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Windows and macOS versions of PowerPoint with a version number that is 2007 or newer (including "365") can open the following types of files:

  • .ppt, pptx (Presentation files)

  • .pps, .ppsx (Show files)

PowerPoint for the web can only open .pptx and .ppsx files. It isn't able to open older file formats such as .ppt and .pps.

This article concentrates on helping to open less common file formats (.pps, .ppz) and with opening files that have audio or video included. 

What do you want to do?

Important: You will not be able to open .pps attachments directly from within the mail application in either of the following circumstances:

  • You are running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 2, using Outlook Express.

  • You are running Microsoft Windows Vista, using Windows Mail.

Open a presentation with a .ppz file name extension

You received a file with a .ppz extension by email, and you can't open it by using PowerPoint.

A .ppz file could be a PowerPoint animation file (a streaming format intended for web use rather than for exchanging presentations with others), but most likely it is a "packaged" PowerPoint file created by the Pack and Go Wizard. The Pack and Go Wizard is not available or supported in PowerPoint 2007 and later versions.

In PowerPoint 2002 and earlier, the Pack and Go Wizard made it possible to package one or more presentations, including linked files and embedded fonts, into a single .ppz file. In addition, the Pack and Go Wizard created a file called pngsetup.exe that allowed the recipient to unpackage the .ppz file. Without the pngsetup.exe file, a Windows file compression tool such as WinZip would be required to open the .ppz file.

To copy your PowerPoint presentation to a CD, see Package a presentation for CD or USB flash drive.

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Open a presentation with a .pps file name extension

You received a PowerPoint Show (.pps) file by email, and you can't open it. Because PowerPoint 2007 and later versions support the .pps file format, you need to install PowerPoint on your computer.

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Play a sound file

You received a PowerPoint presentation by email that contains a sound file, and although you can run the presentation, you can't play the sound file that appears on a slide because the sound file isn't embedded in the presentation.

Ask the person who sent the presentation to you to do the following:

  1. Copy the sound file into the same folder on his or her computer that contains the presentation.

  2. Use the Package a presentation for CD or USB flash drive feature to update the links and bundle the associated files.

  3. Resend the presentation to you by email.

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Play a movie file

You received a PowerPoint presentation by email that contains a movie file, and although you can run the presentation, you can't play the movie file that appears on a slide because the movie file isn't embedded in the presentation. 

Ask the person who sent the presentation to you to do the following:

  1. Copy the movie file into the same folder that contains the presentation.

  2. Use the Package a presentation for CD or USB flash drive feature to update the links and bundle the associated files.

  3. Resend the presentation to you by email.

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See Also

File formats that are supported in PowerPoint

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