Have you encountered the error “PowerPoint found a problem with the content” when opening a .ppt or .pptx file? If restarting your device doesn't help, try these tips to get you back to work in no time.
1. Review security settings
If you're using Windows, a feature called Protected Views may have mischaracterized your content as a potential security threat, leading to content errors. If you are not sure about the risk level of the file, first scan the file with Microsoft Defender. If the file has no problems, you can temporarily turn off Protected Views.
- Open PowerPoint.
- On the app's home screen, select Options from the left panel.
- Select Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.
- Click Protected View.
- Uncheck the option Enable Protected View for files originating from the Internet and Enable Protected View for files located in potentially unsafe locations.
- Click OK to save the new changes and try opening the .ppt file.

Warning: There is always some level of risk when disabling features like Protected View. After troubleshooting, remember to re-enable those security settings.
Additionally, Windows users can add .ppt files to PowerPoint's Trusted Locations. Again, this method is only for .ppt files that come from a trusted source. From Trust Center Settings:
- Click Trusted Locations in the left pane.
- Click Add new location > Browse and select the location of the .ppt file.
- Click Add > Save.

If you're using a Mac operating system, you won't find PowerPoint features like Trusted Locations or Protected View. Instead, you can manage PowerPoint's file permissions in settings Privacy & Security Mac's:
- Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access.
- Select icon +. Because this is a security setting, you may be prompted for a password.
- Select Microsoft PowerPoint from your applications and click Open.
- A dialog box will prompt you Quit & Reopen application to grant full drive access.

Finally, make sure the PowerPoint file is not locked. Right click on the file in Finder and select Get Info. In section Generalreview the check box Locked.
2. Edit the presentation
You can also evaluate whether a corrupted file is causing content errors by trying to open the PowerPoint presentation from another device. If you still have the same problem, you can try repairing the file.
Windows users can do this using PowerPoint's built-in tools. Just launch PowerPoint and click Open. There, browse to the presentation location, expand the menu Open and choose Open and repair.

If you are using a Mac, you can repair damaged files if you know how to use Disk Ultility. Find this tool in Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and run the function First Aid on the drive where your files are stored. The utility will highlight if there are any drive errors that could cause your files to become corrupted and offer solutions to repair the file system.

Tips: When running drive repair functions, you should back up first.
3. Restore old version
If the PowerPoint tools or Disk Utility cannot repair the damaged file, you can find a previous version of the presentation. Even if you don't save the old version, Windows and Mac devices can still have automatic backups of the file for you.
Windows' backup tool is called File History. There are many ways to access the File History feature on Windows 11. From File History, simply locate your files and restore the previous version.

Note: To use File History, you need to enable this feature first. Otherwise, you won't be able to restore an older version of the PowerPoint file. Now is a good time to turn on File History to prevent future problems.
Alternatively, locate the problematic presentation directly from the File Explorer window. Right click on the file and select Show more options > Restore previous versions. If there is an older version listed, go ahead and restore it.
The Time Machine feature can be your best friend if you are using a Mac. Apple's support page recommends opening the folder containing the files you want to restore in Finder first. You can then use Launchpad to open Time Machine and select a presentation. If there is a backup, there will be an option Restore.
4. Download or move file location
PowerPoint presentations stored in synchronized, cloud-based folders or temporary file systems can also cause content errors. For example, if you received the presentation via email, try downloading the file again. Make sure the file is in your local Downloads folder, on the Desktop, or in a designated folder related to your project.

If you work with a synchronized folder system like Google's Drive for Desktop, you can try copying the .ppt or .pptx file from that cloud folder to your local drive. Then try opening the presentation again.
5. Open and export from another program
Sometimes, if a .ppt or .pptx file doesn't open in PowerPoint, it will open in another similar program. Since applications like Keynote and Google Slides are equipped to import PowerPoint files, try opening your demanding presentation in one of those programs.
Here's how to open PowerPoint files in Google Slides, a browser platform available on all operating systems:
- Sign in to Google Drive and select New > Google Slides.
- Select File > Open and navigate to tab Upload.
- Browse to or drag your PowerPoint file, then Google will convert and open it as a Google Slides presentation.
- From here, you can continue your work in Google Slides. If not, re-export the file for use in PowerPoint by selecting File > Download > Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx).

If you use a Mac, you can also use the Keynote application to open PowerPoint files and the steps are very similar.
6. Update Microsoft 365
Finally, Microsoft 365 apps don't always work properly if you haven't updated them in a while. In this case, you should update Microsoft 365 to the latest available version. Depending on your operating system, there are a few different ways to do this.
On Windows, launch any Microsoft 365 app and select Account from the left panel. There, click the menu Microsoft 365 and Office Updates and choose Update now.

On a Mac, it's just as easy. Again, open the Microsoft 365 app and click Help > Check for Updates. This will launch the update if available. To save time later, you can also choose to check the box Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date.

Hopefully the above solutions have helped you fix the “PowerPoint found a problem with the content” error. In most cases, you must move files out of the synced folder or repair damaged files.
Wishing you success!