Installing PowerPoint add-ins

Add-in missing after install

Check whether PowerPoint has the add-in loaded but inactive:

Windows: File → Options → Add-ins → Manage
Mac: Tools → PowerPoint Add-ins (menu name varies by version)

Look under the active, inactive, and disabled add-ins lists — it’s often present but disabled rather than missing entirely.

Add-in stopped loading after files were moved

PowerPoint loads an add-in from the exact file location where you first added it. If the .ppam file was later moved, renamed, deleted, or synced to a different folder, PowerPoint can lose track of it.

Remove the broken add-in entry.
Re-add the add-in from its current file location.
Restart PowerPoint.

Windows blocks a downloaded `.ppam` file

Windows sometimes flags downloaded .ppam files with a macro or security warning, or refuses to load them at all.

Download the latest version of the add-in.
Close PowerPoint.
Right-click the .ppam file and choose Properties.
Click Unblock if it appears.
Reopen PowerPoint and install or add the add-in.

Certificate expired

Code-signing certificates expire from time to time. The fix is to install the latest signed version of the add-in — not to lower your macro security settings.

Windows S Mode

If Windows tells you an app can’t be started, or that only Microsoft Store apps are allowed, your computer may be running in Windows S Mode. S Mode blocks installers and apps that don’t come from the Microsoft Store, which prevents the add-in installer from running.

Installer access denied / Code 5

Close PowerPoint and any other Office apps.
Rerun the installer.
If it still fails, reboot your computer and try again.

If the installer continues to fail after a reboot, get in touch with the exact error message and your Windows version.