PowerPoint

Slides, design ideas and presenting tips.

PowerPoint

PowerPoint videos won't play — codec, embed, and link fixes

monasteele.com

PowerPoint·May 3, 2026

PowerPoint videos won't play — codec, embed, and link fixes

When a video plays on your machine but goes black on someone else's, the problem is almost always how the video was added to the slide. Here is how to make it portable.

9 min read·By Mona Steele

PowerPoint

PowerPoint Designer turns ugly slides into nice ones in two clicks

monasteele.com

PowerPoint·Apr 18, 2026

PowerPoint Designer turns ugly slides into nice ones in two clicks

Microsoft 365's Designer pane uses AI to suggest layouts for any slide you build. Here's how to summon it on demand, what it's good and bad at, and how to fix it when it disappears.

9 min read·By Mona Steele