How To Set Default Powerpoint Template

Target audience and introduction

This article is for users and IT administrators. In the first part, nosotros'll evidence users how to set the default template on their PC. In the second function, we'll bear witness how Information technology admins can deploy the default template to PC users across their organisation. For Mac users, refer to the section at the end of this article.

The default template in PowerPoint is a special file. It is the template that it used to create the blank presentation you see each time y'all showtime PowerPoint. In organisations with their own template, it saves a lot of time if that template is presented to users each time PowerPoint starts. Somewhat confusingly, the default template is called bare.potx and it resides in the user's documents surface area here:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates

The %appdata% part is an alias (or shortcut) which resolves to a unique user location on every PC. For instance:

C:\Users\JohnSmith\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates

This special location for bare.potx should not be dislocated with the split location for custom (aka personal) templates which may exist the same location or one of these:

C:\Users\UserName\Documents\Custom Part Templates

It may also be a completely dissimilar location since it tin can be set by the user in the backstage under File / Options / Saveevery bit shown below (for PowerPoint 2016)

PowerPoint 2016 Options personal templates location

How users can ready the default template

Setting the default template requires two things:

The right file name : default.potx
The correct location : %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates

To ready the default template

Start PowerPoint
Open the POTX template y'all want to set up as the default
Click File / Salvage Equally
Click the file type drop down and select PowerPoint Template (*.potx). This will automatically change the folder location to your personal templates folder. DO Non Relieve It Here!
Now click More options… (PowerPoint 2016) which will open a file dialog proper noun and replace the file name with %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates and hit render
Y'all should at present see a folder that contains the file bare.potx
You can optionally make a backup up of that file by selecting it, pressing Ctrl+C and and then Ctrl+V
Click the blank.potx file and so click the Save push to overwrite information technology
Close PowerPoint
Start PowerPoint to ostend your default template has changed

Information technology admins deployment of the default template

There are several methods only past far the easiest is to use an xcopy control in a logon script file. This is the simplest example:

xcopy "\\myServer\userShare\myTemplate.potx" "%AppData%\Microsoft\Templates\blank.potx"

You can then add command line switches as required. For example, to suppress UI messages:

xcopy "\\myServer\userShare\myTemplate.potx" "%AppData%\Microsoft\Templates\bare.potx" /y

This tin be extended to an enhanced script file that reports the success or failure of the xcopy process. Copy the following script to a batch file eg. setDefPOTX.bat, irresolute the serverFile value, and then run information technology in the user logon sequence:

          @ECHO OFF  REM =============================================================================================== REM This is a script file for setting the default template that's used when PowerPoint starts. REM It copies a single template from a network share to the correct folder and file on the user's PC. REM Author : Jamie Garroch of YOUpresent Ltd. http://youpresent.co.united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland/ REM ===============================================================================================  REM Prepare the shared network resource in the side by side line SET "serverFile=\\myServer\userShare\myTemplate.potx"  REM Do not change this path or file name equally information technology's difficult coded by Microsoft and cannot exist inverse Fix "localFile=%AppData%\Microsoft\Templates\blank.potx"  @ECHO Setting Default PowerPoint Template: @Repeat. @Echo From : %serverFile% @ECHO. @ECHO To : %localFile% @ECHO.  REM the /y switch is used to suppress the overwrite prompt REM the /z switch is used to copy in network restartable mode REM for other switches, refer to https://technet.microsoft.com/en-united states of america/library/cc771254(v=ws.11).aspx XCOPY "%serverFile%" "%localFile%" /y /z  @ECHO.  IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU v @echo Err 5. Disk write error occurred. IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU four @echo Err iv. Initialization fault occurred. There is not plenty memory or deejay infinite, or you entered an invalid bulldoze proper name or invalid syntax on the command line. IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU two @echo Err two. The user pressed Ctrl+C to cease xcopy. IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1 @echo Err i. No files were found to copy. IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 @echo Template was copied without mistake.

PowerPoint:mac users

Things are slightly different on the Mac. In that location is no blank.potx but in that location is the concept of a Default Theme.thmx file. Yous tin can create a thmx file by saving your template from PowerPoint 2016(PC) or PowerPoint:mac 2011 only not PowerPoint:mac 2016. Click File / Salvage Equally and select the file format from the format drop downwardly.

To set it every bit the default, salve the file in the corresponding location according to your version of PowerPoint:

Note that in both of these cases, admission to the Library folder on OSX is gained in Finder past clicking Go from the card bar whilst holding down the alt key.