PowerShow enables you to view a slide show on a monitor while you continue working on something else on the other monitor. This feature in conjunction with the technique of embedding PowerPoint objects that link to PowerPoint presentations can setup looping of presentations.

The following configuration steps are for PowerPoint 2002 (XP) and PowerPoint 2003. They enable you to loop 3 presentations (Pres1.ppt, Pres2.ppt, Pres3.ppt) on a secondary monitor while you continue to work on another monitor. The sample files to demonstrate the technique described here are available for download here.

1. Open the 3 presentations (say, Pres1.ppt, Pres2.ppt, Pres3.ppt) in PowerPoint. Lets say that you want to display these three presentations one after the other in a loop.
    
2. Modifications for Pres1.ppt:
   1. Set up Pres1.ppt to Loop until Escape key is pressed:
      1. Select Slide Show | Set Up Show... menu item.
      2. Select Loop continuously until 'Esc' box.
      3. Click OK.
          
   2. Insert a new slide at the end in Pres1.ppt.
       
   3. Set it to transition out in 00:01 (1 second):
      1. Select Slide Show | Slide Transition... menu item.
      2. In the Slide Transition pane, select 00:01 in Automatically after box in Advance slide section.
          
   4. Insert a link to Pres2.ppt on this new slide:

      PowerPoint 2007	PowerPoint 2003, 2002, 2000
      Select Insert tab, Object button. Select Create from file box. Locate and select Pres2.ppt file. Put a check against Link as well as Display as icon boxes. Click OK.	Select Insert | Object... menu item. Select Create from file box. Locate and select Pres2.ppt file. Put a check against Link as well as Display as icon boxes. Click OK.

       
   5. Assign Show action to Pres2.ppt object:
      1. Select Pres2.ppt object.
      2. Select Slide Show | Custom Animation... menu item.
      3. In the Custom Animation pane, click Add Effect | Object Actions | Show menu item.
      4. Click the dropdown box for this custom animation and select Timing... menu item.
      5. Select After Previous in the Start box.
      6. Type in 0.5 in Delay box.
      7. Click OK.
          
3. Modifications for Pres2.ppt:
   1. Insert a new slide at the end in Pres2.ppt.
       
   2. Set it to transition out in 00:01 (1 second):
      1. Select Slide Show | Slide Transition... menu item.
      2. In the Slide Transition pane, select 00:01 in Automatically after box in Advance slide section.
          
   3. Insert a link to Pres3.ppt on this new slide:

      PowerPoint 2007	PowerPoint 2003, 2002, 2000
      Select Insert tab, Object button. Select Create from file box. Locate and select Pres3.ppt file. Put a check against Link as well as Display as icon boxes. Click OK.	Select Insert | Object... menu item. Select Create from file box. Locate and select Pres3.ppt file. Put a check against Link as well as Display as icon boxes. Click OK.

       
   4. Assign Show action to Pres3.ppt object:
      1. Select Pres3.ppt object.
      2. Select Slide Show | Custom Animation... menu item.
      3. In the Custom Animation pane, click Add Effect | Object Actions | Show menu item.
      4. Click the dropdown box for this custom animation and select Timing... menu item.
      5. Select After Previous in the Start box.
      6. Type in 0.5 in Delay box.
      7. Click OK.
          
4. WIth Pres1.ppt, Pres2.ppt and Pres3.ppt loaded in PowerPoint, select Windows | Arrange All menu item. This will allow us to see all the presentations simultaneously on the primary monitor. When slide show moves between linked slide shows, PowerShow will keep the presentations on the primary monitor synchronized with the current slide show.
    
5. Select Slide Show | Power Show item.
    
6. On the Session tab, place a check mark Slide design view follows slide show box. This will ensure that the presentation on the primary monitor is kept in sync with the presentation on the secondary monitor.
    
7. On the Presentations tab, set up the configuration as follows:
   1. Select <Skip Monitor> and 1 monitor.
   2. Select your Pres1.ppt <Slide Show> in the second row and 1 monitor.
       
8. Click Start Show button.

These configuration steps would enable you to work on your primary monitor while the looping slide shows are running continuously on the secondary monitor.

The sample files to demonstrate the technique described here are available for download here.

Related Tip: How do I loop a set of presentations on the secondary monitor while editing them on the primary monitor?