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Bluetooth remote freezing with PowerPoint on MacBook Pro while idling

I am experiencing problems with bluetooth remote controls (3 different brands) freezing up when used with MS PowerPoint on a MacBook Pro running Snow Leopard (all updated). It is intermittent in nature and appears to be related to idling when giving presentations. It can freeze as quickly as within one minute to not freezing until 30-40 minutes later. This may not be a remote control issue as the arrow keys on the keyboard will not advance or backup the PowerPoint slides as well. However, when using my iMac computer without the remote, I have not observed the freezing (although, I may not have waited long enough since the nature is intermittent and variable in time).

When frozen, the mouse centered on the slide with a touchpad click awakes the computer to work properly (quick, but not ideal solution). However, when two screens are utilized (LCD projector or another monitor) via VGA connecion in "Presenter View," the touchpad click does NOT awake the computer, regardless of where the arrow is placed on screen. During this situation, the "presented slide" can be advanced by clicking the forward and backward arrows below this "subwindow" of "Presenter View," and even clicking on the image itself will advance it forward (but not backward). When this happens, the keyboard arrows do not work in advancing or backing up the slide sequence.

When in this frozen mode with a LCD or 2nd monitor, the only way I have found to get it working again, is to "Exit Show" and pulling down the "Slide Show" tab and selecting "Play from Current Slide." This takes me back to the slide where the computer froze and allows the bluetooth remote to start working again (obviously not an optimal solution, as the software should not disengage). Again, it appears if I keep changing to another slide within a few seconds to a few minutes, the PowerPoint does not freeze up. However, it is intermittent and variable as to the length of time before it freezes up.

NOTE: I have run these same PowerPoints, with the same remote controls, without any problem for hundreds of hours over the past 3 years. I have updated MS Office 2011, from 2008, last fall and have also run these same items without problems for about 40 hours. I have run Mac "Disk Utility" and just installed a MS Office "Update" released yesterday, which has not corrected the issue as well. Is this issue a MicroSoft problem?

Bless whoever who has an answer to this complex situation. Thank you!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Feb 13, 2013 11:05 AM

81 replies

Feb 21, 2013 8:28 PM in response to semspeaker

Below is a summary of discussion on PowerPoint freezing issue!

"Freezing" of PowerPoint has been observed:

1) with MacBook Pro or iMac computers

2) with Mac OS Mountain Lion or Mac OS Snow Leopard

3) with MS Office 2008 or MS Office 2011

4) with or without updating Mac OS or MS Office software (I not absolutely sure on this one...)

5) with or without BlueTooth remotes (i.e. keyboard arrow keys also freeze!!!)

6) with or without an external monitor or LCD projector

7) with "Presenter View" or "Mirror Show"

and that

1) responders in this thread have observed the "freezing" issue around the same time (~February 7, 2013).

2) responders express they have been using MS Office 2008 and 2011 for years without freezing problems, prior to this freezing issue.

3) some responders to this thread cannot induce "freezing" of PowerPoint on Mac computers, just as I have observed on 2 of the 4 Mac computers described below.

4) The freezing issue appears to be "random" as to how long the time interval is between freezing events.

5) When frozen, the arrows on the bottom of "Presenter View" are the only active control with mouse.

6) the "Escape" button will not allow you to exit program in "Presenter View"

7) the "Exit Show" button in "Presenter View" unfreezes program, but also exits presentation.

8) in "Mirror Show," a click of the mouse/touchpad in unfreezes program without exiting presentation.

9) thus far, Apple and MS don't know what is wrong and that both blame the other for the issue.

9) lastly, I have had 3 IT colleagues from my department (all PC experts, not Mac) work on this issue without success.

Freezing in my observation is based on 4 different Mac computers (1 iMac, and 3 MacBook Pros), all running OS 10.6.8 with MS Office 2011, with or without a BlueTooth remote, and with or without an external monitor or LCD projector (I have observed both). However, in 2 of the above computers I was unable to observe freezing, but only spent about 2 hours on each of these (have not been able to use these again as of yet). Conversely, the 2 computers that I have observed freezing on also have had periods where I could run them for 2 hours without freezing! Originally, I thought it was an "idling" problem, but now I have observed freezing in less than a minute. It would appear to be almost random in nature, except the longer you leave it "idling" it usually increases the chance of freezing. Today, I was using my MacBook Pro in teaching a class (2 hours) with very little idling time (i.e. I was changing slides within 30 seconds to about 4 minutes maximum) and it froze about 6 times, some of those occurred within 30 seconds of the last one).

Absolutely baffling!!! 😕

Apple experts, where are you? Above is a summary to help. Please support us at this time!

Feb 22, 2013 3:12 AM in response to guitarzanmartin

I wish I had seen this post before sending back my wireless clicker (which I thought was causing the freezing).

Same issue as everyone here except I'm on a Macbook Air OS 10.8.2.

The problem can only be Microsoft Office Powerpoint (should I be surprised?!).

It was working ok until I applied an Office update early February.

Feb 22, 2013 6:00 AM in response to guitarzanmartin

Interesting thread. I have spent a week with a similar problem and have had my Air in the Apple workshop for the entire week with no solution in sight. Problem started on 6th February 2013. PowerPoint freezes randomly when giving a presentation. This occurs with or without a remote clicker or VGA connection. I am able to replicate the problem easily when I remain on one slide for a more lengthy period - between 5 and 10 minutes. Keyboard freezes entirely but Trackpad remains operational and only a click or touch gesture resumes the presentation. Is this the same problem that most others users here are reporting? I am using a MacBook Air 2010 model and Office for Mac 2011.Greetings from South Africa!

Feb 22, 2013 9:20 AM in response to Cafe_du_Monde

Having re-read the entire discussion, it appears that the MS Office update in early February is the likely culprit.

SRDowie

Level 1

7 points

Feb 22, 2013 5:24 PM in response to guitarzanmartin

Yes I feel its the update. Tested this by ripping out office using Microsofts instuctions to completely uninstall office 11 and reinstalled from cd without allowing it to update once installed. Problem has not reappeared so far.

Feb 22, 2013 8:38 PM in response to guitarzanmartin

Having the exact same problem, and it started at the same time. It's really frustrating!

Feb 22, 2013 8:52 PM in response to semspeaker

I just uninstalled Office 11 too and reinstalled it without updates. I then ran one of my powerpoints for over 2 hours in Presenter View. I did not have any problems. WOW! I still want to take it to work and hook it up to a projector but I think you found the anwer. I will update again next week after I have had a chance to test it more. Thanks Semspeaker. I appreciate your deduction.

Feb 22, 2013 11:14 PM in response to mikejones37128

This is good news... I agree too that it is most likely the Office 2011 (and 2008, right?) updates. However, mikejones, you reported yesterday that you had already tried uninstalling Office 2011 and then reinstallling it again and that it did not work. Why the success the second time? Two people have now reported success with this procedure. 🙂

Will try uninstalling Offce 2011 and then reinstalling without updates. I will do this on Sunday and report my observations at that time. Thanks to everyone for contributing to solve this issue... Let's hope we all report the same findings.

Feb 23, 2013 4:38 AM in response to guitarzanmartin

The first time I uninstalled it i reinstalled with ALL the updates. This time I ignored the updates.

Feb 23, 2013 6:46 AM in response to mikejones37128

We have all been frustrated by the problem, but I have had to make numerous presentations during the time that we have all been troubleshooting. There is a simple workaround that most of you may know, but just in case, here it is. If you have Keynote, then first create and finalize your presentation in PowerPoint. Just before you are ready to present, open Keynote, and then click open your presentation. I assume that everyone on this thread wants to use PowerPoint instead of Keynote, but this is a quick solution. Your presentation will open in Keynote and look and work exactly like a PowerPoint file. You can give the presentation using your remote with no problems at all through Keynote. Moving files in the other direction--Keynote to PowerPoint--sometimes causes problems with format, but just clicking open a PpwerPoint file through Keynote and thus converting it into Keynote works flawlessly, preserves formats, and solves the problem for the presentation. I know that some people do not own and do not wish to buy Keynote, but this is the quickest workaround I have found when the clock is ticking and the curtain is about to go up, so to speak. Thanks to all for working on this issue.

Feb 23, 2013 1:11 PM in response to semspeaker

Not sure if this update from me helps at all...but...I had my Apple technician clear my hard drive and re-install OSX entirely from scratch. Then Office for Mac 2011 was loaded and I am running 14.3.1 which I assume is the latest version with all the updates. This was done 24 hours ago and I have been unable to replicate the original freezing problem at all. I have left my MacBook Air idling for a variety of lengths (in PowerPoint presentation mode) of time and all is normal...at least for now. This is hardly a great solution but so far, it has eliminated the problem..long may it last as I give presentations for a living and PowerPoint is critical for me. As it is, there are some other post-Mountain Lion glitches with slide transitions that remains and have never been addressed by Microsoft or Apple!

Willjsy

Level 1

0 points

Feb 24, 2013 1:36 AM in response to guitarzanmartin

Thank you for raising this issue, a relief to find out it is not just me! I presented last night and had a nightmare in front of the audience while trying to use the remote. To add my experiences to date...

I run a macbook air
I have software version 10.6.8
I use office 2011 and use PPT
I use a targus remote with USB connected transmitter but issue is same without using this
The issue has occured on external monitors and LCD's

My temporary soltuion is to open the slide deck in Keynote as already suggested but not ideal. Looking forward to a solution.

Thanks everyone for the ideas/help...

Will

DarwinNT

Level 1

0 points

Feb 24, 2013 5:14 AM in response to guitarzanmartin

I am in the same boat! Took a ppt program in a church service and it froze - very embarasing in front of 150 people! Happened in a ppt presentation for a kids story and a sermon and in an afternoon program.

I am running OS X 10.8.2 and running Office 11 with all the latest updates. I am going to resinstall Office 11 without the updates and see how that goes. Some of the posts seem to think that will fix it for now. Hopefully somebody somewhere will sort it out soon!!

Feb 24, 2013 8:16 AM in response to DarwinNT

Just found this thread after having PP freeze on me 4 times during a presentation this morning it happened once last week too. I put the presentation together on an iMac and presented on a Macbook Air. Incidently I also had freezes on MS word when pasting and formatting text from one doc to another I think is definately a recent update.

todd505

Level 1

0 points

Feb 24, 2013 10:37 AM in response to guitarzanmartin

I am having all of these problems as well.... it seemed to start when i updated microsoft......this is a bad problem for me...... any help would be great.....

Bluetooth remote freezing with PowerPoint on MacBook Pro while idling