How to Sanitize PowerPoint files and Documents?

  author
Rollins Duke   
Published: April 11th, 2024 • 5 Min Read

If you are looking for methods to sanitize PowerPoint files and presentations? If yes, then you are on the right page. Here we will show you complete methods to clean up PowerPoint using one of the best methods using manual and expert solutions.

We’ve all used PowerPoint (or its variants) to present our work in the workplace or at a meeting. that has media components (pictures, text, links, formatting, etc.)

However, sometimes we get files that contain viruses or malware; maybe someone included code in VBA to infiltrate our system.

When opening a PowerPoint file from an unknown source, sanitization is now the first and most crucial step. But I know that most of you don’t have a clue how to accomplish it. Don’t worry; I’ll explain how to clean up PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX, PPTM, etc.) presentations in this article.

Manual Methods to Clean Up PowerPoint files

PowerPoint Document Inspector is an inbuilt utility in MS Office, which allow users to sanitize PowerPoint files with some limitations.

  1. Open the PPT file in PowerPoint.
  2. And then, click on the “File” tab and then choose the “Info” tab from the list.

    Info tab

  3. Now hit the “Inspect Workbook” >> “Inspect Document” option from the screen.

    Inspect Document

  4. If a warning will appear, where it reminds you to save the data before starting the inspector and then hit the “Yes” button.

     warning

  5. And then, by default, it selected all data, verifies it, and clicks on the “Inspect” option.

    Inspect to Sanitize PowerPoint Files

  6. If the presentation file contains any selected data, then hit the “Remove All” option to sanitize PowerPoint files one by one.

    Remove All

  7. Now as you can see in the mentioned screenshot that the inspector is unable to sanitize some data.

Limitations of using Manual Methods

  • Users can not sanitize multiple PowerPoint files at one time, if users have 30 files, then they have to repeat the process 30 times.
  • Users have to open the file in PowerPoint to remove the virus or malware when the chances increased of a virus attack.
  • The manual method does not provide a 100% guarantee, that it will sanitize PowerPoint files completely.

Expert Solution to Sanitize PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX, PPTM) files

One of the most effective and sophisticated software to sanitize PowerPoint files (.ppt, .pptx, and .pptm files) is the BitRecover File Sanitization Tool. The user may clean up numerous files at once without regard to file size limits, for example, using this tool’s batch cleaning capability.

Additionally, the tool’s UI is intuitive and straightforward to use for both experts and novices. In addition, the software interface allows users to clean up certain files. Here are just a few examples of the incredible powers and features:

Download for Windows

Working Steps to Sanitize PowerPoint files

  1. Download and install the software.

    tool to Sanitize PowerPoint Files

  2. Now upload the PowerPoint file using the Select Files and Select Folder options.

    upload the PowerPoint file

  3. After uploading files, the tool will take time to load all files on the panel.

    load all files

  4. Now select the required files and folders from here.

    required files

  5. If you want to remove the VBA code or password then enable it and click on “Save Documents” to sanitize PowerPoint files.

    remove VBA code or password

  6. And then, browse the location to save the result.

    location

  7. When the process will be done, you will get a confirmation message and hit the “OK” button.

    confirmation message

Benefits of using PowerPoint File Sanitization Tool

  1. The PowerPoint sanitization tool can clean up all PowerPoint files including PPT, PPTX, and PPTM.
  2. Also, users can sanitize multiple PowerPoint files at one time without any file size restrictions.
  3. Also, the tool provides a separate option to save VBA code into text format by enabling it.
  4. If users want to remove the VBA code and password from the PowerPoint file, then they can do it by enabling the “Remove VBA Code” and “Remove VBA Password” options.
  5. Users can save the resultant data at the desired location as per their requirements.
  6. Also, the software supports all versions of PowerPoint files including PowerPoint 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021.
  7. Provides dual options to upload single and multiple files/folders at one time to sanitize PowerPoint files.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can you please explain to me the difference between the free demo version and the licensed version?

    Yes, the free demo version can show whether the file contains a macro script or password on the software panel. To remove the VBA code and password, users have to purchase the licensed version.

  • I have some PowerPoints file exported from the 2015 version, does the tool work with it?

    Yes, the software supports all versions of PowerPoint files.

  • How much hard disk or ram is required in the device to install this tool?

    70 MB of free hard disk space and a Minimum of 2 GB RAM are required on your machine.

  • Does the software work with the latest Windows 11?

    Yes, the software is compatible with all Windows OS including 11, 10, 8, 7, and other previous versions.

  • Can you please explain to me what is file sanitization?

    File sanitization means cleaning up data like media, scripts, passwords, and other data from files and presentations. Sanitized data cannot be recovered even during a forensic investigation. File sanitization prevents virus proliferation while exchanging documents.

Time to Say Goodbye

In the last section, we went through the processes to sanitize PowerPoint files and presentationsmanually and via the use of a professional solution. Although manual techniques are simple and easy to use, they often come with a number of limitations, as was discussed before. Expert solutions are always the greatest option since they give many features and capabilities without requiring any additional effort on the user’s part. This software comes with a free trial version; thus, you should go and utilize the tool right now to observe how the tool functions.