Below are two different methods of switching between PowerPoint shows during a service. The first method (one active show) assumes you have a background on your desktop that you wish to have displayed through the projector when switching between shows. The second method (multiple active shows) allows you to switch between shows and will always keep one of the shows active.


Open two PowerPoint presentations: a song list & a sermon outline. Set both files to show on the projector screen. Make the music file active. Your task bar should appear as below. See Show on Setup for instructions on how to make the show active and have it displayed through the projector.

The active program is always shown as a depressed button.

STEP 1. Press Esc key: We are currently in slide show mode in PowerPoint. By pressing the Esc key we exit the slide show mode. The task bar now shows no active program. You will still see the music file on your screen, however windows does not see it as the active program.


STEP 2. Click on the Sermon task on the task bar. It now becomes the active program on screen.

STEP 3. Click on the slide show button in PowerPoint. The sermon now shows as inactive and the PowerPoint Slide show task button shows up on the task bar.


One very powerful feature of the task bar is the ability to switch to another show and edit it while the PowerPoint Slideshow is still displayed through the projector. We use this sometimes to correct spelling mistakes in songs or look ahead in the sermon outline to see what is coming next. When you click on another task the "PowerPoint Slide Show" is no longer active. The image show on the projector will stay, however if there is animation in the slideshow it will stop. You will also not be able to use the keyboard to move between your slides. To reactivate the "PowerPoint Slide Show" click on the task on the task bar. 


PowerPoint Slide Show is inactive.


PowerPoint Slide Show is active.

You can switch between programs without your audience noticing by using the same background for your song list and your desktop. See Desktop Background for more information. 

Open a PowerPoint song list. Your task bar should appear as below. 
The active program is always shown as a depressed button.

STEP 1. Make the music file active. Your task bar should appear as below.  See Show on Setup for instructions on how to send the show to the projector.

STEP 2. Open a PowerPoint sermon template and set the file to show on the projector screen. Your task bar should appear as below. Note: the song list will still show on the projected screen.

STEP 3. Make the sermon file active. Your task bar should appear as below.  The sermon file now takes priority over the song list.


STEP 4. To switch back to the music list, first click on the music list on the task bar. This will make it viewable on your computer monitor.


Then click on the "PowerPoint slide show" on the task bar beside the song list. This will make the song list take priority over the sermon template.


You can switch between as many slideshow presentations as you want. Keep in mind the task bar does not have the titles for the slideshows, so keep things next to each other to avoid accidentally putting the wrong show through the projector.