PowerPoint gives me a Security Alert telling me that the external pictures have been blocked. I do have to click on Enable Content which means the software won’t automatically start my presentation without some manual intervention. Do you know how I can get around having to click this each time the system gets turned on?

KW

Sure. By default, and to play safe, Microsoft PowerPoint is not showing external pictures. External here means not on your personal computer. So, it might come from another computer on your network, or even from the internet.

You get this security warning when you open a presentation. See this yellow security warning here just under the PowerPoint menu and ribbon.

PowerPoint security warning: references to external pictures have been blocked

You can click the Enable Content button and the linked image will be refreshed from the other computer or the internet address. This is fine for a one-time fix. You can continue to work this time.

trust this document

But you have the option to add a more permanent fix. You can mark this document as a trusted document. PowerPoint will remember that and you don’t get this security warning anymore when you open this presentation next times.

PowerPoint trust center

This second option is a more permanent solution for this document only. But maybe you want to identify a complete folder (and its sub folders) as a trusted location, with all the presentations in there, and not just this one document. Then click File, Options, and then select the Trust Center from the left menu.

PowerPoint trust center trusted locations

Select Trusted Loctions and click the Add new location button.

add a folder as trusted location

Browse to the folder that you want to include. Optionally check the option Subfolders of this location are also trusted, and click OK.

Every time you open a presentation now from your trusted location, this security warning will not be given, and you will be able to use your slide show immediately. This change is convenient when you want to use your presentation on a dedicated information television screen or digital signage.