powerpoint presentation not editable

How to make PowerPoint Read-only and uneditable

How to make powerpoint read-only, 1] open the presentation you want to make read-only, 2] find and click on info, 3] protect your presentation, 4] select always open read-only, vamienmckalin@twc.

7 Ways to Protect PowerPoint Presentation from Editing!

By: Author Shrot Katewa

Isn’t it annoying when you spend hours and hours creating a visually appealing presentation and do all the hard work, only to find out that your colleague or your manager has made changes to the presentation!

Intentional or not, now you’ve got to make the changes to your presentation again; some of which could have been easily avoided if you were able to prevent the presentation file from editing.

Here’s how to protect a PowerPoint presentation file –

• Mark the presentation as “Final”
• Restrict permission to PowerPoint
• Save the presentation as a PowerPoint Show file
• Set a password to modify PowerPoint
• Convert PowerPoint to pictures
• Convert PowerPoint to a PDF
• Convert PowerPoint to a video

There are many applications of knowing how to protect your PowerPoint presentation.

So, in this article, let’s understand the 7 different ways to protect PowerPoint in further detail such that you can ensure that the person you are sharing your presentation with, will not be able to make changes to it.

Let’s get started!

1. How to Protect PowerPoint presentation from Editing?

We shall divide the 7 ways into two groups –

• Prevent PowerPoint file from editing
• Convert PowerPoint to make it uneditable

Prevent PowerPoint File from Editing

There are actually 4 ways in which you can prevent users from editing your PowerPoint presentation.

You can either mark the presentation as final, restrict the presentation by allowing access to specific users, save the presentation as a PPS file or set a password for your presentation.

All the 4 methods and the process to use them are explained elaborately in the following section –

Method 1 – Mark the Presentation as Final 

By marking the PowerPoint presentation as final, the PowerPoint file will become “Read-only” .

Although this method doesn’t restrict people from editing your file. However, they will not be able to save changes to the original file. When using this method, PowerPoint will force users to save another copy of the presentation file; thereby protecting your presentation.

This method is especially helpful when you share the presentation over the same network within your organization or even when the presentation is saved on a cloud. It is also helpful when more than one person is working on the same presentation.

It is not a perfect fix, but a quick fix to the problem for sure.

The process of marking your PowerPoint presentation as final is given below –

Step-1: Click on the “File” tab

The first step of the process is to click on the “ File ” tab, which is the first option in the ribbon of your PowerPoint presentation. This will take you to the backend view of the PowerPoint.

Step-2: Select the “Info” option

After you have accessed the “ File ” tab, select the “ Info ” option which is the 4 th option in the tab. This will take you to a new page in the “ File ” tab.

Step-3: Select the “Protect Presentation” option

The third step is to select the “ Protect Presentation ” option in the “ Info ” section (as shown in the image in step 2). It is the first of the four boxes on the “ Info ” page.

After you click on the “ Protect Presentation ” option, a drop-down menu will appear on your screen.

Step-4: Click on “Mark as Final”

From the drop-down menu, select the “ Mark as Final ” option. It is located at the very bottom of the dropdown menu (as shown in the image in step 2).

Step-5: Hit the “OK” button

After you click on the “ Mark as Final ” option, a pop-up window will appear on your screen.

Simply click on the “ O K” button and the presentation will be saved as final. Once your presentation is “Saved as Final”, you won’t be able to edit this presentation going forward.

Thus, I recommend that you make this change once you’ve finished your presentation.

Method 2 – Restrict Permission  

The next method is to restrict the permissions to edit a PowerPoint presentation.

In my opinion, this is one of the best ways to protect a PowerPoint presentation and to prevent users from editing the PowerPoint file!

By restricting permission, you will be able to allow specific users to access your PowerPoint presentation.

To use this feature in your presentation, follow step-1 through step-3 from the previous section and then follow the easy steps described below.

The first step is to click on the “ File ” tab to enter the backend view of your PowerPoint presentation.

Step-2: Click on the “Info” option

Now, click on the “Info” tab from the options in the left part of your screen.

Step-3: Select the “Restricted Access” option

The next step is to select the “ Restrict Access ” option from the drop-down menu of the “ Protect Presentation ” option. It is the 3 rd option in the drop-down menu (as shown in the image in step 2)

Once you click on the “ Restrict Access ” option, another drop-down menu will appear on your screen. Select the “ Restricted Access ” option which is the second option in the menu.

Step-4: Click on the checkbox

After you click on the “ Restricted Access ” option, a pop-up window will appear on your screen.

From the pop-up window, click on the “ Restrict permission to this presentation ” checkbox. It is located at the top of the pop-up window.

Step-5: Add the email address of the users

In the final step, all you have to do is type in the email addresses of the users with whom you want to share the presentation, in the “ Read ” option.

This will ensure that the users can only view the presentation file and not edit it. After that just click on the “ OK ” button located in the bottom right of the pop-up window.

Now, only the specified users will get permission to view the PowerPoint presentation.

Method 3 – Save the Presentation as a PPS file

Another method to prevent your PowerPoint presentation from editing and thus protecting it is to save the presentation as a PowerPoint Show file or a PPS file.

Saving a presentation as a PPS or PPSX will open the file directly in the presentation show mode when you open the file. Furthermore, when you exit the presentation show mode, the file will close and the user will not be able to access the content on the slides.

To save the presentation as a PPSX file, simply use the file “ Save As ” option, and choose the “ PPS ” file format from the “ File Format ” option.

I’ve written a detailed article on how to use the PPSX file in PowerPoint . If you need the step-by-step guide for the process, click on the link and check out the article for detailed guidance!

Method 4 – Set a Password to Modify PowerPoint  

You can also set a password in order to prevent users from modifying a PowerPoint presentation. This method will prompt a password before opening a presentation.

Although this method will not help if you want to prevent people from editing the file as you will need to provide the password even to view the file. And, once the password is entered, the users will be able to make the changes.

However, this method is super helpful when you want to protect a PowerPoint presentation and prevent it from being access by unintended users.

To set a password to modify your PowerPoint presentation, follow the easy steps given below –

As before, click on the “ File ” tab in PowerPoint. This will open the backend view in PowerPoint from where you can enable additional settings.

Step-2: Select the “Encrypt with Password” option

The first step is to select the “ Encrypt with Password ” option from the drop-down menu. It is the 2 nd option on the menu.

Step-3: Enter your preferred password

After you select the “ Encrypt with Password ” option, a pop-up window will appear on your screen. In that pop-up window, type in your preferred password in the “ Password ” box. After that, click on the “ Ok ” button.

Once you click on the “ OK ” button, you will be taken to a new page in the pop-up window.

Step-4: Re-enter the password

Now, all you have to do is to re-enter the password on this page and then select the “ OK ” button again.

Once done, your PowerPoint presentation will be password protected and users will have to enter the password to access your PowerPoint presentation.

Make PowerPoint Uneditable Permanently? 

In the 4 methods described above, you will be able to prevent or protect your PowerPoint presentation file. More importantly, you will be able to share the PowerPoint presentation with the intended users.

However, if sharing a PowerPoint file is not important, there are other ways in which you can protect your presentation and prevent it from being edited further!

Interestingly, the methods described below will allow you to make a copy of your presentation and make it completely uneditable!

There are 3 ways in which you can make your PowerPoint presentation uneditable permanently.

You can either convert the presentation into a picture or convert it into a PDF file or you can convert it into a video. Let’s take a look at the 3 methods below –

Method 1 – Convert PowerPoint to Picture

The first way to protect your PowerPoint presentation is to convert it to pictures.

To convert your PowerPoint presentation as a picture, you will have to use the “ Save As ” option from the “ File ” tab. Simply choose a picture file format from the “ File Type ” options in the “save as” window.

If you need further guidance on how to carry out this process, check out my other article on how to save PowerPoint as an image for full details.

Method 2 – Convert PowerPoint to a PDF

You can also convert your PowerPoint file to a PDF. This is actually one of the most common methods used when you want to prevent your client or colleague from editing the presentation.

The advantage to save PowerPoint as a PDF over saving it as an image is that when you save your PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file, it is saved all the slides in one file just as the case would be in a presentation.

However, when you save a presentation as a Picture, the slides usually get saved as individual images.

Although the process to save a PowerPoint as a PDF is quite similar to that of saving it as an image, but if you are unsure how to do this, check out our other article on how to convert PowerPoint as PDF that details the process in an easy manner!

Method 3 – Convert PowerPoint to a Video

You can also convert your PowerPoint to a Video in order to protect your PowerPoint file!

If you have a lot of animations in your presentation, and you want to retain the animations when you show it to your colleagues or the audience, but you don’t want them to edit the file, then you can convert the presentation to a video format.

This will allow you to retain the animations, and make the presentation uneditable.

Converting a PowerPoint to a video requires you to use the “ Save As ” function. However, there are a few additional things that you may need to keep in mind.

Check out our article on how to convert PowerPoint to Video for a full guide with helpful tips.

2. How to Password Protect a PowerPoint Presentation from Opening? 

You can set a password that users will have to enter before they can access your PowerPoint presentation.

The process to password protect a PowerPoint presentation is elaborately explained in method 4 of the previous section of this article. Simply follow the steps explained in the earlier section and you will be able to add a password to your PowerPoint file.

3. How to Remove Password from a PowerPoint Presentation? 

The process of removing the password from a PowerPoint file is quite straightforward. However, it is important to know the password in order to change or remove the password protection in PowerPoint.

Let’s take a look at how to remove a password from a protected PowerPoint presentation –

3a. If You Know the Password

If you remember the password to your PowerPoint presentation, open the PowerPoint file, go to the “ Encrypt Presentation ” option in the “Info” section of the “ File ” tab and follow the steps given below.

Step-1: Open the “Encrypt Password” option

The first step is to click on the “ File ” tab. Then, from the backend view, click on the “ Info ” option.

Next, click on the “ Protect Presentation ” option, and from the dropdown, select the “ Encrypt with Password ” option.

Step-2: Clear the Password from the box

Once you’ve clicked on the “ Encrypt Presentation ” option, clear the password from the “ Password ” box.

After you’ve cleared the password, simply hit the “ OK ” button, located at the bottom right corner of the pop-up window and the password will be removed immediately.

3b. If You Forget the Password

Unfortunately, there is no direct way of removing a password from your PowerPoint file.

To do this, you will have to use third-party software that will unlock the encrypted PowerPoint file for you.

The software that we would recommend is “iSunshare” . It is free to use, and you will be able to unlock more than just PPT files. To download the software from their website, click here .

Credit to cookie_studio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited).

How to Make a PowerPoint Not Editable? (Simple Steps to Follow)

But what if you want to make sure your PowerPoint presentation is not editable? Fortunately, it is easy to do just that.

Short Answer

To make a PowerPoint presentation not editable, you can save it as a PDF file.

Additionally, you can password protect the presentation so only you have access to the editable version.

What is a PowerPoint Presentation?

A PowerPoint presentation is a collection of slides that are used to visually communicate ideas or information to an audience.

With all these features, PowerPoint presentations are a great tool for getting your message across in a clear and engaging way.

How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation as a PDF

Saving a PowerPoint presentation as a PDF is a great way to protect your work from unwanted changes.

Next, choose a filename and select the location you want to save the file to.

Once your PowerPoint presentation is saved as a PDF, you can choose to password protect the file.

By following these simple steps, you can easily make your PowerPoint presentation uneditable and protect your work from unwanted changes.

How to Password Protect a PDF File

To do this, simply open your presentation in PowerPoint and click on the File tab.

Benefits of Setting the Security Settings to Read Only

This will ensure that the presentation remains exactly as you intended it to be.

If someone were to open the presentation in an attempt to steal or modify your work, they would be unable to do so.

Other Options to Make a PowerPoint Not Editable

Depending on the video format you choose, you may also be able to password protect the video.

Simple Steps to Follow to Make a PowerPoint Not Editable

Once the document has been saved with the security settings applied, it will remain intact and uneditable, guaranteed.

Troubleshooting Tips

You can also use a digital signature to certify that the file is coming from you.

Final Thoughts

Recent posts.

How to Make a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation Read-only

Making your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation read-only adds a layer of security, but it doesn’t keep anyone from editing the file.

Microsoft PowerPoint presentations take a lot of time to create, and it makes sense to make it harder for someone else to make changes. Making your PowerPoint presentation read-only is an option you can use to make it less likely changes are made. It’s not a perfect solution, but it can serve as a deterrent.

Making a PowerPoint Presentation Read-Only

With read-only turned-on in Microsoft PowerPoint, you can no longer edit the presentation. Therefore, you shouldn’t make this change until you’re finished with the presentation. To make a PowerPoint Presentation read-only:

• Open your Powerpoint presentation .
• Choose File at the top left.
• Select Info on the bar on the left.
• Click Protect Presentation .

In the pull-down menu, you’ll see four options:

• When selected, Always Open Read-Only tells readers the file is read-only and shouldn’t be edited.
• Mark as Final lets readers know this is the finished copy of this file.
• Encrypt with Password lets you assign a password a reader needs to input to edit the file.
• When activated, Add a Digital Signature adds an invisible signature to ensure the integrity of the presentation.

Only two of the options make your PowerPoint presentation read-only: Always Open Read-Only and Mark as Final.

When Always Open Read-Only is selected, anyone who opens the presentation will receive the message, “To prevent accidental changes, the author has set this file to open as read-only.” Conversely, files with Mark as Final will see, “An author has marked this presentation as final to discourage editing” at the top of the file.

The Problem and a Better Solution

Unfortunately, neither of these choices keeps a reader from editing the presentation. To do so, they only have to click “Edit Anyway” to make changes that you can save.

If you really don’t want anyone to change your presentation, your best bet is to select “Encrypt with Password” under the Protect Presentation options.  As you have probably already guessed, however, this option means no one without the password can even read the file, let alone edit it. And yet, this must be the best solution if you’re goal is to protect your document.

More on PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is the most popular presentation software packages on the planet with good reason. It offers amazing presentation tools include many that are less known. For example, were you aware converting presentations to videos was possible or that PDFs and Word documents can be changed to PowerPoint files? Did you know you can create a mind map with PowerPoint?

You can find Microsoft PowerPoint inside the Microsoft 365 suite. For home use, the Microsoft 365 suite is currently available in three varieties, including a Family, Personal, and Home & Student plan. The first is $100 per year (or $10/month) and includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook for Mac, and is useful for up to six users. The Personal version is for one person and is $70/year or $6.99 per month. The student plan is a one-time purchase of $150 and includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Business users can select from Basic, Standard, and Premium plans, starting at $5 per user/month.

August 13, 2021 at 12:16 am

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When PowerPoint marks a document as “Final,” it becomes impossible for anyone to type anything in it or use editing commands to change it. Although you may usually want others to have the ability to update your presentations, you may wish to protect your documents occasionally. PowerPoint’s main ribbon doesn’t have a button that makes a document uneditable, but you can find one that does when you know where to look.

Launch PowerPoint and open a presentation you’d like to make uneditable.

Click “File,” then “Info” to view information about the presentation.

Click the “Protect Presentation” to view a menu containing options. Click the “Mark as Final” option. PowerPoint displays a pop-up box warning you that it will mark the presentation as “Final.”

Click “OK” to close the pop-up and type a name for the file in the “File Name” text box that appears.

Click “Save” to save the file.

• Microsoft: Protect Your Document, Workbook, or Presentation With Passwords, Permission, and Other Restrictions - PowerPoint - Office.com
• Give the saved file a new name if you do not want to overwrite the existing file.
• A “Mark as Final” icon appears in the status bar of any PowerPoint application viewing a document whose status is “Final.”

After majoring in physics, Kevin Lee began writing professionally in 1989 when, as a software developer, he also created technical articles for the Johnson Space Center. Today this urban Texas cowboy continues to crank out high-quality software as well as non-technical articles covering a multitude of diverse topics ranging from gaming to current affairs.

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Top 5 Methods to Make PowerPoint Read Only

There are a lot of reasons why you would want to make a PowerPoint document read-only. But perhaps the most important one is to keep someone else from making changes on the document. PowerPoint presentations are often sensitive and just a small change can cause the whole presentation to lose meaning. Therefore, it would make sense to make the document read-only as soon as it is done to prevent accidental changes that can alter the whole concept of the presentation. You may also want to protect the content of the presentation and the easiest way to do that would be to make it harder to edit the presentation.

Whatever your reasons for making your PowerPoint presentation read-only, this article will share with you numerous ways you can do that. We will also take the time to share with you the easiest way to unlock a read-only PowerPoint presentation.

Part 1. How to Make PowerPoint Read Only

The following are just some of the ways you can make a PowerPoint presentation read only.

1. Set Presentations to Read Only

2. set password to modify presentation, 3. burn powerpoint to cd/dvd, 4. convert powerpoint to read-only video, 5. set restrict access.

One of the easiest ways to make your presentation read only is to mark it as "Final". This is a feature available in MS Office that is used to let other users know that you have completed all edits on the document. Here's how to do it;

Step 1: Open the document you want to protect and then click on "File".

Step 2: Click on "Info" and then select "Protect Presentation". Step 3: In the options on the drop-down menu, click on "Mark as Final".

Step 4: Click "OK" in the dialogue box that appears and click "OK" again to confirm.

The next time you open the document, you will see a yellow "Marked as Final" message at the top. If you want to edit the document, simply click on "Edit Anyway" to restore your editing privileges.

You can also choose to set a password to restrict modification of the document. Here's how to do that;

Step 1: Open the presentation and then click on "File > Save As".

Step 2: Click on "Tools" at the bottom of the "Save As" dialogue box and then click on "General Options".

Step 3: In the box marked "Password to Modify", type in the password you would like to use and then click "OK". Reenter the password and then click "OK".

Step 4: Click "Save" to save the PowerPoint presentation and the next time someone tries to edit the document, they will be required to enter the password.

Another really easy way to make a PowerPoint not read only is to burn the file onto CD/DVD. There are a lot of programs that can help you do that and since storage media like CD/DVD is read-only, you are assured of the safety of the data on the presentation. It is also much easier to playback the presentation when it is on CD/DVD.

In the same way, you can also convert your PowerPoint presentation into read-only video. This will not just make it impossible for others to edit the content on the presentation, but it will also make it easier to distribute the presentation.

There are a lot of tools that can help you convert the PowerPoint presentation to video, including screen recorders like Adobe Captivate and Camtasia Studio or Quick Time Movie and Windows Movie Maker.

You may also be able to prevent others from editing the presentation if you use the "Restrict Access" option. The following is how to do that;

Step 1: Open the document and then click on "File".

Step 2: Click on "Info > Protect Document" and from then choose "Restrict Access" from the dropdown menu.

This option will allow people to open and read the document but they will be unable to print, edit or copy any of the content on the presentation.

Part 2. How to Unlock a Read Only PowerPoint

What if you find yourself unable to edit a read only PowerPoint presentation? If someone has sent you an incomplete presentation that has restrictions, the best way to lift these restrictions and edit the document is to use  Passper for PowerPoint . This is a password recovery tool that makes it very easy for you to unlock any presentation and lift any restrictions placed on the document. The following are some of the program's features;

Check 2,900,000 passwords /S: It has one of the fastest password recovery rates in the market because it can check up to 2,900,000 passwords per second.

4 Attack Modes Available: 4 different attack modes are used to make it easier to recover the password in the shortest time possible. The fact that it has a database of millions of frequently used passwords is just an added bonus.

Remove Edit Restrictions: It can remove any editing restrictions on the presentation within 2 seconds in a single click.

It is compatible with all versions of MS Office and 100% safe to use. None of the data on the program will be lost or damaged in any way during the recovery process.

Free Download Buy Now

Follow these simple steps to use Passper for PowerPoint to unlock a read-only presentation.

Step 1: Download and install Passper for PowerPoint on your computer and then launch the program. In the main window, click on "Remove Restrictions".

Step 2: Import the presentation into the program and then click on "Remove".

In a few seconds all editing restrictions will be lifted from the document, allowing you to edit the presentation any way you want.

How to Recover PowerPoint Presentation if You Can't Open the File

If you are unable to open the presentation because it is password protected and you don't have the password, Passper for PowerPoint can also help you easily recover the password and use it to open the presentation. Here's how to do that;

Step 1: Open Passper for PowerPoint and choose "Recover Passwords" in the main window.

Step 2: Add the protected presentation into the program and then select a recovery method to use. Click "Recover".

Step 3: The program will immediately begin the process of recovering the password. When the process is complete, the password will be displayed on the screen. You can use it to unlock the document.

Make PowerPoint read only is a simple, yet highly effective technique to help you prevent accidental edits on your presentation and also keep the content safe. But sometimes this well-meaning feature can keep you locked out of your own document. If you find yourself unable to access the PowerPoint presentation or unable to edit it, Passper for PowerPoint   presents the best solution to help you recover the password or lift restrictions thanks to its faster recovery speeds, more attack methods and higher recovery rates.

Related Articles:

• Top 9 PowerPoint Password Recovery Software That Unlock Your PowerPoint
• 6 Free Ways to Lock PowerPoint from Editing
• [Updated] 4 Methods to Unlock Read-Only PowerPoint

By Ronnie Barnes to PowerPoint

Posted on Mar 17, 2023 ( Updated: Mar 17, 2023)

Ronnie Barnes, a blogger with more than 5-year experience in writing tips about password recovery for Windows and office files.

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How to run a lightweight command line speed test on windows, mac and linux, samsung now sells 1tb microsd cards, quick links, use the restrict access feature (business and enterprise only), make your presentation read-only or mark it as final, password protect your presentation, save your presentation as an image.

To preserve the integrity of your PowerPoint presentation, you may want to try to prevent others from editing it. Depending on the Office version you have, there are a few things you can do to block editing, or at least make it more difficult.

You can use the Restrict Access feature to protect your PPTX file from edits, but this feature is only available for Microsoft 365 for Business or Enterprise , and the feature must be enabled by your organization's administrator in the Microsoft 365 admin panel . That means if you're using any version below Microsoft 365 for Business, such as Home or Family, then you won't have this feature.

Related: How to Find Out Which Version of Microsoft Office You're Using (and Whether it's 32-bit or 64-bit)

If you are subscribed to a version that supports this feature, and if the admin of your organization has enabled it, you can locate "Restrict Access" under File > Info > Protect Presentation.

You can then set the restriction types and file access expiration dates.

Visit Microsoft's official doc site to learn more about Information Rights Management and how to use this feature.

Making your presentation read-only or marking it as final doesn't actually make your presentation un-editable. What this does is discourage others from making edits. It's also good for preventing accidental edits, as it makes you opt-in before you're able to make any changes to the content.

Related: How to Make a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation Read-only

To make your presentation read-only, or to mark it as final, open your PPTX file and click the "File" tab.

Next, click "Info" in the left-hand pane.

Now, in the Protect Presentation group, click "Protect Presentation."

Once selected, a drop-down menu will appear. You can choose between these two options to make your presentation read-only:

• Always Open Read-Only:  This asks the reader to opt-in to edit the presentation, which prevents accidental edits.
• Mark as Final:  This lets the reader know that this is the final version of the presentation.

Selecting either option will prevent the reader from editing the presentation---unless they opt-in to do so by clicking the "Edit Anyway" button in the banner.

While making your presentation read-only serves a purpose, it's a weak form of protection if you want to truly keep others from editing your content.

Related: How to Unlock Read-Only PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint has an option that lets you encrypt your presentation and only those with the password can access it. Again, this doesn't fully protect the content within the presentation, but if only those with the password have access, the chances of the presentation being edited are certainly lower.

This password isn't stored anywhere on your local machine. Be sure to store the password somewhere safe. If you forget or lose your password, you won't be able to access the presentation again.

To password protect your presentation, open PowerPoint, click the "File" tab, click "Info" in the left-hand pane, and then click the "Protect Presentation" option.

Next, click "Encrypt with Password" from the menu that appears.

The Encrypt Document window will appear. Enter your password in the Password text box and then click "OK."

Reenter the password and then click "OK" again.

Now anyone who tries to open the presentation will need the password to access it.

This method is more secure than simply making your presentation read-only. However, you're merely preventing people from opening the PPTX file. If they have the password, then they can also edit the presentation's content. Be careful who you share the password with. If you're worried the password may have been exposed , change the password immediately.

Related: How to Check if Your Password Has Been Stolen

If you want to deliver your PPTX file to someone, but don't want them to be able to copy or edit the content (easily, at least), then you can convert the PowerPoint presentation to an image file and send it that way.

Open the PowerPoint presentation, click "File," and then click "Save As" in the left-hand pane.

Browse to the location you would like to save the file and then, in the "Save As" box, choose the image file type you would like to save the presentation as. You can choose between:

• Animated GIF Format  (*.gif)
• JPEG File Interchange Format (*.jpg)
• PNG Portable Network Graphics Format (*.png)
• TIFF Tag Image File Format (*.tif)
• Scalable Vector Graphics Format (*.svg)

Related: What's the Difference Between JPG, PNG, and GIF?

Once you save the presentation as an image, you can send it out to the desired recipients.

At the end of the day, there's no solid way to 100% protect your presentation. You can kindly ask recipients not to edit the content, password-protect your presentation so only those you want to have access to it can access it, or convert your presentation to an image or PDF , but even with these measures, if someone wants to edit something, they can always find a way.

Related: How to Save Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations as PDF Files

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PowerPoint for the web can open files stored on OneDrive, SharePoint, or Dropbox. 

Upload a file to OneDrive

If your file is saved on a computer hard disk, a flash drive, or a USB stick, the first thing to do is upload it to OneDrive.

Sign in to OneDrive with your Microsoft account (hotmail.com, outlook.com, live.com, or msn.com)

or Sign in to your Microsoft 365 work or school account (.com, .org, .edu) and go to OneDrive.

Navigate to the destination folder.

Select Upload to save the files to OneDrive.

Upload a file to SharePoint

Sign in to your Microsoft 365 work or school account (.com, .org, .edu) and go to SharePoint.

Navigate to the destination folder. 

Select Upload to save the files to SharePoint.

Edit a file with a Microsoft account

In some cases, when you open a presentation from OneDrive directly or through a shared link with a Microsoft account, PowerPoint for the web displays the file in Reading view.

To edit such a file:

In your web browser, navigate to the file in OneDrive.

Click the file name once to open the file in PowerPoint for the web.

select Edit Presentation , and then select Edit in PowerPoint for the web .

The file switches from Reading view to Editing view, where you can:

Add or change content

Share the file and collaborate with others

View the presentation in Slide Show

Edit a file with a Microsoft 365 work or school account

When you open a presentation from OneDrive for work or school or SharePoint directly or through a shared link with a Microsoft work or school account, PowerPoint for the web displays the file in Editing  view by default. 

Editing an .odp or .pptx file in PowerPoint for the web

Using Office Online in OneDrive

Create more with PowerPoint templates

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PowerPoint won't let me edit a text box within a template

I'm having an issue with this template for PowerPoint and need some assistance. I'm currently using the slides containing the text "Zitat bearbeiten" (slide 11) and the one with two columns and separate headers containing the text "Untertitelformat bearbeiten" (slides 7 and 8).

I am unable to edit the text inside the quotation marks. It seems to have no indicators of being able to edit or being part of a background element. Is there a way to change or edit this text within these templates?

I'm unsure if this problem is related to the PowerPoint version I am using, as I am on the latest version (365).

• microsoft-powerpoint
• presentation-design
• microsoft-office

The objects you can't change are parts of a particular layout that were not created as a placeholder. To be able to edit it, you could either change it into a placeholder or edit the layout directly. To do that (depending on your Office version), you need to go to the 'Slide Master', as officially instructed here . Since you're using a newer version, you will have to find it through the ribbon at the top of the window, i.e. View -> Slide Master (under the Master Views category).

You should now be able to edit the text of the object. Alternatively, if you want it to be editable outside the Slide Master you would need to add a new placeholder and remove the existing one as changing the object directly to a placeholder isn't currently possible as far as I know. This can be done by clicking on Insert Placeholder on the Slide Master ribbon, and using the Format Painter to copy the style into the new placeholder. Afterwards, you may have to resize it accordingly, and finally delete the previous one.

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