How to use command-line switches for PowerPoint 2002 and PowerPoint 2003

When you run Microsoft PowerPoint from the Start menu or a from a shortcut, you can use command-line switches to modify the startup process. For example, you can open a particular presentation, print a presentation, or run a slide show automatically.

Microsoft PowerPoint recognizes the following command-line switches:

Syntax: "drive\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Powerpnt.exe" [/s] [/p] "filename.ppt"

   -or-

"drive\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Powerpnt.exe" /n "template_name.pot"

• drive: This is the drive where you installed Microsoft Office/PowerPoint.
• [/s] (optional): Open the presentation directly into a slide show window.
• [/p] (optional): Print the presentation by using the default settings.
• filename.ppt: The presentation that you want to open or print.
• /n "template_name.pot": Create a new presentation based on the template file that you specified, template_name.pot.
• /c: Starts a new instance of PowerPoint with no presentation open.

The two switches /s and /p are optional. Use them only to either open a presentation directly into a slide show, or to print the presentation. For example, you can do the following:

1. On the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Run dialog box, type the following:
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Powerpnt.exe" /s "C:\MyPres\Presentation1.ppt"
3. Click OK.
   
   PowerPoint opens Presentation1.ppt directly into a slide show.