Command Line Switches - PowerPoint and PowerPoint Viewers

Command line switches for PowerPoint
These switches work for all versions from PowerPoint 95 onward

Format: "<path\powerpnt.exe>" [switches] "<path\filename.ppt>"

<path\filename.ppt> is the fully qualified path to the presentation file (which might also be a PPS file). Quotation marks are required if there are spaces in the path or filename but won't do any harm otherwise, so it makes sense always to use them.

Switches:

/s	Open the presentation file as a slide show
/p	Print the presentation to the default printer using default settings
/pt	Print the presentation to the specified printer using default settings (see below)
/b	Start a new blank presentation
/n	Start PowerPoint and create a new presentation
/c	Start PowerPoint with no presentation open (may only work in 2000 and later)

Some PowerPoint versions may also repond to:

/m pptfile.ppt "macroname" or /m pptfile.pptm "macroname"

Format: "<path\powerpnt.exe>" /n "<path\filename.pot>"
to specify the name of the template to base the new presentation on
If no template name is supplied, PowerPoint starts a new presentation based on the blank template (in effect, the same as using the /n switch)

When you use the /p switch, PowerPoint brings up its print dialog prior to printing. After you choose options and click OK, the dialog box disappears, PowerPoint prints the file then quits.

If you don't want to see any sign of PowerPoint at all, use the /pt switch (Print To) instead, like so:

POWERPNT.EXE /pt "PrinterName" "" "" "MyFile.PPT"

where PrinterName is the name of the printer as it shows up under the printer icon in Start, Settings, Printers
The empty quotes are necessary; the quotes around PrinterName and the path to the PPT file are only needed if there are spaces in either of the names, but it can't hurt always to use them.

Command line switches for PowerPoint Viewer 97/2000/2002
Note: The 97/2000/2002 Viewer is PPVIEW32.EXE, not PPTVIEW.EXE (which is the newer 2003 viewer)

Format:
"<path\ppview32.exe>" [switches] "<path\filename.ppt>"

is the fully qualified path to the presentation file (which might also be a PPS file). Quotation marks are required if there are spaces in the path or filename but won't do any harm otherwise, so it makes sense always to use them.

Command line switches:

/A or /a Automatic advance
/R=n-m or /r=n-m Slide range (where n<=m)
/L or /l Loop continuously
/P or /p Print the file
/K or /k Kiosk password, for setting a kiosk mode for file
/V or /v Enable showing a macro virus warning dialog when opening linked files that may contain macros

Command line switches for PowerPoint Viewer 2003
Note: The 2003 Viewer is PPTVIEW.EXE, not PPVIEW32.EXE (which is the older viewer)

/L -- Read a playlist of files contained within a text file.
Example: \pptview.exe /L "Playlist.txt"

/S -- Start without splash screen.

/P -- Print the presentation.
Example: \pptview.exe /P "Presentation.ppt"

/D -- Prompt the Open dialog box to appear when slide show ends.

/N# -- Open presentation at a specified slide number "#".
Example: /pptview.exe /n5 "presentation.ppt" would open at slide 5.

The playlist file itself is simply a list of presentation filenames (preceded by path as needed) and does not support any addition command line switches to be applied to individual presentations within the playlist.

Features no longer supported include:

Loop continuously switch.
Each presentation will loop or not loop depending on how it was saved by the author (set up show dialog) this
includes not being able to loop/repeat the contents of a playlist (the contents of a playlist are show just once).

Kiosk password dialog switch.
Viewer will display presentations in kiosk mode if specified by presentation author (set up show dialog) but you cannot specify a kiosk slide show password that prevents stopping of show without entering a password.

Cannot specify a slide range to show.
Viewer will display the range of slides specified by the author (set up show dialog).

Force automatic advancing of slides.
Viewer will automatically advance slides if timings and slide show settings have been specified appropriately by the author (set up show dialog)

Virus protection warnings cannot be enabled/disabled by choice.

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