How to Loop a PowerPoint Presentation in PowerPoint 2013

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Looping a PowerPoint presentation allows it to play continuously in a loop without manual intervention. This can be useful for unattended displays at events, trade shows, receptions, lobbies, etc.

Here is a step-by-step guide to setting up a looping presentation in PowerPoint 2013.

Benefits of a Looping Presentation

Some key benefits of looping a PowerPoint presentation include:

  • Automated playback: The presentation loops automatically, eliminating the need to manually restart it. You can set it up and walk away.
  • Engages audience: A looping presentation can better attract attention as people come and go.
  • Saves time: You avoid having to restart and attend to the presentation manually.
  • Flexible: You can set slide durations and transitions to control the flow.

Step 1 – Open Presentation and Check Slides

First, open the PowerPoint presentation you want to loop:

  • Open PowerPoint 2013.
  • Open the desired .pptx presentation.
  • Review the slides and content.
  • Make any final edits before setting up the loop.

Step 2 – Set Up Slide Show

Next, access the slide show setup:

  • Click the Slide Show tab.
  • Click Set Up Slide Show.
  • The Set Up Show dialog box opens.

Step 3 – Select Show Type and Looping

Then, select the show type and enable looping:

  • Under Show Type, select Browsed at a Kiosk (Full Screen).
  • Check the Loop continuously until ‘Esc’ option.
  • Click OK.

This sets full screen, unattended mode with continuous looping.

Step 4 – Set Slide Timings

Optionally, set exact slide durations:

  • Click the Transitions tab.
  • In the Timing group, select the transition After option.
  • Set a time e.g. 00:05 for 5 seconds.
  • Click Apply to All to set the duration for all slides.

Step 5 – Rehearse Timings

It’s best to rehearse the slide timings:

  • Click the Slide Show tab.
  • Click Rehearse Timings.
  • Go through the presentation. Pauses are recorded for each slide transition.
  • Click OK when finished.

This will improve the flow and timing.

Step 6 – Present The Looping Show

You can now present a continuously looping show:

  • Click the Slide Show tab.
  • Click From Beginning to start the looping show.
  • Press ESC to exit the show.

The presentation will loop unattended until ESC is pressed.

Customizing Looping Slideshows

There are a few other options to further customize looping presentations:

  • Transitions: Fade, push, wipe, etc. effects from one slide to the next
  • Animations: Motion effects for individual slide elements
  • Slide order: Control the exact slide sequence
  • Timings: Fine tune the duration of each slide
  • Size: Adjust size for different projections and screens

Alternative Setup Options

Some alternative ways to loop a presentation:

  • Add duplicate slides: Manually copy slides to create loops
  • Custom shows: Save sections as separate custom shows
  • Record as video: Export looping slideshow as a video
  • Presenter mode: Still allows forward/back control

But the full screen kiosk mode is simplest for a basic unattended looping slideshow.

Troubleshooting Looping Presentations

Here are some solutions to common looping issues:

  • Not looping: Ensure kiosk mode and looping option are enabled
  • Too fast/slow: Adjust slide durations
  • Lags: Reduce transitions, animations that may cause lags
  • Skipped slides: Check for duplicate slide numbers
  • Crashes: Simplify presentation, reduce resource intensive media

So in summary, setting up a seamlessly looping PowerPoint 2013 presentation is straightforward using the kiosk mode option and slide timing rehearsal. The result is an automated show that can run unattended as long as needed.

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