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Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Speed Up PowerPoint Presentations

From Wendy Russell,
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Keyboard Shortcuts While Running a Slide Show

Right click during PowerPoint slide show to see shortcut menu
Right click during slide show to see shortcut menu
© Wendy Russell

While the slide show is running, often you need to pause to answer questions from the audience, and it is helpful to insert a simple black or white slide while you are talking. This gives you the complete attention of the audience.

Here is a list of several useful keyboard shortcuts to use during a slide show. As an alternate choice to keyboard shortcuts, simply right-clicking on the screen will show a shortcut menu of options.

Things you can control during the slide show

Spacebar or Click the mouse - Move to next slide or next animation
Number + Enter - Goes to the slide of that number (for example: 6 + Enter would go to slide 6)
B (for black) - Pauses the slide show and displays a black screen. Press B again to resume the show.
W (for white) - Pauses the show and displays a white screen. Press W again to resume the show.
N - Moves to next slide or next animation
P - Moves to previous slide or animation
S - Stops the show. Press S again to restart the show.
Esc - Ends the slide show
Tab - Go to the next hyperlink in a slide show
Shift + Tab - Go to the previous hyperlink in a slide show

10 Part Tutorial Series for Beginners - Beginner's Guide to PowerPoint

  1. Most Commonly Used Keyboard Shortcuts in PowerPoint
  2. Keyboard Shortcuts Using the CTRL Key
  3. Keyboard Shortcuts for Quick Navigation
  4. Keyboard Shortcuts Using the Arrow Keys
  5. Keyboard Shortcuts for Selecting Text
  6. Using Function Keys as Keyboard Shortcuts
  7. Keyboard Shortcuts While Running a Slide Show

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