OfficeOne Shortcut Manager for PowerPoint
Navigate through slides with laser pointer turned ON
Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are often presented over a network,
where the presenter cannot use a traditional laser-pointer or other
pointing device. PowerPoint provides a workaround through the use of a
Laser Pointer, which was introduced with PowerPoint 2010. To use the
Laser Pointer, do the following:
- Open your presentation in PowerPoint and start the slide show.
- Hold down the Ctrl key. Click the left mouse button.
- A colored Laser Pointer appears on the screen and moves with the mouse. Release the mouse button to stop showing the Laser Pointer.
- Release the Ctrl key and the mouse button when you want to change slides.
The problem is that the presenter has to hold down the Ctrl key
with one hand while left-clicking the mouse with the other. Can the Ctrl
key be "locked" down so that the Laser Pointer feature in PowerPoint
Presenter mode doesn't require the speaker to use two hands? Is there an
alternate way to activate the "Laser Pointer" feature?
Windows provides an accessibility feature called Sticky Keys that
lets you use the Shift, Ctrl, Alt or Windows Logo keys by pressing one
key at a time. You can turn ON Sticky Keys by pressing Shift key 5 times
in quick succession. Press Ctrl key to lock it down when Sticky Keys is
ON. Now you can use the left mouse button to show the Laser Pointer.
However, now there is no way to navigate through the slide show without
releasing the Ctrl key. The problem is that there is no key
combination that navigates through the slide show when Ctrl key is
pressed This is where Shortcut Manager for
PowerPoint and its free companion
Shortcuts for PowerPoint
helps.
After installing both these products, do the following:
- Click Customize button in the Keyboard Shortcuts group in Home tab.
- Navigate to Shortcuts for PowerPoint category.
- Assign key Ctrl+Right Arrow to Next slide on all slide shows command.
- Assign key Ctrl+Left Arrow to Previous slide on all slide shows command.
- Click OK button.
During the slide show, when you have Ctrl key locked down, you can now use
Right arrow to navigate to next build/slide and Left arrow to navigate
to previous.
Tip: The color of the Laser Pointer can be set to Red, Green
or Blue in PowerPoint through the Slide Show tab | Set Up
Slide Show button.