Show Comments During a Show

If you add comments in recent versions of PowerPoint they can only be used in Edit mode. This is by design and what most people need!

If you want to read the comments in show mode you will need to use code to copy them and add screentips.

Here's the code you might use.

ALWAYS WORK WITH A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION!

Option Explicit

Sub Comments_in_show()
'copies comments so they appear in the show with mouse over
Dim osld As Slide
Dim oCom As Comment
Dim strComm As String
Dim oshp As Shape
Dim ohl As Hyperlink

For Each osld In ActivePresentation.Slides
Call zap(osld)
For Each oCom In osld.Comments
strComm = oCom.Author & " " & oCom.DateTime _
& vbCrLf _
& oCom.Text
Set oshp = osld.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeFoldedCorner, oCom.Left, oCom.Top, 30, 15)
oshp.Line.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(150, 150, 150)
oshp.Line.Weight = 0.5
oshp.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = vbYellow
oshp.Tags.Add "DEL", "OK"
With oshp.TextFrame.TextRange
.Font.Size = 7
.Font.Color = vbBlack
.Text = oCom.AuthorInitials & oCom.AuthorIndex
End With
oshp.Fill.Transparency = 0.75
With oshp.ActionSettings(ppMouseClick)
.Action = ppActionHyperlink
.Hyperlink.Address = ""
.Hyperlink.SubAddress = CStr(osld.SlideID) & "," & CStr(osld.SlideIndex) & "," & "Slide"
.Hyperlink.ScreenTip = strComm
End With
Next oCom
Next osld
End Sub

Sub zap(osld As Slide)
Dim oshp As Shape
Dim i As Integer
For i = osld.Shapes.Count To 1 Step -1
Set oshp = osld.Shapes(i)
If oshp.Tags("DEL") = "OK" Then oshp.Delete
Next i
End Sub

Sub remove_all()
'use this to delete all
Dim osld As Slide
For Each osld In ActivePresentation.Slides
Call zap(osld)
Next osld
End Sub

Don't want to code?

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How to use code