PowerPoint help
PowerPoint add-in setup
Install the add-in on each PowerPoint PC and connect it to the PC running C4 Clock.
Install on the right PC
Connect in four steps
- Put all devices on the same network.
Connect the clock PC and every PowerPoint PC to your show network. Avoid guest Wi-Fi.
- Find the clock PC's IP address.
In C4 Clock, open Options > Settings > PowerPoint. The address is shown under C4 Clock IP.
- Enter that IP in the add-in.
On each PowerPoint PC, open the C4 Clock tab. Enter the clock IP and press Enter. Choose PPT MAIN for your main PC, or PPT BU for a backup.
- Check the port and test.
Check the port number is the same in the add-in and C4 settings. Make sure the matching PPT source is ticked in C4. Click Test Connection, then change slides and check C4 follows.
127.0.0.1.Load a presenter’s linked PowerPoint from the run sheet
Updated for C⁴ Clock 5.77.201 with PowerPoint add-in 0.1.135. Linked deck loading, folder selection and presentation linking require Pro or an active Pro trial. Files are explicitly linked, not selected by matching presenter names.
- Prepare each PowerPoint PC.
Install the compatible C⁴ add-in and keep PowerPoint open on every PPT PC. Connect the clock and presentation PCs over the accessible show network.
- Approve presentation folders per machine.
Open Settings > PowerPoint. Each PC has its own compact section with its display name, live connection status, enabled control and presentation folder together. Choose AUTO LOAD SETUP for that source, then CHOOSE FOLDER ON [source name], using the actual PC name shown on the button. The folder picker opens on that PowerPoint PC, not the clock PC. Select its local presentation folder there. Set up Main and Backup separately if you use both. Folder approval is required for linked file browsing/loading only; ordinary slide and media monitoring does not require approved folders.
- Select a presenter and edit links in the lower editor.
The PPT column is plain read-only text. In the lower editor, explicitly choose the local Main deck and, if used, the Backup deck and their PPT sources. Pro supports up to four PowerPoint sources.
- Pause or stop, then choose the loading mode.
Pro shows LOAD PREV / LOAD NEXT above AUTO LOAD PPT / ARM, with the large Play/Pause control retained. Turn AUTO LOAD PPT on to load the timer first and open the linked Main and optional Backup decks in slideshow on slide 1. Press LOAD NEXT or LOAD PREV for the presenter you want.
- Use timer-only loading when needed.
With AUTO LOAD PPT off, or if the presenter has no linked deck, the buttons load only the presenter’s timer and leave PowerPoint unchanged. The toggle is saved with the auto-load preference in Settings > PowerPoint.
- Arm separately when ready.
ARM remains independent. Loading does not immediately start the countdown. Check the selected presentation, slide 1 and timer state, then arm or use the normal Play/Pause controls as appropriate.
Reset the timer in Pro
The Pro four-control block uses AUTO LOAD PPT in the space where Free shows RESET. The existing SET/RESET button beside the custom-duration field remains available in Pro. With the clock paused or stopped, check the duration and use SET/RESET to load that duration into the timer. It does not load a PowerPoint deck. LOAD PREV/NEXT selects a presenter; it is not the reset control.
If a linked presentation fails to load
Read the reported error before continuing. Because the timer loads first, it may already show the selected presenter even if a later PowerPoint step fails. A failed load leaves the timer unarmed. There is no automatic retry of the presentation command.
- Check that PowerPoint is still open, its matching add-in is connected, the local presentation folder is approved and the explicitly linked file is available on that machine.
- If Main or Backup partly loaded, inspect both machines. Do not assume that every deck stayed unchanged, or that every slideshow reached slide 1.
- Resolve the reported problem, confirm the presenter and timer, then retry deliberately. Wait for an in-progress load to finish rather than pressing the load controls repeatedly.
- After a successful load, verify the deck and timer state before arming or starting. If the run sheet changed during loading, review the presenter before continuing.
Freeze last slide
Install PowerPoint add-in 0.1.126 or newer on each PPT PC. Click the snowflake on a connected PowerPoint source tile to turn Freeze last slide on or off for that PC. The same checkbox is in PowerPoint’s C⁴ Clock ribbon. Disconnected sources have no snowflake, and protection is off when PowerPoint starts.
The snowflake turns green only after the add-in confirms protection is enabled. Grey means off or unavailable; amber means waiting for confirmation. Clicking it does not select a different PowerPoint source.
The final slide’s builds still play. After its last build, forward keys (Right, Down, Page Down, Space, Enter and N) are blocked in the full-screen slideshow and English PowerPoint Presenter View. Backward keys (Left, Up and Page Up) still work, and Esc still exits. Freeze last slide does not change loop settings or save the presentation.
Preflight report and optional ribbon tab
In add-in 0.1.133, click Preflight to open the complete current scan summary in a resizable, scrollable window. Copy summary copies the entire report, including setup warnings, slide timings, media, links and font findings with reported slide numbers. Opening or copying the report does not change or save the presentation. Use Refresh Scan after editing a deck if its scan needs updating.
In the add-in’s Options group, Open C⁴ tab when a presentation opens is off by default. Enable it for speaker prep to select the C⁴ tab once for each newly opened or created deck. It does not repeatedly switch tabs when you return to an already-open deck, and does not change or save the presentation or its timings.
Check the source and port
Receive ports are under Settings > PowerPoint > Advanced connection settings. Enabled sources need valid, different receive ports; C⁴ checks for invalid or duplicate ports before saving. Existing source names, ports, approved folders and loading preferences are retained when updating.
| PPT source | Port |
|---|---|
| PPT MAIN / PPT1 | 35650 UDP |
| PPT BU / PPT2 | 35652 UDP |
| PPT 3 | 35654 UDP |
| PPT4 | 35656 UDP |
Not connecting?
The C4 tab says NOT CONNECTED
Check the clock app is open and all PCs are on the same network. Check the clock IP and port number. Make sure the matching PPT source is ticked in C4 settings, then click Test Connection again.
Could Windows Firewall be blocking it?
Allow C4 Clock on the clock PC and PowerPoint on each presentation PC through Windows Firewall for your show network. If you need help, ask IT. Leave the firewall switched on.
There is no C4 Clock tab in PowerPoint
Close PowerPoint before installing the add-in on that PC, then reopen it. Still missing? Open File > Options > Add-ins, choose COM Add-ins under Manage, then click Go and check C4 Clock. Also check whether it appears under Disabled Items.
Separately, check File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Add-ins > Disable all Application Add-ins. This is different from the COM Add-ins list. Ask IT before changing settings on a managed PC or if the controls are blocked. The C⁴ installer does not change these security settings automatically.
If setup fails, choose Open setup log. Keep the main setup log and related package logs from the same attempt, and review them for private information before sharing with support or IT.
It worked before, but not on this network
The clock IP may have changed. Check it in C4 settings and enter it again on each PowerPoint PC. Avoid guest Wi-Fi; it can stop PCs talking to each other.
Connected, but the wrong slides are showing
Open the correct presentation in PowerPoint. In C4 Clock, select the matching PPT source. Click Refresh Scan in the add-in, then change slides to check.
Audio Operator and Showcaller
Using C⁴ Clock Pro with other show operators? The Audio Operator guide covers timing/media cues, supported Shure receiver monitoring and microphone assignments. The Showcaller guide covers the /showcall LAN view, permissions and independent warning acknowledgements.