Start a PowerPoint Presentation Without Clicking

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Is it possible to make your presentation start by clicking on the Spacebar key only, but without unplugging your mouse?

This certainly seems doable, and PowerPoint MVP David Marcovitz provides a solution. Follow these steps:

1. You can virtually unplug the mouse by removing the check next to Advance on Mouse Click under the Slide Transition.
2. Do this for all the slides by going to Slide Sorter View (View | Slide Sorter) and selecting all the slides. Then choose Slide Show | Slide Transition to activate the Slide Transition task pane or dialog box depending upon which version of PowerPoint you are using.
3. Uncheck the On Mouse Click option under Advance Slide.

Note that this only disables the mouse advancement; it does not disable any keystrokes (space, arrows, page up, etc.), and it does not disable the other mouse functions including the little menu in the lower left of the screen and the menu that comes up with a right click.

Thank you, David.

David Marcovitz, a PowerPoint MVP is also an Associate Professor in the Education Department and Director of Graduate Programs in Educational Technology at Loyola College. David has also authored a book called PowerPoint for Educators.

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