WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:11.349 --> 00:00:16.610 In PowerPoint, most new projects begin the same way—with creating or opening a new, 00:00:16.610 --> 00:00:18.350 blank presentation. 00:00:18.350 --> 00:00:24.290 All you have to do is go to the backstage view… and choose New. 00:00:24.290 --> 00:00:30.099 If you prefer to start from scratch, go ahead and click the thumbnail that says Blank Presentation. 00:00:30.099 --> 00:00:34.670 Or you can take a look at one of the built-in themes… where you should find several different 00:00:34.670 --> 00:00:41.020 designs to choose from. 00:00:41.020 --> 00:00:44.300 If you want a little more guidance on your presentation, though, you can always start 00:00:44.300 --> 00:00:46.219 with a template instead. 00:00:46.219 --> 00:00:49.679 You'll find them in the very same place in the backstage view. 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:54.140 Templates, like themes, come with their own design and color scheme. 00:00:54.140 --> 00:00:58.949 But they can also include tips or placeholders that'll help you further develop your slides. 00:00:58.949 --> 00:01:10.090 To use a template, choose one of the categories here… or search for something specific. 00:01:10.090 --> 00:01:15.530 If you see a template you like, just click to view a preview. 00:01:15.530 --> 00:01:24.930 Then click the Create button… and you can start adding your own content to the slides. 00:01:24.930 --> 00:01:27.789 Opening an existing presentation is also very easy. 00:01:27.789 --> 00:01:33.979 Again, you'll want to go to the backstage view… but this time, click Open in the left 00:01:33.979 --> 00:01:36.130 pane. 00:01:36.130 --> 00:01:39.720 If the presentation you're looking for is something you've worked on recently, it might 00:01:39.720 --> 00:01:42.600 be listed under Recent Presentations. 00:01:42.600 --> 00:01:47.030 In fact, you can "pin" certain presentations here, so you always have access to your most 00:01:47.030 --> 00:01:49.530 frequently used files. 00:01:49.530 --> 00:01:54.289 All you have to do is mouse over the file, then click the pushpin icon. 00:01:54.289 --> 00:01:56.909 To unpin it, click the icon again. 00:01:56.909 --> 00:02:01.219 You can pin as many presentations as you want. 00:02:01.219 --> 00:02:06.659 If the file you're looking for hasn't been opened recently, just look to the other options. 00:02:06.659 --> 00:02:10.979 Under SkyDrive, for instance, you can access files that are saved online to your SkyDrive 00:02:10.979 --> 00:02:13.060 account. 00:02:13.060 --> 00:02:17.810 Under Computer, you can access files that are actually saved to your computer. 00:02:17.810 --> 00:02:24.230 All you have to do is click Browse… then select the presentation you want. 00:02:24.230 --> 00:02:31.010 When you're ready, click Open… and the presentation will appear. 00:02:31.010 --> 00:02:36.440 Sometimes, you may find yourself working with a presentation that was created in an older 00:02:36.440 --> 00:02:40.920 version of PowerPoint (specifically PowerPoint 2003 or earlier). 00:02:40.920 --> 00:02:46.300 When you open one of these files, it'll appear in something called compatibility mode. 00:02:46.300 --> 00:02:50.720 This mode is designed to disable certain features, so people who have older versions of PowerPoint 00:02:50.720 --> 00:02:53.280 can still collaborate on the file. 00:02:53.280 --> 00:03:00.180 If this isn't a concern for you, you can easily convert the file to the current version. 00:03:00.180 --> 00:03:03.410 To get started, go to the backstage view. 00:03:03.410 --> 00:03:07.790 Then click the button that says Convert… and choose where you want the new copy to 00:03:07.790 --> 00:03:08.950 be saved. 00:03:08.950 --> 00:03:17.590 You can give it a different file name too. 00:03:17.590 --> 00:03:22.300 Keep in mind: converting an older presentation can cause unexpected changes to your slide 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:23.300 layout. 00:03:23.300 --> 00:03:27.830 However, it will give you access to all the current features and commands. 00:03:27.830 --> 00:03:32.950 Now you know how to create, open, and convert presentations in PowerPoint 2013.