page numbers not showing on slides

Anonymous
2010-02-04T18:16:13+00:00

the page numbers i try to place using footer and slide numbers boxes will not show.  background appears to be blocking it.

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Anonymous
2010-02-04T22:19:23+00:00

the page numbers i try to place using footer and slide numbers boxes will not show.  background appears to be blocking it.

Hi

Did you use Insert -> Header & Footer? Check to see if the page number placeholder is truned on on the Master - View -> Slide Master -> Slide Master tab -> Master Layout -> check 'Slide Number' is ticked. If it is and you still can't see it it may be behind another element on the slide master - select the 'mother' master (the big one at the top) then Home -> Select drop down -> Selection Pane -> select 'Slide Number Placeholder' -> click the re-order up button (at the bottom of the taskpane) until the slide number placeholder is at the top.

If none of that works, let us know exactly what you have tried and exactly what is happening. Also, if the file was created in a previous version or has been edited in a previous version.

Lucy

Lucy Thomson

PowerPoint MVP

an easier tomorrow

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-11-08T20:07:15+00:00

    I had this very same problem and none of the solutions above worked.  However, I think I found a quick fix if you are in a pinch.

    Go to "View" on the ribbon and open the slide master view.  On the top-level master (the big slide that's pinned and starred) add the slide numbers through the usual way.  This should make a text box appear in the lower right with <#> appearing in it.  If this does not work, try making a new text box and just put <#> in it.  Then copy this text box and paste it into all of the child slides below that master.  Repeat for all slides and then try inserting slide numbers again.

    It is a little more manual but if you are in need of a fast fix, this should handle it for you.

    Hope that helps!

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-23T05:54:23+00:00

    I had the same issue as Derflederdog, using Powerpoint 2010. When I insert footers (Insert/Header Footer)it appears to work but nothing shows in the slide, and when I go back to the insert dialog the footers are no longer checked. Also, the slide master options are all greyed out.

    This was because I had checked "Do not display on Title Pages" and the slide layout I was using is flagged somewhere as a title layout. Uncheck the option and the footers magically appeared. If you don't want the footers to appear on slide 1, you can delete them manually. (They will reappear if you reset the slide layout or import a new theme.)

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-11-23T09:02:16+00:00

    "slide layout I was using is flagged somewhere as a title layout."

    My belief (I could be wrong) is that Microsoft use a very cunning and complex algorithm to determine which is the Title Layout.

    I think it goes like this:

    Is it the first layout in the list? - then it's the Title layout.

    Your first layout has NO title and two text placeholders?? It's still the Title Layout.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-03-27T17:02:53+00:00

    Thanks for this. Had never seen that problem before. I did have to add the placeholder to all the slides, not just the master, but this was the only solution that worked.

    For me, I had to unclick the Preserve button in order to add placeholders to the master slide, then was able to add placeholders to the master and other layout slides.

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