PowerPoint has recently become very sluggish, with long delays between cursor movements and actions

Ron Buck 0 Reputation points
2026-10-01T01:45:12.5033333+00:00

PowerPoint has recently become very sluggish, with long delays between cursor movements and actions. I've checked all the updates. Nothing else is running. CPU at 26%, Memory at 33%.

None of the other office applications are having trouble, just PowerPoint. Which is unusual because it has historically been the stable one.

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | For home | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-01T01:45:30.7633333+00:00

    Since updates are already checked and other Office apps are fine, the most relevant PowerPoint-specific steps are:

    1. Check whether PowerPoint is still busy with a background task.
      Look at the status bar at the bottom of the PowerPoint window. If PowerPoint is in use by another process, it can appear unresponsive until that task finishes.
    2. Start PowerPoint in Safe Mode to rule out add-ins.
      • Select Start
      • Type PowerPnt /safe
      • Open PowerPoint
      If performance is normal in Safe Mode:
      • Go to File > Options > Add-Ins
      • Select COM Add-ins > Go
      • Clear all add-ins
      • Restart PowerPoint
      • Re-enable add-ins one at a time until the slowdown returns
    3. Repair Office.
      Even if only PowerPoint is affected, repairing Microsoft 365 apps can fix file or app errors.
      • Close all Office apps
      • Open Control Panel > Programs and Features
      • Right-click Microsoft Office
      • Select Change > Repair
    4. Check antivirus interaction with PowerPoint.
      If antivirus software integrates with PowerPoint, it can cause performance problems. Updating the antivirus is recommended first. If needed, antivirus add-ins inside PowerPoint can also be disabled. Changing antivirus settings carries security risk.
    5. Change the default printer.
      PowerPoint loads the default printer, and a printer issue can affect performance.
      • Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound
      • In Printers, right-click Microsoft XPS Document Writer or Send to OneNote
      • Select Set as default printer
    6. Clean the TEMP folder.
      Excess temporary files can slow PowerPoint.
      • Exit PowerPoint and other programs
      • Select Start > Run
      • Type %temp%
      • Delete excess .tmp files
    7. Check graphics-related causes if the lag is worse when scrolling, formatting, or using media.
      Microsoft documents known PowerPoint freezes and crashes tied to older Intel graphics drivers. Update the graphics driver if the PC uses Intel graphics. For embedded video freezes, Intel driver 31.0.101.3889 or later is the documented fix.
    8. Adjust PowerPoint performance settings.
      • In Slide Show > Monitors > Resolution, select 640x480 (Fastest, Lowest Fidelity) if available
      • In File > Options > Advanced > Display, make sure Disable Slide Show hardware graphics acceleration is not selected

    If none of these help, the documented next step is advanced troubleshooting with a selective startup to check whether another background program is conflicting with PowerPoint.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. John Jefferson Doyon 88,925 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-01T03:02:37.5966667+00:00

    Hi, @Ron Buck

    Have you already manually repaired Microsoft Office?

    If you haven’t tried it yet, go to "Settings" > "Apps" > "Installed apps" > find "Microsoft 365" > select the three dots > "Modify" > run "Quick Repair" first.

    If PowerPoint is still sluggish after that, please test it in Safe Mode.

    Press Windows key + R, type:

    powerpnt /safe

    Then press Enter and test PowerPoint again.

    If it runs normally in Safe Mode, an add-in is likely causing the problem.

    If the issue still persists, to help narrow down the issue:

    1. Does the slowdown also happen in a new blank presentation, or only with certain PowerPoint files?
    2. In PowerPoint, go to "File" > "Account" > "About PowerPoint." What version and build number is shown?
    3. Did this start after a recent Office or Windows update, or after installing any PowerPoint add-in?

    Click "Add comment" to let me know.

    Thanks!

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  3. Spyros Konstas | Inline T.C. Ltd 0 Reputation points
    2026-10-05T07:01:06.6966667+00:00

    @Ron Buck had same problem with a client pc, lenovo thinkcentre m70.
    Disable office updates and revert to July 2026 build, i tested current channel but maybe the same applies to semi-annual. Haven't tested with August 2026 build.
    Repair or uninstall and re-install don't do anything if it updates.

    disable and downgrade in cmd: 

    reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate" /v enableautomaticupdates /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

current July 2026 build
"%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\OfficeC2RClient.exe" /update user updatetoversion=16.0.20228.20124 forceappshutdown=true

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