Top 7 Ways to Fix Sorry PowerPoint Can’t Read Error

“I created a 40-slide PowerPoint with images on a MacBook Air and saved it to a USB. After making some changes and replacing the file on the USB, a message popped up saying, “Sorry, PowerPoint can’t read ^0” and asked to repair the file. Not sure if it’s a Mac or Microsoft issue. But looking for help on how to fix it.”

___A Question from Reddit

When you face a ‘Sorry, PowerPoint can’t read pptx’ error, your working process stops unexpectedly while you remain uncertain about the cause of this malfunction. The good news, though? This guide shares the frequent reasons for this error and presents 7 productive solutions for Windows and Mac users to resume their slideshow presentation!

Part 1: What Causes the ‘Sorry PowerPoint Can’t Read’ Error?

The ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read 0’ error manifests when the PowerPoint program is unable to open or process a specific file. This happens due to reasons such as:

1. Corrupted PPT File: When a system crashes or there’s an interruption while saving the PPT file, this could damage the document, making it unreadable.
2. Unsupported Format: When your PowerPoint lacks the capability to read files from old or uncommon file formats.
3. Incompatible Features: The use of advanced features that are beyond the capabilities of your installed PowerPoint version will generate problems.
4. Version Mismatch: When you attempt to open a PPT produced using a newer PowerPoint version with an outdated one.
5. Broken Installation: Multiple file inaccessibility suggests your PowerPoint might have a broken installation.
6. Blocked Access: Security restrictions and file permissions can block access to downloaded PPT files, leading to the ‘PowerPoint can’t read file​’ error.

Part 2: How to Fix ‘Sorry, PowerPoint Can’t Read’ on Windows?

Here’s how to fix the ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read 0’ error on Windows 10/11. Try all options one by one until you find the one that can solve the error:

Option A: Check the File Format

Your PPT file might be saved with another extension like .key, rather than with .pptx or .ppt. That’s why PowerPoint is unable to open it and is giving a ‘PowerPoint can’t read file​’ error. To fix it, you can convert the unsupported format into .pptx or .ppt with an online file converter.

Option B: Open PowerPoint in Safe Mode

Some add-ins, customizations, or browser extensions can conflict with PowerPoint, resulting in the ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read pptx’ glitch. Thus, you can open the troubling PPT in Safe Mode, which deactivates the add-ins, browser extensions, and customizations. Follow the instructions below to open the PPT file with the ‘PowerPoint can’t read file’ malfunction​ in Safe Mode:

Step 1: Type “run” in the Windows search field. Then, input the “powerpnt /safe” command. Hit “Enter’ afterward.

Step 2: Open the problematic PPT file. If you’re able to open it without trouble, save it with another name or format.

Option C: Repair Corrupted PowerPoint Files

In case your PPT file is corrupted and that’s why it’s giving you the ‘PowerPoint: Sorry PowerPoint can’t read​’ error, then repair it. However, you can’t do that without using a specialized document repair app. 4DDiG File Repair is a professional tool to fix corrupted Microsoft Office files and more with an exceptional success rate. Here are its core features:

• The software repairs multiple file types, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, ZIP, EPUB, PDF, PSD, PSB, and numerous others.
• This software restores files that do not launch, reveal empty contents, or show random characters.
• Users can preview recovery outcomes prior to any file save operation for correct file restoration.
• It allows you to repair multiple PPT files belonging to different formats, e.g., PPTX, PPTM, at once.
• This application enables usage with all PowerPoint variants from 2007 up till now, including Office 365.
• It works on both Windows and Mac.

Here’s how to fix the ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read’ error with the help of this tool:

Step 1: Start by downloading the file repair tool on your computer, then install it before executing the program. Then, head to “File Repair.”

Step 2: Press the option labeled “Add Files” and choose the affected PowerPoint file. The process will need you to click the “Start Repair” button.

Step 3: If the repaired file looks good, click “Save” to export it to your computer.

Option D: Use the AutoSave Feature

If you’ve activated the AutoSave feature, you can retrieve a backup copy of the affected PPT file. You can find the AutoSave files here on Windows:

Step 1: Open “File Explorer.” Then, copy and paste the following address in the address bar: “C:\\Users\\[Your Username]\\AppData\\Roaming\\Microsoft\\PowerPoint.”

Step 2: Locate your inaccessible PPT file and save its backup copy from the folder.

Option E: Update or Reinstall PowerPoint

Your PowerPoint version might be outdated or missing crucial files, which could be why you’re getting the ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read 0’ malfunction. So, update the program to the latest version. If that doesn’t work, uninstall and reinstall it. Here’s how to fix the ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read’ malfunction by updating or reinstalling the PowerPoint:

Update PowerPoint:

Step 1: Open PowerPoint. Then, head to “File.” Choose “Account.”

Step 2: Next, pick “Update Options.” After this, tap “Update Now.”

Reinstall PowerPoint:

Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon on the homepage. Then, execute “Settings.”

Step 2: Choose “Apps.” Next, select “Microsoft Office” in the “Installed apps.” Then, tap “Uninstall.”

Step 3: Follow on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation process. After this, head to Microsoft’s Official website to download Office. Reinstall it.

Part 3: How to Fix ‘Sorry, PowerPoint Can’t Read’ on Mac?

Solution 1: Download the Problematic File From Google Drive

You can send the PPT file with the ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read 0 Mac’ error to Google Drive and then download it from there. Many users have claimed this really works to resolve the malfunction. This is because downloading the PPT file with the ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read pptx’ error from Google Drive can sometimes fix the corruption and compatibility issues. Here’s what to do:

Step 1:  Open “Google Drive” in your browser. Log in to your account. Then, tap the “+” button.

Next, click “File upload” to upload the problematic PPT file.

Step 2: Select the PPT. Then, tap the 3 dots on its top-right corner. Choose “Download” to get the PPT on your computer.

Solution 2: Open the PowerPoint File in Keynote

Another option to open a PPT file with the ‘PowerPoint Sorry PowerPoint can’t read’ error for Mac users is to use Keynote to access its previous version. ​Follow the steps below to resolve the ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read 0 Mac error’ with Keynote:

Step 1: Open the problematic PPT file in “Apple Keynote” on a Mac. The Keynote app gives an option to “browse version history.”

Step 2: Select an earlier version of the PPT file that opens successfully. Then, export it as a .pptx file to your Mac from Keynote.
Step 3: Open the exported PPT file in PowerPoint.

Bottom Line

The solutions for the ‘Sorry PowerPoint can’t read 0’ error on Windows and Mac systems include checking file types and running the system through Safe Mode. Also, try using Google Drive and Keynote for exporting the PPT file and performing an update/reinstallation of PowerPoint.

But these are basic methods, and they won’t function when the PowerPoint file gets corrupted. The smart solution under such circumstances would be to employ a repair tool named 4DDiG File Repair. It can fix corrupt PowerPoint files across different versions of the program, recover all elements of files, and generate previews of files before saving.