Working With Slide Numbers in PowerPoint 2007 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. Follow these steps to do so in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows:

1. Select the Insert tab of the Ribbon. Within the Text group, click the Header & Footer button, as shown in Figure 1, below.
2. 
   Figure 1: Header and Footer button in the Insert tab of the Ribbon
2. Doing so opens the Header and Footer dialog box, as shown in Figure 2, below. Make sure that the Slide number checkbox is selected, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2. To apply slide numbers to all the slides, choose Apply to All. You can also choose Apply if you want the slide number to be visible only on the current slide.
3. 
   Figure 2: Header and Footer dialog box
3. As you can see highlighted in red in Figure 2, above, you can also opt to not show the slide numbers in the title slide. Typically, the first slide in a presentation is a title slide.
4. You can also enable slide numbers to show in a presentation by clicking the Slide Number button in the Insert tab from the Ribbon, as shown in Figure 1, previously on this page.

Enable Slide Numbers in the Master

Other than enabling slide numbers in the Normal view, you can also 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 and/or Slide Layouts.

The process is similar, as you will learn from these steps:

1. Select the View tab of the Ribbon. Within the Presentation View group, click the Slide Master button, as shown in Figure 3, below.
2. 
   Figure 3: Slide Master button
2. Doing so opens the Slide Master view, as shown in Figure 4, below.
3. 
   Figure 4: Slide Master view
3. You'll find that the Slides Pane on the left has one large thumbnail that represents the Slide Master. Smaller thumbnails below this larger thumbnail represent individual Slide Layouts. Select the Master or the Layout on the left pane for which you want to enable slide numbers.
4. Select the Insert tab of the Ribbon, and click the Header & Footer button to bring up the same dialog box, as shown in Figure 2, previously on this page. Select the option to enable slide numbers.
5. Choose Apply to All if you want to show slide numbers in all Masters and Layouts of the presentation. Choose Apply if you want the slide number to be visible on the current selection (Master or Layout) only.
6. Make sure you are on the Slide Master tab of the Ribbon, and click the Close Master View button to go back to the Normal 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, click the Slide Master button within View tab on the Ribbon, as shown in Figure 3, previously on this page.
3. In Slide Master view, select the Slide Master on the left pane (the larger thumbnail on the top of other smaller thumbnails). Then, access the Slide Master tab of the Ribbon and click the Master Layout button, as shown in Figure 5, below.
4. 
   Figure 5: Master Layout button
4. Doing so brings up a dialog box of the same name, as shown in Figure 6, below.
5. 
   Figure 6: Master Layout
5. Make sure that the Slide number checkbox is not unchecked. If it is unchecked, then check it, and click the OK button. If you have multiple Masters (more than one large thumbnail on the left pane), you'll want to summon and check the Master Layout dialog box for all the masters.
6. Go back to Normal view by clicking the Close Master View button in the Slide Master tab of the Ribbon.

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 the Design tab from the Ribbon, and click the Page Setup button, as shown in Figure 7, below.
2. 
   Figure 7: Page Setup
2. Doing so brings up Page setup dialog box, as shown in Figure 8, below.
3. 
   Figure 8: Page Setup dialog box
3. Change the number in the Number slides from option at the bottom left of the dialog box, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 8, above.
4. Click OK 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.