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Fix PowerPoint 2016 for Mac Crashing During Presentations
Question details
The user experiences frequent application crashes when presenting slides using PowerPoint 2016 for Mac (version 16.16.27).
- Product
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Delivering a presentation or running a slideshow in PowerPoint.
- Observed behavior
- The PowerPoint application quits unexpectedly or crashes continuously while in presentation mode.
Save copies of your presentation files to avoid accidental data loss. Keep in mind that Office 2016 for Mac reached its end of support on October 13, 2020, meaning manual troubleshooting is necessary as official updates are no longer provided.
Clear the Microsoft PowerPoint Container Folder
Removing the application's preference and cache folder can resolve corruption issues that often cause random crashes.
macOS stores local preferences and cache data for applications in a dedicated Container folder. If these files become corrupted over time, PowerPoint may become unstable during resource-intensive tasks like presentations.
Ensure Microsoft PowerPoint is completely closed on your Mac. You can right-click the icon in the Dock and select 'Quit'.
Open Finder, press the 'Shift+Command+G' keyboard shortcut to open the 'Go to Folder' dialog, type '~/Library/Containers/' and press Return.
Locate the 'Microsoft PowerPoint' folder (it may also be named 'com.microsoft.Powerpoint') and drag it to your Mac's Desktop to back it up temporarily.
Launch PowerPoint again. The application will create a fresh, clean container folder. Test your slideshow to see if the crashing is resolved.
Test PowerPoint in macOS Safe Mode
Booting your Mac into Safe Mode helps determine if background applications or system caches are causing PowerPoint to crash.
Test Under a Different Mac User Account
Testing PowerPoint in a new user account helps isolate whether the crashing issue is system-wide or specific to your current user profile.
Switch to WPS Office for a Stable Presentation Experience
Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac is no longer supported, making it vulnerable to bugs and system conflicts on newer macOS versions. WPS Office offers a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to ensure your presentations run without a hitch.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the Mac version of WPS Office for free.
- 2. Open Your File: Launch WPS Presentation and open your existing .pptx file without worrying about formatting loss.
- 3. Present Seamlessly: Click 'Play' to start your slideshow in a highly stable environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did PowerPoint 2016 for Mac start crashing recently?
Since Office 2016 for Mac reached its end of support on October 13, 2020, it no longer receives compatibility updates. Running this outdated software on newer macOS versions can lead to instability and conflicts with recent system changes.
Will clearing the PowerPoint container folder delete my presentations?
No. The container folder only holds application preferences, custom settings, and cache data. Moving it simply forces PowerPoint to generate fresh, uncorrupted preference files without affecting your saved documents.
Can I update PowerPoint 2016 for Mac to fix this bug?
No further official updates or bug fixes are being provided for Office 2016. To receive software updates, you would need to upgrade to a newer version of Microsoft Office or switch to a modern alternative like WPS Office.
