For a deleted saved presentation, start with deleted items and backups. For a crash or a presentation never saved, start with PowerPoint’s recovery entries. In either case, check the restored deck in Slide Show view: a file that opens can still be missing slides, speaker notes or media.
A saved PPTX was deleted
Inspect Windows Recycle Bin using the original folder and deletion date as well as the name. If it was stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, inspect that service’s recycle bin under the correct account. Check sent attachments, delivery folders and collaborator copies before scanning the disk.
When File History covered the folder before deletion, open an available historical folder and copy the presentation out to a recovery destination. Microsoft’s File History guide explains existing versions.
If no usable copy exists and the original disk is readable, XRecovery can search for remaining presentation files. Inspect original-path and document results, preview supported candidates, and export to a different physical device. A generic recovered filename may contain the deck; a familiar filename can contain incomplete data.
PowerPoint crashed or the presentation was never saved
For Microsoft 365 PowerPoint on Windows, reopen the app after an unexpected shutdown and inspect recovered presentations. Save a useful version immediately with Save As before editing.
In Microsoft 365 PowerPoint, select File > Home, then choose Recover Unsaved Presentations at the bottom of the screen. If the entry differs, inspect File > Options > Save and its AutoRecover File Location. Microsoft lists %APPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerPoint as the default Windows location. Open a candidate from the relevant time and save it as a new presentation. See Recover your PowerPoint files.
An empty list may mean no usable recovery record was written or retained. Changing the interval now cannot supply the lost session. For unwanted edits saved to a cloud file, use version history rather than treating it as a never-saved deck.
Verify the deck as a presentation
Compare slide count and order with an earlier agenda, handout or PDF. Inspect the opening, several middle slides and the final slide. Check speaker notes, diagrams, charts, fonts and required transitions. Play embedded video and audio; linked media may need separate files even when the slide itself survived.
Run Slide Show on a copy and test a media-heavy section. If a chart depends on an external workbook, verify that source too. A PDF of slides can be useful partial salvage but does not preserve all presentation behavior.
If the recovered deck will not open, keep the unmodified output and inspect other candidates. XRecovery supports repair of listed PowerPoint formats, including PPTX. Save repaired output separately and repeat the slide/media checks. No repair can recreate slides or footage without a surviving data source.
For the next step, see Document Recovery: Deleted, Unsaved, Overwritten or Damaged?.