Getting Started

• Click the Windows logo in the upper-left corner of the PowerPoint screen, and look for the "PowerPoint Options" button in the lower-right corner. The Options area contains several sections that allow you to change some of PowerPoint's basic settings.
  
  The first screen that is available contains frequently-customized options. The mini toolbar pops up when you hover your mouse over a slide element, giving you quick access to frequently-used commands. Live preview allows you to see how your changes will look on a slide before opting to accept or decline the changes. The developer tab gives you access to programming modules such as macros or Visual Basic. Turn on ClearType if you rely more on live showings of your presentations and less on printed decks. Change PowerPoint's color scheme for its ribbons and menus from blue to silver or black, and customize the way that screentips will display for you.
  
  

Proofing

• The Proofing section of PowerPoint's options allows you to choose the types of changes and suggestions that PowerPoint makes in your grammar and spelling. AutoCorrect makes changes as you type, based on the sections and dictionary that you select here. You can customize options such as how the default fraction display or how PowerPoint should handle Internet addresses.
  
  Select the options from this section that you would like PowerPoint to use when correcting your spelling. Tell it to ignore words spelled in all uppercase, or let it flag or ignore contextual spelling errors, such as substituting "their" for "there." This section also allows you to tell PowerPoint to use the main generic dictionary only, or to refer also to custom dictionaries, such as a medical or legal dictionary, when correcting spelling errors.
  
  

Save

• The Save section of PowerPoint's Options menu allows you to choose the defaults for saving and sharing documents. Select between saving your presentations in a format that enables macros, or in a format compatible with earlier versions of PowerPoint. The other selections available in this section allow you to choose the length of time between AutoRecover saves and what folder to store your files in by default. You can change any of these options as you go for individual presentations, but this is where you should choose the most frequently-used selections.
  
  If you work on files that are stored on a server rather than your hard drive, choose the best option for how you want to open, checkout and work with those files.
  
  

Advanced

• The advanced section contains relatively simple choices. Set the default for how you would like PowerPoint to select or drag and drop words, cut and paste text, display recent documents and shortcut keys, print and display slideshows.