microsoft video presentation

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How to add a video to a microsoft powerpoint presentation.

If a picture speaks a thousand words, a video speaks a million words!

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Embedding videos versus linking to videos, supported video formats in powerpoint, how to insert a video into a powerpoint presentation, manage an embedded video's playback in powerpoint.

Videos can make presentations even more interesting or exciting. If you're looking to add a video to your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, it's easy to do so. We'll show you how.

In PowerPoint, you can either embed a video or link to a video from your presentation. If you embed a video, your video becomes part of the presentation, which increases the overall size of the presentation file.

Related: How to Send PowerPoint Presentations With an Embedded Video

If you link to a video, PowerPoint only adds a reference to that video in your presentation. The downside of this method is that you need to send the video file separately if you share your presentation with someone. We have written a guide on how to send PowerPoint presentations with videos , so check that out.

In this guide, we'll focus on embedding a video in your presentation so you don't have to worry about sending separate files. And, if you're looking to add a YouTube video to your presentation , there's a way to do that, too.

Related: How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

PowerPoint supports multiple video formats, including ASF, AVI, MP4, M4V, MOV, MPG, MPEG, and WMV. If your video is already in one of these formats, you can quickly add that to your presentation.

If your video is in another format, you can convert it to a supported format and then add it to your presentation.

Related: How to Use Handbrake to Convert Any Video File to Any Format

First, make sure the video you want to add to your presentation is saved on your Windows or Mac computer. Then, open your presentation with PowerPoint on your computer.

On the PowerPoint window, in the left sidebar, click the slide in which you want to add a video.

At the top of the PowerPoint window, click the "Insert" tab.

In the "Insert" tab, under the "Media" section (which is to the extreme right side of the interface), click "Video."

You'll now see an "Insert Video From" menu. Here, select "This Device."

Your computer's standard "open" window will open. In this window, access the folder that has your video file. Then double-click your video file to add it to your presentation.

You'll see your selected video in your presentation. To resize this video, click it and use the handles around the video to change its size. Then drag the video to place it at its desired location in your slide.

If you'd like to test the video, at the bottom-left corner of the video, click the play icon.

And you're all set.

Now that you have added a video to your presentation, you might want to change how it plays in your slides. In PowerPoint, you have multiple ways to change your video's playback.

To access these playback options, first, click your video in your presentation. Then, at the top of the PowerPoint window, click "Playback."

In the "Playback" tab, under the "Video Options" section, you will find various options to manage your video's playback.

For example, to change how your video starts to play in your presentation, click the "Start" drop-down menu and select one of these options:

• In Click Sequence : This plays your video in the click sequence. This means if you press the button for the next slide, your video will play.
• Automatically : This option automatically plays your video when the slide with your video opens.
• When Clicked On : Select this option to play your video only when you click it.

The other options are "Play Full Screen," which opens your video in full screen, and "Loop Until Stopped" that plays your video over and over again until you manually stop it.

Before you close PowerPoint, make sure you save your presentation so that your embedded video is saved with it. Do this by clicking File > Save in PowerPoint's menu bar.

And that's how you make your PowerPoint presentations even more engaging by including videos in them. Exciting!

If you don't want to add a video but you do want audio, you can add music to your presentations . This also helps enhance your presentation quality.

Related: How to Add Music to Your PowerPoint Presentation

How to make a slide show

Learn how to make a slide show with photos, videos, music, and custom settings using a slide show maker.

Learn how to make a slide show with PowerPoint

Discover how to make a slide show with photos, videos, music, and custom settings using a slide show app like PowerPoint.

What is a slide show maker?

To create a slide show, you’ll want to use a slide show maker—or slide show app—which is a software program or online service that enables you create digital slide shows with text, photos, videos, music, and other special effects. The full range of slide show features and functionality varies from program to program.

Once you’ve created a slide show, it can be published on the internet or shared with others as a video file. Additionally, you can use slide shows to create dynamic, interactive content on websites.

Slide show software can be used for a variety of purposes, such as creating presentations for work, school, and even your personal life. For instance, slide shows are often used to:

Display photos during an event

Slide shows are a great way to share photos and videos with guests at a wedding, birthday, or other special event.

Create a digital photo album

Some slide shows are created for personal reasons, such as sharing important memories with family or friends.

Highlight products or services

Businesses can use slide shows to showcase their products, promote special offers and sales, or pitch their services to potential clients.

Enhance teaching, training, and public speaking

Slide shows can also provide helpful visuals in educational settings, classroom presentations, and public speaking forums.

What you need to make a slide show

When it comes to creating a slide show, there are a few things you'll need to get started. First and foremost, you'll need a device equipped with presentation software or access to an online slide show app. Secondly, you’ll need a way to display your slide show, which usually means connecting your device to a projector or big screen TV. Beyond that, you’ll need some visual aids and other media to bring your slide show to life.

Explore each of these slide show requirements in more detail:

Devices and equipment —To create a slide show, you’ll use a computer or other device—such as a tablet or mobile phone—with PowerPoint or a similar program installed. You will also need a way to project the slides onto a screen or wall. This can be done with a projector, but if you don't have one available, you can use your TV or computer monitor. Simply connect your device to the TV or monitor using an HDMI cable and select the correct input. Your slides will now be projected onto the screen.

Media —Of course, creating a slide show requires media that adds visual and even audio elements to your presentation. This can be anything from photos and videos to music and text. You can use search engines to find copyright-free media to use in your slide show.

Another option is to purchase royalty-free stock footage, images, and audio files from online media libraries. This could be a bit more expensive, but it guarantees that you have the legal right to use the media in your presentation.

Finally, you can also use your own videos, images, and even music. While this can be a time-consuming process, it does allow you to create custom content specifically for your slide show.

Slide show creator —To bring your slide show together, you’ll need a slide show creator. The slide show software you choose will depend on your presentation requirements and preferences. There are many slide show makers on the market, with Microsoft PowerPoint being one of the most popular and widely used programs globally.

How to choose a slide show maker

When choosing slide show software, it's important to consider the features and specifications that are most important to you. Some of the questions you might ask when choosing a slide show maker include:

• How easy is the software to use?
• Is the software Mac or PC compatible?
• Can I access and edit my slide show on the cloud?
• What kind of slide shows can be created with the software?
• How many photos and/or videos can be included in a slide show?
• Can text and other elements be added to slide shows?
• Are transitions and effects available for slide shows?
• Is music accompaniment an option?
• What are the options for saving and sharing your slide show?

Building a slide show doesn't have to be difficult. With the right software, you can create an engaging presentation in no time.

Six steps for creating a slide show

1. Plan your slide show

Before getting too deep into your slide show project, it’s a good idea to select and save the photos and videos you want to use. This helps you create a slide show more efficiently and purposefully, ensuring a better outcome.

4. Import media

Start adding photos, videos, and other desired media to your slides. You can upload these from your device or online media libraries. If you planned your slide show in advance, you should have all your media saved in one place.

2. Launch your slide show app

Once you’ve decided on a slide show maker, you’ll want to launch the app from whatever device you’ll be using to create your presentation.

5. Add text, music, and transitions

After you’ve arranged the visuals in your slide show, you can provide additional information and communicate sentiment using custom text, music, and timed slide transitions.

3. Choose your theme

Most slide show software offers a variety of pre-set themes, colors, and designs. You can choose one that best suits your slide show or create a custom theme using the program’s various tools and features.

6. Record, save, and share your slide show

Now you’re ready to record your slide show, which can include a voiceover or Cameo . Once your slide show is complete, you can save it as a video to your device or to the cloud, such as OneDrive . You can access your saved slide show at any time to display at events, use in meetings, share online, or send directly to other people.

How to make a slide show with photos

Adding photos to your slide show is a great way to enliven your presentation and make it more visually interesting. Here are a few different ways you can add photos to your slide show in PowerPoint.

Add photos from your device

Whether you’re using a computer, tablet, phone, or other device, you can use photos that are saved to your device to create your slide show. In PowerPoint, simply select “Insert” then “Pictures” from the program menu, then choose “This Device.” This will open your photo library and allow you to find the photos you want to use. Once you’ve selected the photos that you want to import, just click on the "Insert" button and they will be added to your slide show. If you’re using a pre-made theme, you can also right-click the image in the slide show and select “Change Picture.” Again, you will choose “This Device” to access your photo library. After inserting your photo, you can reposition it on your slide or resize it however you like.

Use stock photos

Another way to add photos in PowerPoint is to follow the same process you would when adding photos from your device, but when prompted to choose your photo source, select “From Stock Images” instead of “This Device.” This will display a library of photos that you can use in your slide show without worrying about copyright infringement. There are thousands of stock images available in most slide show maker programs. Once the library is open, you can explore existing photo categories or use keywords to search for photos that fit your needs.

Explore online photo sources

Online photos are images you can insert into a PowerPoint slide show directly from the internet, as opposed to using those you have saved on your device. This is a convenient option if you don't have photos already prepared for your slide show, or if you can’t find the right kind of photo in the stock image library. However, there are some potential risks associated with using online photos, namely that you must be careful to use royalty-free images so not to infringe on any copyrights. In PowerPoint, there is a filtering option to ensure your search results only show royalty-free photos. Inserting photos from online sources follows the same process as the previous two methods, but this time, you’ll select “From Online Sources.”

How to add videos, music, and text

How to add videos to PowerPoint slide shows

Adding videos to your slide show involves accessing videos from your device, a stock video library, or online video sources—just as you would when adding photos. In this case, however, you’ll navigate to the menu in PowerPoint and select “Insert,” followed by “Media,” then “Video.” Once your video appears on your slide, you can resize or reposition it to fit your presentation needs. You can also set your video to play automatically in the slide show by selecting “Playback” on the menu and choosing “Start Automatically.”

How to add music to PowerPoint slide shows

Much like adding videos, you can add music to individual slides in PowerPoint by navigating to “Insert” on the menu, then “Media,” and finally “Audio.” You can then import music from your device, or you can record your own audio directly in PowerPoint. However, if you want your audio to play across multiple slides in your presentation—for example, as background music for a slide show—you’ll have to take a couple of extra steps. Once you’ve imported your audio file, select “Playback” from the menu and choose the “Play in Background” option. Your music will now play across all slides. You can set one song to loop for the duration of the slide show, or you can add more songs to play continuously throughout the slide show.

How to add text to PowerPoint slide shows

Premade themes in PowerPoint make adding text slide shows easy. On slides that already have templated content, you can simply click on the text and begin editing. In addition to changing what the text says, you can resize, recolor, reposition, and add special effects to the text. Of course, you can also change the font—or style—of the text. Most of this can be done from the “Home” tab on the menu while certain effects, such as shadows, can be found on the “Shape Format” tab. If you’re designing your presentation slides from scratch, or want to create additional text, find “Insert” on the menu, then choose “Text Box” or “Word Art,” depending on your desired text effect.

Discover custom slide show settings

Add even more effects to your PowerPoint slide show with custom settings like timing, transitions, and looping.

Set slide show timing

Adding timing to your slide show is a great way to control the pacing and flow of your presentation. To add timing in PowerPoint, go to the "Transitions" tab on the menu and find the "Advance Slide" area. Make sure the box next to “After:” is checked, then input the amount of time you’d like each slide to appear on-screen. The slides will automatically advance, creating a movie-like effect that’s great for events and special occasions.

Create slide show transitions

Now that you’ve added automatic timing to your slide show, you can make it more visually appealing by creating slide transitions. Transitions are special effects that allow you to animate the way your slides change from one to the next, and there are a variety of different transitions in PowerPoint that you can choose from. You can add these transitions to your slide show from the "Transitions” tab. From there, you’ll select the transition you want to add. To preview the transition, simply click on it. You can click “Apply To All” to automatically add the same transition to every slide in your slide show, or you can manually add different transitions to different slides.

Loop your slide show

If you want your slide show to play continuously until you choose to turn it off, you can set your PowerPoint presentation to loop. This will ensure your slide show automatically starts over from the beginning once it reaches the end. To get started, navigate to the “Slide Show” tab on the menu and select “Set Up Slide Show.” When the settings window opens, check the box next to “Loop continuously until ‘ESC’” and then click “OK.” When you’re ready to turn your slide show off, simply press the Esc key on your keyboard.

Slide show template and theme tips

Search themes and templates online.

With numerous slide show themes and templates available, it’s easy to find one that fits your needs.

Customize your design

If you can’t find the perfect theme or template, you can change things like colors and fonts.

Build a custom template

If you want a blueprint to use with future slide shows, you can create your own template.

Add new slides

If you need more slides, you can choose a specific layout and your theme will be carried over.

Edit your slide layouts

Even when using a theme or template, you can rearrange slide content to highlight key information.

Add photos, videos, and text

Themes and templates make adding media easy since most slides have designated content areas.

Change or resize your fonts

If your theme’s font is too small, you can resize it or choose a new font to make it easy to read.

Reorder your slide show

Some themes and templates have a predefined sequence, but you can reorder slides to meet your needs.

Create your own slide show

Slide shows are a great way to engage your audience and present important information. Whether you're creating a slide show for personal or professional reasons, slide shows are an essential tool for anyone who wants to share information in a visually appealing manner.

Discover more ways to improve your slide show

What options are available to create a slide show?

Slide show makers come in many forms. Some slide show software can only be used on specific devices, while other slide show creators can be accessed via the cloud from any device at any time.

It’s a good idea to evaluate a variety of slide show makers to ensure that you find one with all the features you need. For instance, some slide show software skews toward business use cases and others toward personal.

Microsoft PowerPoint is a popular slide show app that allows you to save presentations to your device or the cloud, and is widely used for personal, professional, and educational purposes.

Frequently asked questions

What are slide show apps and software.

Slide show apps and software are used to create and share slide shows. Slide show programs are typically used to communicate information, diagrams, plans, or processes. They can also be used to display photos and videos at events or retail stores. Usually, slide show makers have a range of built-in features and layouts, making them easy to use, regardless of technical skill levels.

What should a slide show include?

An effective slide show should be engaging, visually appealing, and informative. To achieve this, you'll want to make sure to include the following elements:

• A catchy headline or title. This will help grab your audience's attention and set the tone for the rest of your presentation.
• A variety of images. Don't just rely on text—incorporate photos, illustrations, or even video to maximize viewership.
• Bullet points or short blocks of text. Keep your slide content concise and easy to digest; too much information will only overwhelm your viewers.

How do I make a picture slide show?

There are a few different ways to make picture slide shows. You can use online programs, or you can create a slide show directly on your computer, phone, tablet, or other device using slide show software. Some programs, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, can be accessed on your personal device and on the cloud.

How long should a slide show be?

The length of your slide show will depend on several factors, such as the topic of your presentation, the audience you're presenting to, and the amount of time you have. That said, slide shows are generally between five and ten minutes long.

How can I make a slide show better?

Here are a few tips to make your slide show more engaging:

• Add images, videos, and music to bring your slide show to life.
• Use a font that is easy to read from a distance.
• Try not to use too many words on each slide.
• Use custom transitions and timing to make your slide show flow.
• Ensure a cohesive slide show by using a theme or template.
• For live presentations, practice with the Speaker Coach feature .

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How to Create a Photo & Video Slideshow with Microsoft Photos

In her previous posts, Selin Tagmat of Mind Your Photos  has blogged about the basics of creating compelling slideshows, especially for Mac users. This week, she is back with another great post on this topic for those who love their PCs!  If you are looking to create a basic photo and video slideshow in Windows, give Microsoft Photos a try! It’s a native app that comes with the operating system for free! 

Did You Know You Can Create Slideshows in Microsoft Photos?

Did you know that Microsoft Photos offers a slideshow feature? That’s right, last year  Microsoft decided to discontinue Windows Movie Maker  and instead introduce a new video editing feature in  Microsoft Photos . Although I normally use more advanced video editing tools for my slideshows, I like to stay on top of new updates and try out new features, so I know exactly what my native apps offer. I can say that t he video editor in this app is not a replacement for Windows Movie Maker, but it does offer basic video editing possibilities, so i f you want to create a simple slideshow with photos, videos, music, text and effects, it’s certainly worth a try. 

Here’s how to create a slideshow with Microsoft Photos in 10 simple steps:

Step #1 – Prep Your Slideshow

As for any slideshow, the first step is to decide on the concept, outline and content. If you haven’t done so, I suggest you to have a look at my previous blog post ; it has some great tips to keep in mind when creating preparing a nice slideshow.

For this tutorial, I will create a slideshow to share photos and videos from a fun weekend trip. First, I selected around 45 photos and 3 videos for this slideshow, which I expect to be around 3 minutes long. Then, I saved everything in a dedicated folder and put it in order, ready to be imported into Microsoft Photos  (see below).

All slideshow content is saved in a dedicated folder, and arranged in the order based on the slideshow outline. Thanks to rawpixel for the photos and pexels for the videos!

Step #2 – Create a New Video Project

When you open the Microsoft  Photos app, you will see the photo management interface organized with either  Collection , Albums , People , and Folders , or (if you have the most updated version) Collection , Creations , and Folders .

• Collection includes all your media organized by date.
• Albums / Creations shows your albums and video projects.
• People helps you to tag and organize photos accordingly.
• Folders  shows media in a folder structure.

This is the first screen you will see when you open the  Microsoft Photos app.

For video editing features, you should click on Create , which offers three options: Automatic video with music , Custom video with music , and Album . With the recent update, this menu has been replaced with Video Remix , Video projects and Album , so which menu you see depends on your version of the app.

• Automatic video / Video remix : You select photos and videos, while the app arranges the content with a theme, effects and background music. You can edit it afterwards.
• Custom video / Video projects : You import your photos and videos, arrange the order and duration of each item, and add music and effects yourself.
• Album : This is available to organize your photos and videos into different albums.

Click on “ Create” and select  “Custom video” to start creating your slideshow.

For this tutorial, I will create a custom video project to be able to show you all the features offered by the app. From my Microsoft Photos  experience so far, it’s easier to create a video project from scratch and to customize it according to my choices, rather than try to adjust and fix an automatically created video. Unfortunately, the automatic system isn’t good enough to make my life easier and my slideshow nicer.

Step #3 – Import Your Photos and Videos

Once you select the  Custom video / Video projects option, the  Microsoft Photos app will ask you to select what you’d like to add. That’s when you upload the photos and videos from the dedicated slideshow folder.

Go to Folders and click on Add a folder . Once you find and add your slideshow content folder here, you’ll see it under Folders from now on. Here, mine is named Weekend Slideshow .

Add your content folder to the project.

When you are in Folders , click on the folder where you have the slideshow content. Select all the photos and videos you want to include in your slideshow and click on Create . Then you will see a blue screen telling you that the app is creating a video from the selected items.

Microsoft Photos creates a new video from your content folder when you click Create .

Once the app creates your video, you will see a new screen with a Project library on the top left, Storyboard at the bottom, and Preview on the top right. The app will immediately ask you to name your video.

Name your new slideshow!

From now on, you don’t need to save your project as the app will automatically save it for you throughout your editing process. If you want to leave your video project and continue later, no problem, you can always find your video project under Albums .

Step #4 – Set Your Picture Aspect Ratio

The [picture aspect ratio defines the shape of the video display. The Microsoft Photos  video editor offers three picture aspect ratios to select from with “width:height” format:

• 4:3 (standard TV format)
• 16:9 (widescreen TV format)
• Portrait (handy for social media shares)

For this tutorial, I selected the widescreen TV format.

You can adjust the picture aspect ratio of your video from the top menu of the preview window.

Step #5 – Arrange Photos and Videos

Once you add your photos and videos, check to see if your storyboard is in good order. The  Microsoft Photos  app adds your content to the video project in chronological order – newest to oldest, or oldest to newest. If you have sorted your content based on the file name in your dedicated folder, then your order will be mixed up here. You’ll need to do a little manual work by dragging and dropping your photos and videos from one point to another on your storyboard.

The  Microsoft Photos  app automatically adds your content to the storyboard with chronological order. Check if everything is in the right order, especially if your folder was arranged based on file names.

Want to get rid of a photo or video? Simply right click and select Remove it .

Want to add new content? Go to Project library and click on Add photos and videos . Add new content to the  Project library . Then drag and drop the new content from the  Project library to the Storyboard .

I’m a Perfect Pinnable!

Step #6 – Edit your photos

There is only a few smaller editing functions available in Microsoft Photos , so if you need more, I suggest you edit your photos and videos according to your usual workflow before starting the video creation process. 

Once you click on a photo on your Storyboard , you will see six editing options: Duration , Resize , Text , Filters , Motion , and 3D effects .

Here are the editing features you can expect to see in the Photos app:

When you upload your photos and videos, Microsoft Photos  will automatically decide on their duration. To be able to synchronize your music with the content and do some fine-tuning for the flow of your slideshow, you’ll need to adjust the duration of your photos manually. Click on Duration and either select a timing from the available menu, or add number of seconds manually. You can’t select multiple photos and adjust their duration with a single click; the app doesn’t offer that feature at this time. Instead, you have to adjust photos and videos one-by-one.

Try adjusting the duration of your content manually!

Click on Resize . It’s by default in the Shrink to fit mode, which scales down your photo or video to fit the screen size you selected, all the while preserving the aspect ratio of your original content. As a result, you see two black bars on the sides. If you select Remove black bars , the app will crop your photo or video in such a way that you will not see black bars anymore. This achieves a more professional look. However, note that you can’t adjust which part of your photo will remain on screen when you remove the black bars, so occasionally the end result is undesirable because it doesn’t cover a meaningful portion of the photo. In case this happens, you’ll either need to leave the black bars intact, manually crop your photo to have the right size for your screen, or drop that photo from the composition altogether.

Decide how you want to handle sizing issues!

When you click on Text , you’ll be able to add text to your photo, with different animated text styles and layout options.

You can add text to your photo or video.

Click on Filter to be able to choose from a variety of filters. You don’t have to use one if your content is fine the way it is, but it’s helpful if you want to adjust color balance or saturation with one click.

Use filters sparingly!

When you select Motion , you’ll see some basic panning and zooming options to add some motion to your stills. In more advanced video editing tools, you would select where to start and end this effect on your photos, so you’d have more control on the position and timing. In Microsoft Photos , however, you select the effect and it’s automatically applied by the video editor in a default way.

You can add motion to stills on a basic level!

The video editor also has some 3D effects and objects that can be used for your slideshow. I would suggest not using these unless you have the intention of creating a more informal story. Nice and elegant looking slideshows usually have a cleaner look.

Select 3D effects and then Effects , and you’ll see several effects that you can add to your photos or slides.

If you select 3D effects and then 3D librar y, you’ll find a variety of 3D objects that you can insert onto your photo slides.

Step #7 – Editing Videos

Once you click on a video on your Storyboard , you’ll see similar editing options as those for your photos, except that Duration is replaced with Trim .

Once you click on a video on your Storyboard , you’ll see the available editing options for videos.

When you click on Trim , a new screen will appeari with two slides on your video timeline. You just need to select the portion of the video you want to keep by moving the sliders left or right. You can see the trimmed video length at top right. In all editing modes, don’t forget to click  Done  once you have adjusted your settings.

Step #8 – Import Music 

You music choice is very important. It’s one of the main aspects that will help you to connect emotionally with your audience. In other words, the wrong music can spoil the show. If you aren’t sure how to make your choice for the right type of music (something that matches the style and length of your slideshow and that is royalty free), have a look at the tips in my previous blog post .

Click on Music  (top right menu of the Microsoft Photos app), go to Your music and select your own music file to add it to your slideshow. You can also find a selection of built-in music offered by the app under the Recommended tab.  For this tutorial, I selected and downloaded a fast music by audionautix.com (“Latin House Bed”) with bright and uplifting tunes to match with the weekend fun effect.

Import your own music or select something from the library!

Step #9 – Synchronize Everything

If you select music from the built-in library, the app offers you the choice to automatically sync your video to that music’s beat.

On the other hand, if you import your own music, you’ll need to work on synchronizing the music and content manually. To be able to handle this in a practical and quick way, play your slideshow background music and identify the intervals of strong beats – basically where you would want to have your transition between photos and videos.

In my case, the best duration looked like 3 seconds for each photo and the multiple of 3 seconds for videos. I adjusted the duration of everything manually, previewed the whole slideshow to be sure that everything matched well, and did some small fine-tuning of durations where necessary.

Step #10 – Export and Share 

Finished with your video editing? Click on the  Export or share button to export your video and pick from the three possible options:

• Small (for email and small screens)
• Medium (for sharing online)
• Large (for big screens)

When your video is ready, it will be saved as an mp4 format in your Pictures folder under Exported videos . On the next screen, you’ ll have sharing options for Mail, Skype, YouTube, and OneNote.

Export or share your video with family and friends!

The Finished Slideshow

Here you go! You can now watch the photo and video slideshow that I created with the Microsoft Photos app. Enjoy!

Weekend trip slideshow from Mind your Photos on Vimeo .

Beginner? Try It & Evaluate!

If you are already used to more advanced video editing tools, this app will be far from satisfying. In comparison to advanced tools, this app is not flexible enough, adjustments are often manual and time-consuming, and features are limited. In short, achieving a completely professional-looking slideshow with a perfect match of music, effects and transitions will be difficult. That being said, it will do the job without much of a learning curve, for free, and without the hassle of looking for other apps.  If you want to have a look at what makes a difference between slideshow created with a more powerful video editing tool, you can take a glance at the slideshow I created with iMovie for Mac in my previous blog post .

I hope this tutorial will help to those of you who were curious about how to create a simple photo and video slideshow in Windows. Stay tuned to learn about further video editing tools and tips to create nice slideshows on various devices – your computers, laptops, phones, tablets and alike! 

What say you, readers? Have you tried creating slideshows with Microsoft Photos? Let us know in the comments!

Featured Photo Courtesy of Selin Tagmat

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About Selin Tagmat

Selin Tagmat has a background in architecture and communication. She likes all about well-designed things in life and talking with people. She is living in Brussels, Belgium. She has always been passionate about recording precious moments of life with her camera and discovering creative ways to enjoy these memories. She is fascinated with the idea of motivating and inspiring others to do the same by writing here at OrganizingPhotos.net and her blog Mind Your Photos . She is especially interested in new photo and video habits, trends and tools that make our life easier and more fun.

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Introducing Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business

• Nancie Gaskill, General Manager, Surface

AI-powered PCs built for a new era of work

We are excited to announce the first Surface AI PCs built exclusively for business: Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business. These new PCs represent a major step forward in customer-focused design and are packed with features that business customers have been requesting – from amazing performance and battery life to more ports, better security and custom, durable anti-reflective displays. These are the first Surface PCs optimized for AI, with the new Copilot key being added to Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro keyboards that accelerate access to the best Windows AI experiences 1 . In addition to the new Surface for Business products, we are pleased to announce the Microsoft Adaptive Accessories will now be available to commercial customers.

These new PCs are powered by the latest Intel® Core™ Ultra processors. We partnered with Intel to deliver the power and reliable performance our customers depend on, along with compelling AI experiences for Surface and the Windows ecosystem. Surface has also been leading in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) integration to drive AI experiences on the PC since 2019, and the benefits of these connected efforts are evident. From a performance perspective, Surface Laptop 6 is 2x faster than Laptop 5 2 , and Surface Pro 10 is up to 53% faster than Pro 9. The benefits of the NPU integration include AI features like Windows Studio Effects and Live Captions 3 and the opportunity for businesses and developers to build their own AI apps and experiences.

Meet Surface Pro 10 for Business

Surface Pro 10 for Business is designed for teams that need a no-compromise device. It is our most powerful Surface Pro ever powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, and the first time we’re bringing 5G 4 to the Intel platform. It brings a new level of productivity and versatility – whether used as a powerful tablet for frontline workers out in the field, a versatile laptop in the conference room, or anywhere in between – Surface Pro 10 adapts to our customers’ needs and to how they use technology.

With the power of AI assistance from Microsoft Copilot and the innovation in Windows 11 Pro, Surface Pro 10 unlocks the ability to be more productive than ever before. We’ve added the Copilot key to all of our new Surface Pro keyboards, including a new version with a bold keyset 5 with a larger font, high contrast and backlighting that make the keys more visible and easier for everyone to type.

But our customers don’t choose Surface Pro to interact with it using only the keyboard. They’re choosing Surface Pro to use with touch gestures, voice commands and even with handwritten prompts with Surface Slim Pen. With Surface Pro, they are able to use all these natural input methods to make it even easier to use Copilot. And in Microsoft 365 apps like OneNote, Copilot will be able to use AI to analyze handwritten notes, saving time and keeping them in their flow.

This device comes with the best display we’ve ever shipped on a Surface Pro. Whether working under fluorescent office lighting or outside in the field, the display looks incredible in almost any lighting condition. We’ve made it 33% brighter and with a higher contrast ratio and have added a custom designed durable anti-reflective coating, all without making any sacrifices to the experience when using it with touch, and pen.

We focused a lot of attention on making the video calling experience on Microsoft Teams and other apps even better. With Surface Pro 10, we’ve put in a new Ultrawide Studio Camera that is the best front-facing camera that has ever been put into a Windows 2-in-1 or laptop. It’s the first Windows PC with a 114° field of view, captures video in 1440p, and uses AI-powered Windows Studio Effects to ensure that the speaker is in frame and looking their best during video calls.

Surface Pro 10 is a Secured-Core PC that delivers the industry-leading security that our business customers need. We’ve added additional layers of security to keep customer and company data safe and secure with Enhanced Sign-in Security on by default and a brand-new NFC reader designed to make secure password-less authentication even easier with NFC security keys like YubiKey 5C NFC .

Meet Surface Laptop 6 for Business

Surface Laptop 6 for Business is the ultimate laptop that’s built for business. It is powered by the latest Intel® Core™ Ultra H-Series processors and designed with improved thermal capacity to deliver incredible performance. This allows your team to be their most productive with the least amount of downtime when crunching huge data sets in Excel, creating marketing assets in Adobe Photoshop, or building critical applications in Visual Studio.

Consistent with the legacy of Surface, Surface Laptop 6 has an industry-leading typing experience that is designed for quality, and confidence. Every element of the keyboard has been considered to ensure productivity when typing, with nothing to get in the way of self-expression. Also, the new Copilot key on Surface Laptop 6 makes accessing the power of AI even easier, with a quick button press to invoke Copilot in Windows 1 to help customers to plan their day, find a document using natural text, analyze a website and more with commercial data protection built in.

Choose between 13.5” and 15” PixelSense touchscreen displays that are built for touch to help browse and navigate with ease. These vibrant displays also all come with anti-reflective and adaptive color technology that helps to clearly see the content on the screen in almost any lighting environment and reduces reflections by up to 50%.

We’ve designed a new Surface Studio Camera for Surface Laptop 6. The new camera captures 1080p video and uses AI-driven Windows Studio Effects to help everyone look their best on video calls. Windows Studio Effects are enabled by machine learning algorithms that run efficiently on the NPU leaving plenty of power to run other critical apps like Microsoft Teams on the CPU and GPU.

In the U.S. and Canada, customers will also be able to choose options on the 15” Surface Laptop 6 that include an integrated smart card reader. This helps customers in highly secure industries like government agencies and financial services login without a password simply by inserting their smart card.

Advances in accessibility, sustainability, security and modern tools for IT

In addition to the new products, there are advances in accessibility, sustainability, security and IT tools that will help our customers to empower all of their employees, advance their sustainability efforts, further secure their critical data and manage their devices over their life cycle.

Our Designed for Surface accessory partners are proud to offer a range of accessories specifically created to enhance the Surface experience in various commercial and industry scenarios. Our collection spans the Surface portfolio and includes everything from protective cases to mobile-kiosking retail solutions. One  example is  the ViewSonic ColorPro 4K Monitor , which offers Pantone Validation, stunning 4K Ultra HD resolution and calibrated color accuracy – making it a great option for Surface Laptop 6 customers. ​ Our commitment is to ensure that your team can deploy Surface in any way and place you need.

Accessibility

Accessibility is core to Surface design and to Microsoft’s mission to enable every person and every organization to achieve more. Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10 for Business bring the power of AI to accessibility, bringing together the latest hardware innovations from Surface with the software experiences designed to make it possible to use your device in the ways most natural to you.

We’ve made it even easier to turn on accessibility features through Copilot in Windows 1 . Ask Copilot to “turn on live captions” or “turn on the magnifier” without having to navigate to settings in Windows. Live captions 3 are now even better on these new products as the processing for this feature is offloaded to the NPU so the system operates with greater efficiency, freeing up the CPU and GPU to run other demanding applications.

We’re also launching the first ever Surface Pro Keyboard with bold keyset 5 , featuring a bold font change and brighter backlighting, making it easier to read and reducing eye strain for everyone. And finally, we’re very excited to launch our Microsoft Adaptive Accessories to commercial customers, empowering anyone with difficulty using a traditional mouse and keyboard to create their ideal setup, increase productivity, and use their favorite apps more effectively.

All of these innovations in accessibility have been created to match the elegant design of our products and empower more people to be productive and efficient in the way that works best for them.

Sustainability

In 2020, Microsoft committed to becoming carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030. This commitment means that we are constantly working to advance the sustainability of our products, and we know that many of our customers are also pursuing their own ambitious sustainability goals. Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10 contain the most recycled content that we’ve ever put into our PCs with the Surface Laptop 6 enclosure being made with a minimum of 25.8% recycled content and the enclosure on Surface Pro 10 being made with a minimum of 72% recycled content 6 . Both devices are even easier to service and repair with built-in QR codes that provide convenient access to service guides. In Surface Pro 10 we’ve also included internal markings that identify the number of screws and driver types needed for key components. This increased device repairability can offer significant carbon emissions and waste reduction benefits 7 . We are also making trade-in more convenient and secure for our commercial customers in the U.S. to help limit device waste.

Security is of critical importance to our customers, and we design devices with Zero Trust security principles to help keep their most sensitive data safe and protect all the way down to the firmware level. Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10 for Business have the highest-level security features and protections available in the ecosystem, are certified Secured-Core PCs, and have Enhanced Sign-In Security (ESS) on by default. We’ve made updates to the hardware itself with an optional smart card reader on Surface Laptop 6 and new NFC reader on Surface Pro 10. These new features combined with chip-to-cloud security deliver the ultimate in authentication and protection.

Modern tools for IT

At Surface we think about the entire lifecycle of the device, and how we can make customers’ lives easier. Today we are excited to introduce innovation from Surface and Intune to create the most modern and comprehensive solution for IT. The Surface Management Portal delivers insights-based monitoring to bring value and efficiency to device management. Customers can also track the estimated sustainability improvements of their devices right in the management portal. We’ve also created the Surface IT Toolkit with features to help modernize deployment, security and data compliance. Read more on the Surface IT Pro Blog .

Our team works relentlessly to create and tune every detail of our products to help our customers be more productive and engaged in the work they do today and in AI workstreams to enhance creativity and collaboration going forward. Our new Surface for Business portfolio is a key part of a holistic offering that includes Copilot, AI enhancements across key applications, and innovation in Windows 11 to bring our customers into a new era of work.

Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business are available for pre-order starting today, with product shipping to customers starting April 9. To learn more and pre-order your devices today, visit Surface.com/Business to find an authorized reseller or the Microsoft Store.

Disclaimers

• Copilot in Windows (in preview) is available in select global markets and will be rolled out to additional markets over time. Learn more . Copilot with commercial data protection is available at no additional cost for users with an Entra ID with an enabled, eligible Microsoft 365 license .  When Copilot for Windows is not enabled on the device, pressing the Copilot key will launch Windows Search.
• Based on 3DMark TimeSpy benchmark measuring graphic performance.
• Live Captions supports English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Danish.
• Surface Pro 10 with 5G will be available later in 2024 and not available in all areas. eSIM and 5G support are also not available in all areas; compatibility and performance depend on carrier network, plan and other factors. See carrier for details and pricing.
• Surface Pro Keyboard with bold keyset available only in U.S. English and is available only in the U.S. and CA.
• Based on validation performed by Underwriter Laboratories, Inc. using Environmental Claim Validation Procedure, UL 2809-2, Second Edition, November 7, 2023.
• Based on Microsoft-commissioned assessment of greenhouse gas emissions and waste impacts prepared by Oakdene Hollins in April 2022 comparing device replacement to factory repair and Microsoft ASP repair.​

Do you know how to 'fix' Microsoft? This viral video has some ideas.

A three-minute video summarizes some of the biggest complaints many have about Microsoft.

What you need to know

• A video from Sam Tucker on YouTube playfully suggests several ways that he could "fix" Microsoft.
• Suggestions include removing ads from Windows 11, not requiring people to have an online Microsoft account to install Windows 11, and launching the cancelled Surface Neo.
• Many of Tucker's suggestions are echoed by Windows users and tech enthusiasts and have been asked about for years.

Microsoft is one of the largest and most influential companies on the planet, but is it broken? A satirical video from YouTuber Sam Tucker suggests several ways that he could "fix" Microsoft. The video is made in jest, of course, but there are some good points raised by Tucker. Suggestions in the video range from purely satirical to ideas I'd love to see Microsoft listen to.

Tucker is no stranger to Microsoft, often taking playful shots at the tech giant alongside Apple, Sony, and Samsung. A previous video of Tucker's talked about how Microsoft HoloLens was better than Apple Vision Pro in some ways.

Here are some of Tucker's suggestions, skipping some of the more playful ones like having Space Cadet Pinball preinstalled on Windows 11:

• Don't require an online Microsoft account to install Windows 11
• Don't push OneDrive, Xbox Game Pass, and Microsoft 365 when installing Windows 11
• Remove ads from the Start menu
• Don't show news in the Widgets panel on the desktop
• Have Starfield on PS5
• Add an obvious button to apps on GitHub
• Make a Surface Studio display
• Launch the Surface Neo
• Remove safety rails from Bing Image Creator

The fact that we have a guide on how to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account indicates Tucker's suggestion would be a welcome change to many. Removing ads from Windows is a common request among Windows users (and myself) as well. It's taken international legislation to force Microsoft to remove some ads from its operating system.

Many were saddened when Microsoft failed to release the Surface Neo and quite a few people have requested a Surface Studio monitor or a refresh to the Surface Studio. Based on his suggestions, Tucker has a good feel for the pulse of Microsoft followers and Windows users.

Does Microsoft need fixing?

Funny videos aside, it's worth asking if Microsoft needs fixing. While no company is perfect, Microsoft has many successful ventures these days. Market cap isn't the only metric of success for a company, but Microsoft being worth over $3.1 trillion and being one of the most valuable companies in the world has to be worth something.

Aside from profits, Microsoft has had several wins over recent years, including its continued push to improve tech accessibility  Azure continues to do well, powering several enterprise organizations and services like Xbox Cloud Gaming. Azure is a large driver of Microsoft's profits.

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Microsoft's multi-billion-dollar investment in AI is on the verge of success, depending on who you ask. AI is one of the hottest topics in tech these days and unlike some previous booms in technology, Microsoft leads the charge in AI . There are reasonable concerns about how AI can be used, but market analysts predict that Microsoft will surpass Apple as the world's most valuable company due in large part to AI.

While OEMs like Dell, HP, and Lenovo get rightful credit for their impressive PCs, Microsoft is influential in what makes a computer in 2024. In addition to making and maintaining Windows, Microsoft pushes several PC categories with its Surface hardware and works with manufacturers to create computing experiences.

Of course, Microsoft has had its losses over the years as well. The tech giant once pioneered the augmented reality space before stepping back and seeing Apple turn heads with Apple Vision Pro. Microsoft has also faced legal scrutiny, such as an antitrust investigation that led to the company unbundling Teams from Microsoft 365 .

Do you think Microsoft needs fixing? If so, what would you do to fix the company? Let us know in the comments below.

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at  [email protected] .

• MusicTechGuy I hope with Windows officially entering the ARM cpu space with new snapdragon surface devices, there is a chance for windows phones to come back or phones that run windows on arm. The last gen Microsoft phones had a potential to be a full PC in you pocket with NO limitations with the usb-c microsoft docking station they made. This could come full circle if Windows on Snapdragon takes off. Microsoft has also so many abilites to innovate at the consumer level if they gave people like Panos the freedom and money to do so. Panos leaving is a huge loss to Microsoft Consumers. I was looking forward to more surface products (headphones etc) and I don't know what will come next with him gone. Microsoft needs to refocus on consumers too, not just businesses. Closing their customer facing stores destroyed the positive customer experience gained from the stores in multiple areas like xbox, surface, windows pc etc. Support your customers easily and make things that everyday users want to use, not just business. Reply
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