Consider the scenario in which a user attempts to save an essential presentation but receives an error message that says “Powerpoint can’t save” or “Powerpoint won’t save” and the worst-case scenario in which the newly formed file crashes and all the data is lost. However, this scenario will be based on PowerPoint not being able to save as a PDF. In this blog, we will be looking at solutions to help users resolve issues where PowerPoint won’t save as PDF and find possible solutions to help prevent the error from occurring again.
Do this if PowerPoint won’t save as PDF:
- Firstly, in your presentation, click on “File.”
- Now click on “Save As”.
- Now where it says “File Format,” ensure the format “PDF” is selected.
- Then click on “Export.”
- Once the file is exported, Right-click on it.
- Now choose “Open With.”
- Finally, click on “PowerPoint.”
When users attempt to save a document as a PDF they may fail to realize that a PDF document is considered an export from the original file and not an actual representation of the document you created. You can’t save a PowerPoint document outright as a PDF — it needs to be exported.However, a way to open an exported document in PPT format is to use the “Open with” feature and select PowerPoint instead of the PDF viewer. However, if files are restricted from the download or you have no access to save a file to a personal folder then you won’t be able to export or download the files to your personal drive.
You need to remove those permissions from the file share or request admin users to remove the restrictions to allow users to download the documents again. If you are an admin and want to give users the ability to both download, edit, and save files in any necessary formats, follow the steps below to see how you can fix PowerPoint not being able to save as PDF.
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Allow users to download shared PDF files in PowerPoint
- First
sign in to Office 365. - Use the app launcher and navigate to “SharePoint,” and click on it.
- In SharePoint go to the Site where your files are located.
- In the menu bar, find and click on your document library.
- Find the document you wish to add sharing restrictions and click on it.
- Click on “Show actions,” illustrated by 3 dots.
- Then click on “Manage access.”
- Then click on “Advanced.”
- Select all the users by clicking on “Name.”
- Now click on “Edit User Permissions.”
- Select “Contribute.”
- Finally, click on “OK.”
That’s it, the files will now be available for editing and download use and will no longer have the restrictions imposed to prevent users from downloading shared files. You can select multiple files from both a shared group content file and a personal file you have shared on a publicly authorized site within your network. You can use OneDrive, but we found that SharePoint offers much more flexibility on how the content is managed. You can of course use OneDrive, and though the process is long and tedious to manage the content, you will get similar results.
More information regarding OneDrive downloadable content
When migrating from file servers to Office 365, one of the most important benefits is having a single source of truth and, at a higher level, a better way to securely manage, access, and collaborate on documents both inside and outside the network. As a result, we change users’ mindsets to prioritize sharing and remove the idea of emailing attachments. The OneDrive team has done an excellent job of integrating the sharing experience across all endpoints so that users have the same experience no matter where they share a file.
When users transfer files from OneDrive for Business and SharePoint, they have several alternatives to choose from:
- Anyone
- People in your Organisation
- People with existing access
- Specific People
Users may now share a link to Office documents and will allow for users to create a copy of the document for both editing purposes and have an informational approach, copying content into other apps, or printing the file, according to a new upgrade. The person with whom the file is being shared can still see it in Office Online if these options are enabled. This option is currently only accessible when utilizing the Any or People in [your organization] options.
Turn on OneDrive downloads for shared files
- First, sign in to Office 365, click the
app launcher, and select “OneDrive.” - Click the share button when you’ve found the file you wish to share (it will appear if you hover over the file name).
- Select the Share Status checkbox (e.g.- where it says Anyone With the Link Can View).
- The Link Settings context menu will appear.
- A toggle to activate Download is located at the bottom of the page. This is turned off by default. When you click it, it will turn on, and visitors now longer be able to download the file when you share the link.
How to fix PowerPoint when it won’t save as PDF
Step by step breakdown:
- Firstly, in your presentation, click on “File.”
- Now click on “Save As.”
- Now where it says “File Format” on Mac or Save as type on Windows , ensure the format “PDF” is selected.
- Then click on “Export” or “Save.”
- Once the file is exported, right-click on it or on Windows you can open the PDF file by clicking on it.
- Now choose “Open With.”
- Finally, click on “PowerPoint” on Mac. As it is a PDF you cannot edit it, so clicking it in the file would open it anyway.
That’s it for this Blog. Thank you for taking time out to read our content, please feel free to email our team about how it went if you followed the steps or if you need more help with the questions we answered in this Blog.