Working With Slide Numbers in PowerPoint 2003 and 2002 for Windows

Introduction
Enable Slide Numbers in the Master
Troubleshooting Slide Numbers
Start Numbering from Zero
Start Slide Number from 31
Start on the Third, Fourth, or Another Slide

Introduction

Most of the time, slide numbers are not visible on the slide although many users like to enable them. To do so, choose the View | Header and Footer option, and within the resultant dialog box, make sure that the Slide number option is checked, as shown in Figure 1, below. Make sure to choose Apply to All if you want to show slide numbers in all slides of the presentation, and only Apply if you want it to be visible on the current slide.

Figure 1: Header and Footer dialog box

As you can see in Figure 1, above, you can opt to not show the slide numbers in the title slide. Typically, the title slide is the first slide in a presentation.

You can also enable slide numbers to show in a presentation by choosing the Insert | Slide Number option. Doing so brings up the same dialog box, as shown in Figure 1.

Enable Slide Numbers in the Master

Other than enabling slide numbers in the Normal view, you can add them to slides based on a particular Slide Master so that you can control which slides show the slide number and which don't. This works if you are using multiple masters.

The process is similar. Follow these steps to enable them for a particular Slide Master:

1. Choose View | Slide Master to get into Slide Master view.
2. Select the Master on the left pane for which you want to enable slide numbers.
3. Choose View | Header and Footer to bring up the familiar dialog box, as shown in Figure 1, previously on this page.
4. Choose Apply to All if you want to show slide numbers in all masters of the presentation, and select Apply if you want it to be visible on the current slide master.
5. Choose View | Normal to get back to the Normal view from Slide Master view.

Troubleshooting Slide Numbers

Did you try everything, and still cannot see slide numbers, follow this troubleshooting sequence:

1. Look for slide objects overlapping the slide numbers in both the Normal and Slide Master views.
2. If this approach doesn't work, choose View | Slide Master, and then select the master you want to work with. Then, choose Format | Master Layout to bring up a dialog box of the same name, as shown in Figure 2, below.
3. 
   Figure 2: Master Layout
3. Make sure that the Slide number option is not unchecked. If it is unchecked, then check it, and click the OK button. If you have multiple masters, you'll want to check the master layout for all the masters.
4. Choose View | Normal to get back to Normal view.

If you find another problem or solution, do enter your comments at the bottom of this page!

Start Numbering from Zero

Do you want to start the numbering on your slides from zero rather than one? Or do you want to start it from 6 or 101? You can do it, just follow these steps:

1. Choose File | Page Setup, to bring up the dialog box, as shown in Figure 3, below.
2. 
   Figure 3: Page Setup
2. Change the number in the Number slides from option at the bottom left as required.
3. Click the OK button to get back to your slides.

Start Slide Number from 31

When you put in the auto number thing so that you can see what slide number you are on, can you start that at any number? Why does it have to be zero or one, can it be 31?

Yes, it can. Learn more in our Start Slide Number from 31 post.

Start on the Third, Fourth, or Another Slide

Typically you can start your slide numbering with any number, so yes, your first slide can be numbered fourth. But what if you want the opposite, maybe you want your fourth slide to be numbered first!

Read more about making your fourth behave like your first slide.