How to Update Microsoft PowerPoint
By Andrew Tennyson
Updating your software ensures you have access to all of the latest features and security patches. You can update Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 in three ways: enable automatic updates for all Windows programs, manually update all Windows software, or manually update Office 2013. You must be connected to the Internet in order to download updates for PowerPoint.
Turn On Automatic Updates
Step 1
Point your mouse to the lower-right corner of your Windows 8 screen, click “Settings,” “Change PC Settings” and then “Update and recovery.”
Step 2
Select “Choose how updates get installed” and place a check mark in the “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates” check box, located under the Recommended Updates heading.
Step 3
Place a check mark in the “Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows” check box and click “Apply” to save your changes.
Turn On Automatic Updates Using Control Panel
Step 1
Close all of the applications currently open on your Windows 8 computer, press “Windows-X” and select “Control Panel” to launch the Control Panel application. (For Windows 7, click the “Start” button and select “Control Panel.”)
Step 2
Select “System and Security” and then “Windows Update” to load the Windows Update configuration panel.
Step 3
Click the “Change Settings” link in the left pane, then the drop-down menu located under the Important Updates heading. Select “Install updates automatically (recommended).”
Step 4
Place a check mark in the check box under the Microsoft Update heading to enable automatic updates for all Microsoft products, including PowerPoint, whenever Windows checks for updates.
Update All Windows Software Manually
Step 1
Press “Windows-X” and select “Control Panel” to launch the Control Panel app. For Windows 7, click the “Start” button and select “Control Panel.”
Step 2
Click “System and Security” and then “Windows Update” to load the Windows Update configuration panel.
Step 3
Select “Check for updates” in the left pane and then click the “XX optional updates are available” link in the right pane, where “XX” is replaced by the number of updates available for your computer.
Step 4
Choose the PowerPoint updates you want to install and then click “Install updates” to initiate the automated update process.
Update Office Manually
Step 1
Select “File” on the main menu in PowerPoint 2013 and then select “Account,” located near the bottom of the File menu.
Step 2
Click the “Update Options” button in the Manage Account section and select “Disable updates.”
Step 3
Select “Update Options” again and this time, select “Enable updates” to force PowerPoint to update itself to the latest version, if an update is available. After the update is complete, you may be prompted to restart PowerPoint and any other Office programs currently running on your computer.
References
Tips
- When you’re configuring automatic updates, remove the check mark from the “Allow all users to install updates on this computer” check box if you want updates to be approved only when you are logged in to your user account. This change prevents other Windows users from updating software without your knowledge.
- Although most updates performed by Windows Update are free, the downloads themselves can often be large. If you’re tethering your computer to a smartphone for Internet connectivity, do not download updates over a cellular data connection in order to avoid incurring extra charges from your cellular provider.
Writer Bio
Andrew Tennyson has been writing about culture, technology, health and a variety of other subjects since 2003. He has been published in The Gazette, DTR and ZCom. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and a Master of Fine Arts in writing.