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Slides With Countdown Timers in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows

Learn how you can use a video countdown timer across slides in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows.


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Product/Version: PowerPoint 2010 for Windows

OS: Windows XP and higher





Do you need to keep track of the time you spend while delivering your slides? What if you are in a situation where you must give your presentation within precisely 15 or 10 minutes, and then wrap up? In such a scenario, it becomes necessary that you keep an eye for the time.

This tutorial explains how you can achieve this goal by adding a countdown timer within your presentation in PowerPoint 2010 using a ready-to-use video file. To use this technique, you will have to buy and download our collection of Countdown Timers 02 (Larger). Do note that this entire collection can be bought for a minimum price of $9.99. Once you download this collection, unzip the downloaded folder, and thereafter follow these steps to learn more:

  1. Once you download this collection, unzip the downloaded folder and open either the 'Standard' or the 'Widescreen' folder, depending upon whether you need a standard or widescreen timer. Figure 1 shows the content of Standard' folder. Notice the MP4 video files? You will use one of these in the countdown sequence you create within this tutorial.

    Content of the 'Standard' folder within the unzipped folder
    Figure 1: Content of the 'Standard' folder within the unzipped folder
  2. Open your existing presentation (or create a new one) and navigate to the first slide of your presentation, as shown in Figure 2, below.

    First slide of the presentation
    Figure 2: First slide of the presentation

    Tip: If you are creating a new presentation, then another alternative is to use any of the existing countdown equipped presentations in the downloaded ZIP (look within the Samples folder) as a starting point to create your own slides, already equipped with a countdown! You then don't need to follow any of the other steps mentioned on this page.
  3. Now, choose the Insert tab (highlighted in red within Figure 3) of the Ribbon. Then click down-arrow at the bottom of the Video button, shown highlighted in blue within Figure 3. From the drop-down menu that appears, select the Video from File option, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 3.

    Video from File option
    Figure 3: Video from File option
  4. Within the resultant dialog box, browse to the location where you have the countdown timer video saved, and insert it on the slide.

    Tip: Learn more in our Insert Video (Movie) Clips in PowerPoint 2010 tutorial.
  5. PowerPoint will embed the video within your first slide. Now, resize and place it at a corner of the slide as shown in Figure 4, below.

    Tip: You can also crop the size of the video as explained in our Crop Video in PowerPoint 2010 tutorial. Also you may want to explore our Resize, Rotate, and Flip Videos in PowerPoint 2010 tutorial.
    Timer video inserted on the slide
    Figure 4: Timer video inserted on the slide
  6. Now, select the video and within the contextual Video Tools Playback tab as shown highlighted in red within Figure 5, set the Start option to start Automatically (as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 5).

    Playback set to start automatically
    Figure 5: Playback set to start automatically

    Tip: Learn more in our Advanced Video Options in PowerPoint 2010 tutorial.
  7. Access the Animations tab (shown highlighted in red within Figure 6) of the Ribbon. Then click the Animation Pane button, as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 6, below.

    Animation Pane button
    Figure 6: Animation Pane button
  8. Within the Animation Pane that shows up, double-click the first animation. This will bring up the Play Video dialog box as shown in Figure 7.

    The Effect tab of the Play Video dialog box
    Figure 7: The Effect tab of the Play Video dialog box
  9. Within the Effect tab (shown highlighted in red within Figure 8) of the Play Video dialog box, locate the Stop playing section. Then select the After_____ slides radio button, and set the value to 999, as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 8.

    Stop playing after 999 slides
    Figure 8: Stop playing after 999 slides
  10. Once done, click the OK button.
  11. Save your presentation and preview it in Slide Show view, beginning from the first slide. Your countdown timer will continue showing a reduced amount of time as shown in Figure 9!
Tip: Make sure you place the countdown timer video in a place that it doesn't hide your content and resize the video so it only shows what you need to see, as shown in Figure 9.

Countdown timer working in Slide Show view
Figure 9: Countdown timer working in Slide Show view

See Also:

Slides with Countdown Timers in PowerPoint 2016 and 2013 for Windows
Slides with Countdown Timers in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows


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