How to Keep a PowerPoint Slide Show Running on a Second Screen
Question details
Find a reliable method to keep a presentation running seamlessly on a separate screen while simultaneously managing other applications like Zoom.
- Product
- PowerPoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Presenting a slide show during a Zoom meeting while needing to multitask and manage the meeting controls on the same setup.
- Observed behavior
- The PowerPoint slide show pauses and animations stop whenever the user clicks away to another application or screen.
Ensure you have your Zoom meeting link handy and check if you have a secondary computer or tablet available to use for screen sharing.
Use a Two-Computer Setup for Zoom Presentations
Isolate the presentation on a secondary device to prevent it from losing focus when managing your Zoom meeting.
Since a full-screen PowerPoint slide show pauses when you click away to another app (even on a dual-monitor setup), utilizing a secondary computer completely bypasses this limitation. In this setup, one machine exclusively handles the presentation, and the other handles the Zoom meeting controls.
Join the Zoom meeting from your main computer to act as the host. You will use this device to manage the chat, participants, and other administrative tasks.
Log into the same Zoom meeting from a secondary computer, laptop, or tablet as a regular attendee.
From your primary host computer, grant the secondary device permission to share its screen with the meeting.
Open your PowerPoint presentation on the second computer, start the full-screen slide show, and begin sharing that screen via Zoom.
Run Slide Show in Windowed Mode (Single Computer Alternative)
If you do not have a second computer, you can configure PowerPoint to present in a resizable window rather than full screen, preventing it from pausing when you click away.
Try WPS Office for a Seamless Presentation Experience
Looking for a fast, free, and reliable presentation tool? WPS Office is a complete office suite that perfectly handles your slide shows while using fewer system resources than traditional alternatives.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free office suite on your primary or secondary device.
- 2. Open Your Presentation: Launch WPS Presentation and open your existing PowerPoint files natively with perfect formatting retention.
- 3. Start Presenting: Use the robust built-in slide show features to deliver your presentation flawlessly during your virtual meetings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PowerPoint slide show pause when I check the Zoom chat?
PowerPoint is explicitly designed to pause animations and media in full-screen mode when the application loses focus. This occurs whenever you click your mouse into another window, such as the Zoom chat or the participants panel.
Will buying a second monitor solve the PowerPoint pausing issue?
No, connecting a second monitor to the same computer will not fix this specific issue. Both screens are controlled by the same operating system, so clicking on an app on the second monitor will still cause the full-screen presentation on the first monitor to lose focus and pause.
Do I need a powerful second computer to run the presentation?
Not at all. The second device only needs to be capable of joining a Zoom meeting and running a basic PowerPoint presentation. An older laptop or even a modern tablet can work perfectly for this purpose.
