How to Run a Program from a PowerPoint Presentation Directly
Today we will discover a trick to save time during a presentation and prevent audience distractions. Sometimes, you may want to execute a program to show real-time examples of your presentation. Instead of leaving the presentation mode and searching for the program on your desktop, we will show you how to do it from a slide in presentation mode.
Steps to Include Program Execution in PowerPoint Slide
This tutorial is based on PowerPoint 2013. We will start with a fresh presentation. Try it out while reading this. Step 1: Create a slide with text or an object. Here is a sample slide. Step 2: Select the text or object that you want to use as a trigger point. Step 3: Keep the object/text selected and go to the Insert tab. Under the Links section, select Action.
Step 4: Open the “Action Settings” window by clicking on it. Choose either “Mouse Click” or “Mouse Over” depending on your preference. Both options have the same functions and capabilities.
Step 5: In this example, we will select the “Mouse Click” option. Select the “Run Program” radio button and browse for the program you want to run.
Step 6: Find the program you want to run in the file explorer and select its exe file (such as firefox.exe).
You can easily launch a program from your slide without having to navigate off the presentation. This allows for a seamless transition and eliminates the need to switch between different screens. However, be aware that you may receive a security warning when launching the program. Don’t worry, it’s safe to proceed.
Note: The program will not be integrated to the presentation. Rather, it would be run externally. So, if you plan to present using a different machine, be sure of the application’s path.
Conclusion
This is the best way to give an object an action in a presentation. You can give more importance to each embedded object in the same space. Nice way to garner some more applauds, right? Try it out for your next meeting and experience the difference. Share your views in the comments.
As Fred Humiston, the author behind Twothirds.us, I focus on providing practical and easy-to-follow guides and solutions for a variety of technical issues that people commonly face.
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