How to share or save my Powerpoint presentation?

Mari Valadão 0 Reputation points
2026-09-01T09:01:07.9133333+00:00

After trying to plug in a problematic USB drive to save my work there, I couldn´t share or save my presentation in another space; therefore, I also can't view my work on other devices, for example, my smartphone. In short, when I try to share/save, the app shows the following message: "Something's wrong, get help" or "Try later".

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | Other | Windows
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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-01T10:47:17.85+00:00

    Hi, @Mari Valadão

    Since this started after using the problematic USB drive, first try saving the presentation to a local folder instead.

    In PowerPoint, go to "File" > "Save As" > "Browse", then choose your Desktop or Documents folder and save it with a new file name.

    If that works, you can then upload the saved copy to OneDrive so you can access it from your phone or another device.

    If the issue still persists, to help narrow down the issue:

    1. Can you save the presentation to Desktop or Documents, or does the same error appear?
    2. Does this happen with only this presentation, or also with a new blank presentation?
    3. Are you signed in to PowerPoint with the Microsoft account that has your Microsoft 365 subscription?

    Click "Add comment" to let me know.

    Thanks!

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-01T09:01:24.9966667+00:00

    Try these supported ways to save or share the presentation, based on where PowerPoint is running:

    1. PowerPoint desktop app
      • Go to File > Save As.
      • Choose This PC to save locally, or OneDrive to save to the cloud.
      • Select Browse, choose a folder, name the file, and select Save.
      • If the USB drive is causing problems, save to a normal local folder first, such as Documents, instead of saving directly to the USB drive.
    2. PowerPoint for the web
      • Use File > Create a copy > Download a Copy to save a copy to the computer.
      • Then move that downloaded file to another location if needed.
    3. To view on other devices
      • Save the presentation to OneDrive. PowerPoint supports saving to OneDrive so the file can be accessed from a computer, tablet, or phone.
      • When online, changes are saved as work continues, and pending changes sync after the connection returns.
    4. To share the presentation
      • Select the Share icon in the upper-right corner.
      • To send a link: select Copy Link. If the file is on the device, PowerPoint asks to upload it to the cloud first.
      • To send as an attachment: select Send a Copy, then choose Presentation or PDF.
    5. If saving or sharing still fails after the USB issue
      • Try saving the file locally on the PC first instead of to the USB drive.
      • If using the web version, download a copy first.
      • If the goal is to open it on a smartphone, saving to OneDrive is the supported path in the provided guidance.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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