The Runaway Presentation Problem
When delivering a presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint, the last thing you want is for your slides to jump ahead while you are still speaking. This frustrating issue typically occurs when a presentation file was previously configured for a self-running kiosk or when slide transition timings were accidentally recorded and saved. When you attempt to present the file live, the automatic timings take over, forcing you to constantly pause the presentation or hastily skip backwards to regain control.
How to Disable Automatic Slide Timings
You can easily override any recorded timings and force PowerPoint to only advance to the next slide when you explicitly click your mouse or press a keyboard arrow.
1. Open the problematic presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint.
2. Click on the Slide Show tab located in the main ribbon at the top of the screen.
3. Look in the “Set Up” group.
4. Locate the checkbox labelled Use Timings.
5. Untick this checkbox. This tells PowerPoint to ignore any predefined timing data when you launch the slideshow.
Removing Timings from Slide Transitions
If you want to permanently strip the automatic advance settings from the file itself, you must adjust the transition properties.
Click on the Transitions tab in the ribbon. Look at the far right side of the ribbon for the “Timing” group. Under the “Advance Slide” section, ensure that the checkbox for On Mouse Click is ticked, and ensure that the checkbox for After is completely unticked. Once you have cleared the “After” checkbox, click the Apply To All button (located just to the left in the same group) to ensure that every single slide in your deck is stripped of its automatic timing, returning full manual control to the presenter.