When you start Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac, or when you try to open a new presentation, you experience one of the following conditions: 

• The program closes unexpectedly.
• Error message:

To resolve this problem, follow these steps.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2008 or later

Step 1: Remove Powerpoint Preferences 

1. Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs.
2. On the Go menu, click Home.
3. Open Library.
   Note The Library folder is hidden in Mac OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
   
   
4. Open Preferences.
5. Drag com.microsoft.powerpoint.plist to the desktop.
   If you cannot locate the file, PowerPoint is using the default preferences. Go to step 7.
   
   
6. Open PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, restore the file to its original location, and go to the next step. If the problem is resolved, drag com.microsoft.powerpoint.plist to the Trash.
7. Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs.
8. On the Go menu, click Home.
9. Open Library.
   Note The Library folder is hidden in Mac OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
   
   
10. Open Preferences.
11. Open Microsoft, and then drag com.microsoft.powerpoint.prefs.plist to the desktop.
    If you cannot locate the file, PowerPoint is using the default preferences. Go to step 13.
    
    
12. Open PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, restore the file to its original location, and go to the next step. If the problem is resolved, drag com.microsoft.powerpoint.prefs.plist to the Trash.
13. Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs.
14. On the Go menu, click Home.
15. Open Library.
    Note The Library folder is hidden in Mac OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key whil you click the Go menu.
    
    
16. Open Preferences.
17. Open Microsoft, and then Office 2008 (or Office 2011).
18. Drag PowerPoint Toolbars (12) or Microsoft PowerPoint Toolbars to the desktop.
    If you cannot locate the file, PowerPoint is using the default preferences. Go to "Step 2: Try PowerPoint in Safe Mode Boot."
    
    
19. Open PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, restore the file to its original location, and go to "Step 2: Try PowerPoint in Safe Mode Boot." If the problem is resolved, drag PowerPoint Toolbars (12) or Microsoft PowerPoint Toolbars to the Trash.

Step 2: Try Powerpoint in Safe Mode Boot 

Restart your computer in the Safe Mode. For more information about how to restart your computer in the Safe Mode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base 

2398596   (http://visualkb/VKBWebService/ViewContent.aspx?scid=kb;en-US;892428&PortalId=166) Perform a clean startup (Safe boot) to determine whether background programs are interfering with Office for Mac 

Once in safe mode, test Powerpoint. If the issue continues to occur, proceed to next step.

Step 3: Remove and then reinstall Office

For information how to remove and then reinstall Office, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

2500821 (http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=2500821) Manually remove Office 2008 for Mac completely from your computer

2398768 (http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=2398768) How to completely remove Office for Mac 2011

If the issue continues to occur in Safe mode, proceed to Step 3. 

Step 4: Use the "Repair Disk Permissions" option 

You can use the Repair Disk Permissions option to troubleshoot permissions problems in Mac OS X 10.2 or later versions.  To use the Repair Disk Permissions option, follow these steps:

1. On the Go menu, click Utilities.
2. Start the Disk Utility program.
3. Click the primary hard disk drive for your computer.
4. Click the First Aid tab.
5. Click Repair Disk Permissions.

Note The Disk Utility program only repairs software that is installed by Apple. This utility also repairs folders, such as the Applications folder. However, this utility does not repair software that is in your home folder. For more information about the Repair Disk Permissions option, see the following AppleCare article: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=10671 (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106712)

Microsoft PowerPoint 2004

1. Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs.
2. On the Go menu, click Home.
3. Open Library, and then open Preferences.
4. Drag com.microsoft.powerpoint.plist to the desktop.
   If you cannot locate the file, PowerPoint is using the default preferences. Go to step 6.
   
   
5. Open PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, restore the file to its original location, and go to the next step. If the problem is resolved, drag com.microsoft.powerpoint.plist to the Trash.
6. Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs.
7. On the Go menu, click Home.
8. Open Library, and then open Preferences.
9. Open Microsoft, and then drag com.microsoft.powerpoint.prefs.plist to the desktop.
   If you cannot locate the file, PowerPoint is using the default preferences. Go to step 11.
   
   
10. Open PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, restore the file to its original location, and go to the next step. If the problem is resolved, drag com.microsoft.powerpoint.prefs.plist to the Trash.
11. Quit all Microsoft Office for Mac programs.
12. On the Go menu, click Home.
13. Open Library, and then open Preferences.
14. Open Microsoft, and then drag PowerPoint Toolbars (11) to the desktop.
    If you cannot locate the file, PowerPoint is using the default preferences. The problem is not related to the preference files.
    
    
15. Open PowerPoint, and check whether the problem still occurs. If the problem still occurs, quit PowerPoint, and then restore the file to its original location. The problem is not related to the preference files. If the problem is resolved, drag PowerPoint Toolbars (11) to the Trash.