Adding clients´ PowerPoint comments back to slides

When we are converting slides to a different template or copying slides we might lose clients´ PowerPoint comments.
You can see an example of such comments below:
Comment on the slide:

Comment connected to specific element - shape/text:
Please note: Comments anchored to shapes/text is a new PowerPoint feature called "Modern Comments". If you do not have this feature, visit the linked article to see if you can turn it on in your PowerPoint - the guidance is in the last section of the article.
Not all designers have this feature available in their version of PowerPoint. In that case, you might see PowerPoint comments on top of some shapes but they are not directly connected to the shape/text. If this is your case, please still remain comments in the same places as you can see it in the input and communicate with your admin if comments are added correctly.
If you have this feature available you need to make sure that comments are connected directly to shapes/text - when you click on comment you can see the connected box highlighted as in the example below.


We have to ensure that client does not lose these comments as they might contain important information and many times comments of multiple employees from the company.
We need to use one of the following methods to ensure we keep client´s comments in the output file exactly as they are.

Method 1: Copy the input slide and paste it to the new template file with the function "Keep Source Formatting"

This will keep the format of the first template but should remain the comments in the slide. Afterwards simply go to "Layout" options and change the layout to the new template´s correct layout. Now check if all the comments are still there and if yes, you can start to work on the slide.
Important note: If the comments are connected to specific shapes then make sure you format directly the shape copied from the input in order to keep the comment. Creating a new box and just copy - pasting text will lead to missing comments.

Method 2: Macro

This procedure is quite simple if you know how to do it.
Every designer should know how to do this and apply it whenever comments from the input are deleted, unless they were the client´s instructions.
This method is also very useful when we need to transfer comments on the optional slides.

How to add comments back?
You can learn how to add clients' comments back by watching this short video.

Code for Macros:
Please copy the text from this PDF.
Code should look like this when pasted into Macros:

Method 3: Changing the name in the PowerPoint options and adding the comments from the scratch

Warning: use this method only if Methods 1 and Methods 2 don´t work. This method does not keep the correct time of when comments were added. If you use this method inform the admin.

Steps:
File -> Options (bottom left corner) -> General -> Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office -> Change "User name" and "Initials" based on the client comment you need to add. If the comments come from multiple people you need to change this every time before adding the comment.
After all the comments are changed, please remember to adjust your name back to your own.

Updated on: 31/03/2023