Message: "PowerPoint has stopped working" at startup. PowerPoint won't start.
Problem
PowerPoint 2007: When starting PowerPoint, you see a message "Microsoft PowerPoint has stopped working". After you click OK, PowerPoint quits.
When you try starting it again, PowerPoint offers to start in Safe Mode but again fails to start.
When you try starting it again after that, it offers to launch Detect and Repair. This may take a while to run but doesn't fix things. PowerPoint still refuses to start.
Solution
There are several things that may cause this problem, so the solutions may vary. Let's start with the simplest and work our way up to the more complex ones.
Run Diagnostics
In Vista/Windows 7:
- Click the start button, choose All Programs.
- Click Microsoft Office
- Click Microsoft Office Tools
- Click Microsoft Office Diagnostics
If you use Windows XP:
- Click Start, choose All Programs.
- Click Microsoft Office
- Click Microsoft Office Tools
- Click Microsoft Office Diagnostics
With luck, Diagnostics will locate and correct the problem.
Try a different default printer driver
PowerPoint is very fussy about printer drivers. If your default printer isn't available or it's one that's not fully compatible with Windows/Office, PowerPoint may crash at startup or cause other problems.
See How to install a TEST printer driver to learn how to install a known-good and printer driver as a test and what to do next if it solves the problem.
Check your add-ins
Some Office and/or PowerPoint add-ins can cause PowerPoint to crash or fail to start. Some add-ins may be troublemakers on their own, or may only cause problems when installed with other add-ins.
Known problem add-ins include:
- Adobe's PDFMaker.OfficeAddin (an optional part of Adobe Acrobat Pro)
- BcmHistoryAddin.bcmconnect (Outlook Business Contact Manager)
- JawsPowerPointMacro (an optional part of Jaws PDF Creator)
Check with the add-in vendor for removal instructions or information about updates that may solve the problem.
NOTE: The add-ins above may have been older versions that weren't compatible with Windows Vista/7 or Office 2007/Office 2010. Newer versions may be perfectly compatible/trouble-free.