Inserting a Video Into PowerPoint Takes a Long Time

Part of PowerPoint's appeal is the ease with which you can insert images, audio and video into your slides. However, adding large multimedia files to a presentation can substantially add to the time it takes to save and work with the slideshow. If you are experiencing delays when adding videos to a PowerPoint presentation, it can be caused by the video itself or an issue with the software.

The most likely explanation for a video slowing down PowerPoint is that the video is too large and complex for PowerPoint to handle quickly. The most effective way of improving the speed at which large videos are inserted is to upgrade the key hardware components of your PC or switch to a faster machine. If you have access to video editing and encoding software, rendering the video source again using a lower-quality setting and a smaller target file size should help, if you are prepared to use a clip of reduced quality in your presentation. In addition, reducing the number of effects (such as shadows and borders) applied to the video can improve loading times.

Other programs running alongside PowerPoint can use up system resources and slow down PowerPoint's operation. Close down any background applications and utilities you aren't using to free up CPU time and space in the computer's memory. This procedure also reduces the chances of a third-party application causing a conflict with PowerPoint that may affect video loading. Right-click on the taskbar and choose "Task Manager" to see a list of the applications and processes currently in memory.

Ensure that your files have been upgraded to the latest version of PowerPoint by selecting "File," then "Info," then "Convert Document." Double-click on a video imported using an earlier version of the software and you'll be prompted to update it. Select "File" and "Info" again, then choose "Optimize Compatibility" to ensure that your slideshow is optimized to run as quickly as possible. Emptying PowerPoint's temporary file cache can speed up the application as well. To do this, type "%temp%" into the Start menu search box and press "Enter." Delete any "*.tmp" files you find and restart PowerPoint.

Ensure that you are running the latest updates for both PowerPoint and Windows itself via the Windows Update utility in Control Panel. In addition, downloading and installing the latest drivers for your graphics card can improve performance when handling video files. Open the official website for your graphics card manufacturer and locate the correct driver downloads for your graphics card and operating system. If the video you are inserting is published somewhere on the Web, consider linking to it rather than embedding it in order to improve loading times and reduce the size of the presentation.