Skip to Content

PowerPoint Won’t Attach to Email? Here’s How to Fix It!

PowerPoint Won’t Attach to Email? Here’s How to Fix It!

Sending a PowerPoint Presentations through emails is a common task that many of us perform. But, sometimes the file just won’t attach to the email! This can be frustrating especially if you are in a hurry.

In this article, I will help troubleshoot the problem for you. Plus, I will also provide some helpful tips on how to successfully send powerpoint presentations through Outlook and Gmail!

So, without any further delay, let’s get started!

Why Won’t PowerPoint Attach to Email?

Oftentimes it is found that a PowerPoint Presentation file doesn’t get attached to an email.

There are various reasons why this could happen. Unfortunately, there is no sure-shot way of confirming the exact reason why a PowerPoint file may not attach to your email client.

That said, I’m going to share with you some of the most common reasons along with the troubleshooting steps specific for those reasons that will help solve the issue for majority of the users.

Here’s why PowerPoint may not attach to your email –

1. Large File Size

One of the most common reasons why a PowerPoint file won’t attach to the email is because of its file size. If you are using Gmail, the typical limit for uploading a file size is about 25 Mb. Although Gmail will give you a prompt to upload the file to your Google Drive and attach a link to that file, this may sometimes not work.

An easy fix to that problem is to manually upload the file to your Google Drive. Simply click on drive.google.com and upload the file there. Once the upload is complete, you can right-click on the file and select “Share“. A new window will pop up. Choose the option to “share the file via a link“. You will be given a link. Copy this link and simply paste this in your email draft.

If you are using Microsoft Outlook, the permitted size for an attachment is about 10 Mb. This limit can vary significantly if you are using an enterprise version of Microsoft Outlook.

This means, if your Microsoft Outlook is linked to a corporate email account, there may be specific limitations in the size of the attachment. Some organizations limit the size of the file to about 4 Mb while others prefer it to be about 10 Mb. It is best to check with a software engineer of your company for the set limits.

Solution –

The best solution in this case is to decrease the file size of your PowerPoint presentation. You may want to compress the presentation, or even compress the images used in the presentation.

I have shared some awesome tips below in the article on how you can reduce the size of your PowerPoint presentation! Be sure to check it out!

2. Internet Connectivity Issue

At first, this might seem like an obvious reason. However, a lot of people tend to not notice when the internet connectivity has been lost.

A common reason for the internet connectivity issue (in addition to a bad internet service) could be that you are connecting using a VPN. This could be a personal VPN service or a corporate VPN setup for security purposes. Using a VPN can drastically slow down or sometimes even cause disruption to your internet services on your computer even though the wifi may be working fine.

Gmail will not let you attach your PowerPoint presentation when there is no connectivity available. If you are using Microsoft Outlook through the desktop version, you will be able to attach the file, but it won’t be sent until you have reconnected your computer to the internet.

Solution –

The best solution in this case is to wait for the internet connectivity to be back. Alternatively, you can temporarily disable the VPN (if possible) and see if it helps. Restarting your computer may also sometimes fix the connectivity issue.

3. Using Older Version of Internet Explorer

If you are using a Windows Operating System, and you use Internet Explorer to access your email, you may not able to attach files including PowerPoint presentations.

This problem has been especially seen if your using an internet explorer browser version 9. However, in general, if your browser is not up to date, you can still face this issue.

Solution –

The best method to fix this problem is to update to the latest version of your internet explorer. Click on this link to check out the latest version of the internet explorer available to download.

Alternatively, you can also use Google Chrome of Firefox browsers to access your email account and attach your presentation file.

4. Microsoft Silverlight Needs to be Installed or Updated

Sometimes you may notice that the “Attach File” button just doesn’t work. No matter how many times you try to click on it, it won’t allow you to attach the file! Furthermore, even if you try to drag and drop the file into your email on Outlook, it won’t get attached.

The problem is also visible in some of the internet browsers

I will like to add here – this is by far one of the most annoying problems listed here.

One of the primary reasons why this would happen is because of Microsoft Silverlight – a file that is required for your Microsoft-based email client to work.

It is possible that either the Microsoft Silverlight application on your computer has become corrupted or needs to be updated!

Solution –

The solution to this problem is simple. You will need to first check if you are using the latest version of the Microsoft Silverlight application. To check the same, click on this link. Make sure you use the browser which is causing the issue to open the link to update the Microsoft Silverlight file.

If the file is missing, you will be prompted to install the Microsoft Silverlight.

Once the installation is completed and the Sliverlight file is up to date, don’t forget to restart your computer before checking again!

5. Windows Security Update not Installed

Sometimes, there may be bugs that may be causing the issue of the not being able to attach the PowerPoint file to your email.

Usually, Microsoft will roll out an update to fix the issues. If you notice that you have been prompted to update your Windows Operating System, make sure that you do that promptly.

Furthermore, Microsoft might roll out a security patch update sometimes instead of a complete operating system update.

The issue of your PowerPoint file not attaching to your email can also be caused due to the update not being installed.

Solution –

Make sure your operating system is up-to-date and has the latest security updates installed.

6. Browser Cache Issues

Another reason why you may not be able to attach a PowerPoint presentation to your email is because of some caching issues with your browser.

Solution –

Clear the cache of your browser. If you are using Internet Explorer, then follow these instructions.

If you are using Chrome, click on the 3 dots in the top right corner of your screen. Then, click on settings. This will open a new tab. Under “Privacy & Security”, click on “Clear Browsing Data”. Make sure the cache box is checked. Then, hit “Clear”.

If you are using Firefox, then following these instructions to clear cache of your browser.

7. Old Operating System

The final reason I will like to highlight is if you are using an old operating system. If you are a Windows user, make sure that you are using at least Windows 7. If you are using an older version, it is highly likely that you applications may not receive any support and it may not function correctly.

8. Other Reasons

While I’ve highlighted some of the most common reasons, it is definitely possibly that there may be other reasons for PowerPoint to not get attached to your email.

If you are not able to solve the problem despite going through the above reasons and recommended solutions, then it is time to reach out to the support team.

You may want to follow this conversation on the Microsoft Support thread that lists down additional points that you may want to consider.

In the remaining part of the article, I will be sharing some tips on how you can send the PowerPoint presentation over email.

How to Send a PowerPoint Presentation through Email?

Sending a PowerPoint Presentation through Email is very simple. It can be accomplished with just a few clicks! There are more than one ways to send your PowerPoint Presentation through Email. These are explained in detail below:

How to Send PowerPoint through Outlook?

Follow the steps as shown below to send a PowerPoint Presentation through Email using Microsoft Outlook.

Step-1: Go to “File” tab and click the “Share” option

From the PowerPoint file, select the “File” tab from the top left corner.

This will take you to this page from where you have tp choose the “Share” option.

Step-2: Choose “Email” as the desired sharing option.

The “Share” option will present multiple ways in which you can share your PowerPoint file. Select “Email” from the options.

Step-3: Click on “Send as Attachment”

After clicking on “Email”, select “Send as Attachment”.

Step-4: Send from Outlook

Clicking the “Send as attachment” option will automatically take you to your Outlook app on your computer, given that you are already logged in to your Outlook account on your device. 

From here, you can type in the email address of the receiver, subject and then click send!

How to Send a PowerPoint through Gmail?

Sending through Gmail is the most commonly used form of sharing any files, since it is so easy and simple. Here is a step-by-step manual on how to send a PowerPoint Presentation through Gmail:

Step-1: Open Gmail on your internet browser and click on the “Compose”

First, go to Gmail on your internet browser and log in to your account. From the top left corner of the interface, choose the “Compose” option.

Step-2: Select the “Attach Files” Option

Clicking on the “Compose” option will open a pop-up where you can compose your email. From the bottom left corner of the pop-up, select the “Attach Files” option which is shown as a paper pin icon.

Step-3: Select the PowerPoint Presentation from your device

Browse your device for the saved PowerPoint Presentation file and click “Open”. This will start uploading the file to your Gmail.

Step-4: Send the Uploaded File

After the file has been uploaded, it will be shown blue. Type in the subject and recipient’s email address, then click “Send”!

How to Email a PowerPoint that is Too Large?

To send a PowerPoint Presentation through Email as an attachment, there is a size limit to the file. This size limit is 25 MB. Emails do not upload files larger than 25 MB. There are multiple ways to Email a PowerPoint Presentation that is too large. They are explained below:

Method 1 – Compress PowerPoint File Size through Advanced Options

Reducing the file size is the most appropriate way to make the file sharable to Email. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to reduce file size.

Step-1: Go to the “File” tab and select “Options”

From the top left corner of the PowerPoint file, select the “File” tab.

This will take you to this page from where you have to choose the “Options” menu.

Step-2: Select “Advanced” from the menu bar.

Clicking on the “Options” will open this pop up. From there, select the “Advanced” menu.

Step-3: Set the ppi to 96 in “Image Size and Quality”

Inside the pop up, under the “Image Size and Quality” option, there is an arrow beside 220 ppi. Click the arrow and it will open a drop down menu bar. From there set the ppi to 96.

Step-4: Tick mark on “Discard editing data”

Just above the ppi drop down menu bar, tick mark on the “Discard editing data” box. Then click “OK”.

Then save the file. It will be reduced in size.

Method 2 – Using WeCompress (Free Online Tool)

If using the first method, you weren’t able to compress the file enough to send it as an attachment, I recommend using “WeCompress“. WeCompress is a free online tool to compress your files including PowerPoint presentations, and it is pretty darn good at it!

Here’s how to compress your presentation using the WeCompress tool –

Step-1: Open WeCompress on your Browser and Add the File

Visit the WeCompress website. Click on the “+” button to add the PowerPoint presentation that needs to be compressed. You can also simply drag and drop the file into the webpage for a quick upload.

Step-2: Wait for the File to be Uploaded and Compressed

WeCompress will automatically start uploading the file. Once the uploading is complete, the application will automatically start compressing the file.

Step-3: Download the Compressed PowerPoint File

The last step is simply to download the compressed file. In the above example, I had used an already compressed PowerPoint presentation containing only images that had been compressed using method 1.

Even so, WeCompress was able to further compress the presentation.

Simply click on the download button to download the file. Then, you can easily attach the compressed PowerPoint presentation and send it via email as mentioned in the above sections of this article.

Method 3 – Using Google Drive

Another easy way to email a large PowerPoint presentation is to first upload it on Google Drive and then send the file via email. The whole process is described step-by-step below;

Step-1: Go to Google Drive and upload the file.

The first step is to log into Google Drive and then right click on any empty space in the browser. After that click on the “Upload files” button. 

Step-2: Select the PowerPoint Presentation and hit “Open”

After pressing the “Upload files” button, select the PowerPoint presentation that you want to send and press the “Open” button.

Step-3: Hit the “Share” button

Once you’ve uploaded the file on your Google Drive, right-click on the file and press the “Share” button.

Step-4: type the Email address of your desired recipient in the box

After clicking the “Share” button, type in the email address of your desired recipient to send them an email, which will give them access to you PowerPoint presentation.

Step-5: Hit “Send”

The final step of this process is to hit the send button, to send the email notification of their access to your PowerPoint presentation.

How to Send a PowerPoint with Audio or Video via Email

To send a PowerPoint presentation with audio or video, first, the multimedia file must be embedded in the presentation. A step-by-step of the whole process is described.

Step-1: Click on “Insert”

At first go to the “Insert” tab in the Ribbon of the PowerPoint document. This will open up an array of options.

Step-2: Click on the “Audio” button

To attach an audio file click on the “Audio” button to add audio or click on the “Video” option to add a video.

Step-3: Press the “Audio on my PC” button as shown in the screenshot

After opening the “Insert” tab and the “Audio” button, click on the “Audio on my PC” option to open the folder pop-up.

Step-4: Select your desired Audio file and press “Insert”

After opening the floder pop-up, select your desired audio file and hit the “Insert” button at the bottom right corner of the pop-up.

Step-5: Position the speaker icon on your presentation

After selecting and inserting the audio file, a speaker icon will appear on the presentation file. Position the icon at your desired space. The audio has been embedded to your PowerPoint Presentation.

Step-6: Save the PowerPoint Presentation

After embedding the audio or video file to your presentation, simply save the file to your computer.

Step-7: Send the email to your desired recipient

In the final Step simply email your PowerPoint presentation to your desired recipient.

Go to your Email account. Press “Compose” type the email address of your recipient, Attach the file from your PC by pressing the paper clip icon on the bottom of the composition box. Press “Send

More Related Topics

  1. Why Do PowerPoint Files Get So Big? [And How to Reduce it Successfully!]
  2. Does ZIP Compression reduce the Size of a PowerPoint File?
  3. What is the Best Image Resolution for PowerPoint Presentations?
  4. How to Lock Aspect Ratio of Images in PowerPoint?
  5. How to Remove Background from Images in PowerPoint?

Credit to Cookie_studio for the featured image of this article