Microsoft PowerPoint

ApplicationMicrosoft Corporation

Also called powerpoint, ppt, powerpnt

Microsoft CorporationProductivity

The Microsoft slide app. On Windows the process is POWERPNT.EXE. GPU and embedded video matter more here than they do in Word.

What you need to know

PowerPoint is POWERPNT.EXE. Word will not run your slideshow.

Microsoft PowerPoint builds decks. Embedded video, transitions, and Presenter View are why this process can load the GPU while WINWORD stays quiet on the same machine.

What is it?: The PowerPoint slide app
Same as Word?: No. Word is WINWORD.EXE
Why GPU?: Present mode, video, and animations

Feex says

If a meeting deck stutters, I would look at POWERPNT and the GPU driver before I repair Word. Ending WINWORD does not stop a slideshow.

What is Microsoft PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint is the slide editor in Office and Microsoft 365. The Windows executable is POWERPNT.EXE. It is not Word and it is not the PowerPoint Web tab in Edge.

If you have never used it

If you need slides for a talk, this is PowerPoint, not Word. Word can make a long document. It does not have Presenter View or slide master layouts the same way. Install PowerPoint with Office or Microsoft 365. A .pptx opens in POWERPNT.EXE.

What is it used for?

Slide decks

Titles, masters, and .pptx. A Word outline is not a substitute for this canvas.

Present mode

Full screen, Presenter View, and laser tools. GPU and the display driver show up here.

Embedded video and animations

Media inside the deck keeps POWERPNT busy. Word images rarely do the same.

Who is it for?

Anyone building a talk or a class deck
Meeting rooms that still say "open the PowerPoint"
Users who should not end WINWORD to stop a slideshow

Current status

Actively developed. This article is desktop PowerPoint on Windows, not PowerPoint for the web.

How old is it?

PowerPoint began at Forethought in 1987. Microsoft acquired it that year. Current PowerPoint still uses POWERPNT.EXE. It is older than Microsoft 365 and older than Teams.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Microsoft 365 PowerPoint

PowerPoint 2024 / 2021

PowerPoint on the web

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
CPU	1.6 GHz or faster, 2-core, per Microsoft for Microsoft 365 Apps
RAM	4 GB for 64-bit, per Microsoft. Large files want more
Storage	4 GB class install plus your documents
Operating system	A current Windows release Microsoft lists for Microsoft 365 Apps

Resource profile

CPU demand: Transitions and a bad add-in
RAM demand: Embedded media
GPU demand: Present mode, animations, and video

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
POWERPNT.EXE	Desktop PowerPoint

Startup components

PowerPoint starts when you open a deck. Explorer preview can leave POWERPNT running after you close the folder.

File locations

Common Microsoft PowerPoint locations
Typical Click-to-Run	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\POWERPNT.EXE

File formats

PPTXPPTPDFODP

Common problems

Preview pane leaves PowerPoint open

Close the Explorer preview as a test. That hang is POWERPNT, not Word.

Stutter in present mode

Update the GPU driver and turn off heavy animations before you repair all of Office.

Getting unstuck

Use powerpnt /safe for add-ins

Office Safe Mode is the add-in test. It is not winword /safe and it is not Windows Safe Mode.

Open file location if two Office apps are open

Office16\POWERPNT.EXE is the deck. WINWORD.EXE is the handout document.

Repair Microsoft 365 Apps if decks will not open

Do not download POWERPNT.EXE from a filename site.

Alternatives

Google Slides, LibreOffice Impress, and a PDF export overlap. They do not give you the same Presenter View on a work PC that requires desktop PowerPoint.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Product page	www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/powerpoint What Microsoft ships as PowerPoint
PowerPoint help	support.microsoft.com/powerpoint Decks, present mode, and print help
Install from the web	www.office.com/ Signed-in install that includes PowerPoint on many accounts
Requirements hub	www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-and-office-resources CPU, RAM, and OS Microsoft lists

Related hardware

A working GPU driver matters more for present mode than it does for Word. RAM still matters when the deck is full of 4K video.

Technical details

PowerPoint build numbers follow the Microsoft 365 channel. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Microsoft PowerPoint product page · Official PowerPoint product
Microsoft Support: PowerPoint · Decks, present mode, and crash help
Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365 Apps · Click-to-Run Office16 layout
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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