If not, the folder can be restored to keep previous preferences.

4, Start the Mac in Safe Mode

  • Restart the Mac and immediately hold the Shift key until the login screen appears.
  • Sign in and test PowerPoint.

Please let me know how things go on your side as your update can also assist others in the community who may be facing the same issue.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

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  1. AI answer

    2026-02-08T02:54:38.9533333+00:00

    If PowerPoint on your Mac is crashing when you try to open presentations, you can try the following troubleshooting steps:

    1. Check Hard Disk Name: Ensure that your hard drive has a proper name (not just numbers or special characters). To rename it, click on the hard disk icon, select "Get Info" from the File menu, and edit the name accordingly.
    2. Move AutoRecovery Files: Sometimes, too many AutoRecovery files can cause issues. Move these files to another folder or the desktop to see if it resolves the problem. You can find these files in Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 AutoRecovery or Office 2011 AutoRecovery.
    3. Remove PowerPoint Preferences: Quit all Microsoft Office applications, then navigate to the Preferences folder in your Library (hold the OPTION key while clicking the Go menu to access it). Look for files named com.microsoft.powerpoint.plist and com.microsoft.powerpoint.prefs.plist, and move them to the desktop. Restart PowerPoint to check if the issue persists.
    4. Try Safe Mode: Restart your Mac in Safe Mode and then try to open PowerPoint. This can help determine if the issue is caused by background processes.
    5. Reinstall Office: If the problem continues, consider uninstalling and then reinstalling Microsoft Office to ensure that all components are functioning correctly.
    6. Repair Disk Permissions: Use the Disk Utility to repair disk permissions, which can sometimes resolve issues with applications not functioning properly.

    Following these steps should help you troubleshoot and potentially resolve the crashing issue with PowerPoint on your Mac.

    References:

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