PowerPoint 2021 crashes when saving .ppsm files containing ActiveX controls
Hello, I believe I found a regression in recent Office 2021 builds. PowerPoint crashes every time I try to save a macro-enabled presentation as PowerPoint Show (*.ppsm) if the presentation contains Microsoft Forms (ActiveX) controls, such as: TextBox ComboBox CheckBox etc. Troubleshooting performed Microsoft Support already assisted me through two remote sessions. We tested: Office license validation Online Office Repair New Windows user account Registry checks Windows services None of these resolved the issue. Reproduction Create a new PowerPoint presentation. Insert an ActiveX TextBox or ComboBox from Developer → TextBox. Choose Save As → PowerPoint Show (*.ppsm). Result: PowerPoint crashes. Tested Office versions Office 2602 (19725.20172) — Windows 11 21H2 — ✅ Works Office 2606 (20131.20154) — Windows 11 25H2 — ❌ Crash Office 2607 (20228.20110) — Windows 11 21H2 — ❌ Crash Office 2607 (20228.20110) — Windows 11 23H2 — ❌ Crash I reproduced the issue on three different computers. The last known working build is 2602 (19725.20172). The first confirmed failing build is 2606 (20131.20154). Saving as .pptm works correctly. Previously created .ppsm files also open and save correctly. Only creating or converting a presentation to .ppsm triggers the crash. If needed, I can also provide a minimal sample presentation that reproduces the issue. Thank you!PowerPoint Live Just Got MUCH Better! 🤯 New Teams Presentation Features Explained
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Word/PowerPoint are not suitable replacements for Publisher
I’m writing following the guidance that Word and PowerPoint can be used as replacements for Publisher. This feedback is based on completing a real production document, not theoretical use Having just completed a fairly complex, layout-heavy technical document, I thought it only fair to share how that works in practice. In theory, I can see the logic: Word handles documents PowerPoint handles layouts Therefore, between the two, everything should be covered Unfortunately, in reality, this appears to be more of a theoretical exercise than a practical solution. Publisher was clearly designed for: Fixed, page-based layouts Precise positioning of objects Efficient alignment of mixed content (text, images, tables) Producing consistent, professional multi-page documents By comparison: Word is admirably committed to reminding you that it would prefer everything to flow freely, regardless of whether you want it to or not PowerPoint, while better behaved, does seem to assume every page is a standalone slide rather than part of a structured document Both tools can, with enough persistence, be persuaded into doing the job. However, this involves a level of manual intervention, workaround, and general negotiation with the software that feels somewhat at odds with modern productivity software. To put it simply: They are not replacements in any meaningful, real-world sense. The end result can be achieved, but the process is unnecessarily time-consuming, fragile, and prone to unexpected layout changes—particularly when precision actually matters. Replacing a purpose-built publishing tool with two applications that were never designed for that role gives the impression that this use case has been… optimistically simplified. I would strongly encourage Microsoft to either: Provide a genuine page-layout solution within the Office suite, or Enhance existing applications so they can support fixed-layout publishing without constant workarounds At present, the gap left by Publisher is very noticeable for anyone producing structured documents beyond basic text. I appreciate the direction of Microsoft 365 overall, but in this particular area, the experience feels less like an evolution and more like working around a missing tool. Regards Andy
Cannot install addins
I am a Microsoft 365 Personal user. When I try to add the Claude for Excel Addin (for the Desktop version of Excel), I get an error: "Error loading add-ins. One or more add-ins failed to load. See your add-ins.". However, this is not specific to the Claude addin, since every addin gives the same error. When I click on the My-Addins option and then "refresh", I get another error: "Access denied to catalog." Signing in and out of Office does not fix the issue. Clearing the Office 365 cache did not fix the problem. The issue extends to Powerpoint and Word as well. I cannot add any addins to the web versions of Office either. Interestingly, if I download an XML manifest file, I can use the "Manage my addins" option in the web versions of Office 365 to manually add the addins. But still no luck with the Desktop versions. Anyone have any thoughts on how to fix this? Do I need to manually reinstall Office 365? I also noticed that the "Get Add-ins" button in "Account" settings is disabled.
