FAQ

Efficient Elements GmbH is German software company. It was founded in 2008 with the purpose of creating software to improve business processes, especially focusing on improving Microsoft Office products.

Here are our contact details: info@efficient-elements.com | Phone +49 89 9545 980-0

We are globally minded - you can purchase our products from anywhere in the world: either through our web shop, via email or your preferred software reseller.

When paying your invoice via PayPal, credit card or bank transfer, you will automatically be charged in your own currency. Please check with your credit card company or bank about any additional fees they might charge for currency conversion. When sending money via bank transfer, please make sure to add all transfer fees to the amount to be paid.

As most of our services are offered online, we are not restrained by geographical boundaries. Should you experience any problems or need help of any sort, we are there for you via phone, via email and via web meetings including screen sharing.

We also offer on-site training and support outside of Germany, but we will have to charge you the respective travel cost.

Please contact us for possibilities regarding individual invoices prior to ordering.

Efficient Elements for presentations helps the user with creating exact and well structured presentations in very little time. As time becomes more and more costly the potential savings can be substantial.

You can download a free 30-day trial version of Efficient Elements for presentations from the Downloads section on our website. If you would like to continue using the product after the trial period, you can purchase a license in our web shop or simply order via email

Students and educational institutions are eligible for free licenses.

In case you have already receive a license key for Efficient Elements for presentations, you can download the customized edition from the Downloads section on our website. In case you do not have a key yet and would like to receive a free 30-day trial of the customized edition, please contact us.

Yes, we also offer Efficient Elements for presentations for macOS. Due to technical limitations the macOS version does not offer the exact same feature set as the Windows version. Please download and install the free 30-day trial version to see for yourself.

Efficient Elements for presentations costs 99 EUR (+ VAT) per user per year.

After downloading Efficient Elements for presentations from the Downloads section on our website simply execute the installation (msi) file and follow the installation instructions.

If you are in a corporate environment, please check with your IT department first before installing Efficient Elements for presentations. Your IT department might have to install the add-in for you.

Our standard installation package of Efficient Elements for presentations requires administrator privileges and is installed per-machine.

If you don't have administrator privileges, you can download our per-user installer here.

The default installation path of Efficient Elements for presentations depends on the installation type:

• Per-user installation: Local Application Data
• Per-machine installation: Program Files (x86)

In order to obtain full functionality of Efficient Elements for presentations, it is necessary to activate the product using your personal license key. To activate your license an internet connection is required.

Please contact us. We will discuss the possibilities for activation within your corporate network with your IT department.

Once Efficient Elements for presentations has been installed, it will prompt you to activate the license upon starting Microsoft PowerPoint. The computer will then establish a connection with our license server. If for some reason you should not be able to activate the product during installation you will be prompted again the next time you start Microsoft PowerPoint. Should your company network not permit an automatic activation please click here.

Unless you re-install your computer or change hardware you only need to active your license once during the license period. Once the license period is expired, you will be prompted to activate Efficient Elements for presentations again. Until you re-activate your license, you cannot use Efficient Elements.

You can use your license key as many times as you need to re-install Efficient Elements for presentations on your machine. Please make sure your personal license key does not get stolen or passed on to anyone. We will keep track of all installations and not tolerate license abuse.

If you are in a corporate environment, updates may automatically be installed through your IT department. Please check with your IT department first before installing any update.

For standard per-user installations, you will be automatically informed by the software, once an update is available. If there is an update available, you will be prompted to download the update shortly after starting PowerPoint. You can choose to download right away or postpone the update to a later point in time. In case you need to interrupt the download, you will be prompted again the following day to reattempt the download.

After the download of the update has been completed, you will need to close PowerPoint before it can be installed. Please make sure not to interrupt the installation process, as the installation might be corrupted otherwise and you may not be able to use the add-in until you have reinstalled it manually.

See www.efficient-elements.com/powerpoint/.

Efficient Elements for presentations is compatible with 64bit versions of both Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office.

This depends on the license type you have purchased:

• Single user license: valid for one user only
• Multi user license: valid for multiple users as agreed upon in license contract
• Corporate license: valid for any user in your company as agreed upon in license contract

Users are uniquely identified by the combination of Windows / macOS username and domain / hostname (or hash values thereof). If the same person uses multiple such combinations, each combination is counted separately for licensing. If you need more licenses please contact us at info@efficient-elements.com to obtain further licenses. Please make sure your license key does not get stolen or passed on to anyone. We will keep track of all installations and not tolerate license abuse.

Efficient Elements for presentations is licensed per user. The licensed user is entitled to install and activate the product on multiple machines / Microsoft Windows accounts as long as the same combination of Windows / macOS username and domain / hostname (or hash values thereof) is used and only he/she has access to them. If you need to pass on one of your computers to a colleague, please uninstall the software on that machine or purchase an additional license.

The use of Efficient Elements for presentations is only permitted with a valid license. After the license has expired you cannot use Efficient Elements until you extend your license.

If you are in a corporate environment, please check with your IT department first, they may purchase and distribute new license keys centrally. Otherwise, please contact us at info@efficient-elements.com or visit our web shop to obtain a new license key.

Please visit our web shop or contact us at info@efficient-elements.com to obtain a new license key.

After installing Efficient Elements you should find a task pane labeled 'EE' or 'Efficient Elements' on the right side of the PowerPoint window. If needed, you can close this task pane by clicking on the 'x' located in the top right corner of the pane. To open the EE task pane again, please click on the 'Efficient Elements' button located on the left side of the PowerPoint 'Home' tab.

It is possible to change the language of Efficient Elements for presentations. You will find the language setting in the 'Efficient Elements' menu located on the left side of the PowerPoint 'Home' tab. Currently the following languages are available:

• English
• French
• German
• Italian
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish
• Simplified Chinese
• Traditional Chinese

If your preferred language is not listed here, please contact us. We might be able to add your preferred language in a future update.

Yes, it is possible to adjust the user interface of Efficient Elements for presentations. You will find the user interface mode setting in the 'Efficient Elements' menu located on the left side of the PowerPoint 'Home' tab. The following presets are available:

• Expert - the default setting displaying all functions
• Basic - display only the most important functions

If you would like to make further adjustments to the user interface, we can offer you a customized edition of Efficient Elements. Please contact us for more information.

Yes we do. Please visit the Training section on our website to either sign up for a free webinar or to book one of our other training offerings.

There are different ways to receive help and explanations for Efficient Elements functions:

• Via 'Mouse-Over': move the cursor onto of the button for which you require help. A tooltip will give you brief description of the function.
• In the EE menu on the HOME tab: Here you will find the offline available documentation for Efficient Elements for presentations.
• On our website: visit www.efficient-elements.com/tutorials/.

For feedback, ideas or suggestions you can contact us using the 'Send Feedback' button in the 'Efficient Elements' menu located on the left side of the PowerPoint 'Home' tab. Your e-mail client should automatically open a new message. If this doesn't work, please contact us at feedback@efficient-elements.com.

For your convenience we included a 'Recommend to a friend' button in the 'Efficient Elements' menu located on the left side of the PowerPoint 'Home' tab. The button will compose a new e-mail in your e-mail client with a pre-written text including all necessary information. If this doesn't work, please recommend our product referring your friends or colleagues to our website at www.efficient-elements.com.

Yes, it is possible to further customize Efficient Elements for presentations to your corporate or personal needs. Please visit www.efficient-elements.com/customization/ and contact us at info@efficient-elements.com to discuss the details.

Please refer to www.efficient-elements.com/customization/for customization options. For details please contact us at info@efficient-elements.com to receive an customization offer for your company.

You can use our "Quick Customization Wizard" which you will find in the EE menu in your "Start" tab. Please contact us at info@efficient-elements.com for further information on our customization services.

Yes, we do. Please refer to www.efficient-elements.com/customization/for customization options. For details please contact us at info@efficient-elements.com to receive an customization offer for your company.

Yes you can. Please refer to www.efficient-elements.com/customization/for customization options. For details please contact us at info@efficient-elements.com to receive an customization offer for your company.

Yes, Efficient Elements can be fully customized to fit your corporate design. Please refer to www.efficient-elements.com/customization/for customization options. For details please contact us at info@efficient-elements.com to receive an customization offer for your company.

There are different ways to receive help and explanations for Efficient Elements functions:

• Via 'Mouse-Over': move the cursor onto of the button for which you require help. A so-called tooltip will give you brief description of the function.
• In the Microsoft Start menu: Click on 'All Programs' - 'Efficient Elements' - 'Efficient Elements for presentations'. Here you will find the offline available documentation for Efficient Elements for presentations.
• On our website: visit www.efficient-elements.com/tutorials/. Alternatively you will find direct links in the 'Efficient Elements' menu located on the left side of the PowerPoint 'Home' tab.
• Via online training: Sign up - it is free! Visit www.efficient-elements.com/training/ to find out more about our training offerings.

Error messages pop up, if something unforeseen occurs. Please briefly describe the problem and what you did before you encountered the error message in the text box provided. Please also fill in the fields 'Name' and 'Contact' so that we can contact you in case we need more information. Our software specialists will fix the problem as soon as possible.

After installing Efficient Elements you should find the EE task pane on the right side of the PowerPoint window. If needed, you can close this task pane by clicking on the 'x' located in the top right corner of the pane. To open the EE task pane again, please click on the 'Efficient Elements' button located on the left side of the PowerPoint 'Home' tab.

The 'Efficient Elements' button is located on the very left side of the PowerPoint 'Home' tab. Should you not be able to find this button there, Efficient Elements for presentations has either not been installed properly or it has been deactivated by PowerPoint. Please first check if it has been disabled:

Click the 'Office/File Button', go to '(PowerPoint) Options', 'Add-Ins', select 'Disabled Items' from the dropdown at the bottom, click 'Go...'. If you find 'Efficient Elements for presentations' in the list, select it and click 'Enable'. After restarting PowerPoint Efficient Elements for presentations should be loaded again.

If you do not find it in the list, click 'Cancel' and select 'COM Add-Ins' from the dropdown at the bottom, click 'Go...'. If you find 'Efficient Elements for presentations' in this list, check the corresponding checkbox and click 'OK'. After restarting PowerPoint Efficient Elements for presentations should be loaded again.

If you do not find it in this list, click 'Cancel'. Efficient Elements for presentations has not been installed properly. Please reinstall it and follow the above steps again if needed. In case this does not solve the problem, please contact us.

In some rare occasions, Microsoft PowerPoint may disable the Efficient Elements for presentations add-in in 'safe mode'. To activate the add-in again, please follow these steps:

Click the 'Office/File Button', go to '(PowerPoint) Options', 'Add-Ins', select 'Disabled Items' from the dropdown at the bottom, click 'Go...'. If you find 'Efficient Elements for presentations' in the list, select it and click 'Enable'. After restarting PowerPoint Efficient Elements for presentations should be loaded again.

If you do not find it in the list, click 'Cancel' and select 'COM Add-Ins' from the dropdown at the bottom, click 'Go...'. If you find 'Efficient Elements for presentations' in this list, check the corresponding checkbox and click 'OK'. After restarting PowerPoint Efficient Elements for presentations should be loaded again.

If you do not find it in this list, click 'Cancel'. Efficient Elements for presentations has not been installed properly. Please reinstall it and follow the above steps again if needed. In case this does not solve the problem, please contact us.

When the license period is expired, it is necessary to reactivate the program. Please contact us to acquire a new activation code or contact your administrator to get the code for you. If your license is not expired yet, please enter the code again to perform the activation again. Your computer needs to be connected to the internet when performing the activation.

Please change your firewall settings to allow Efficient Elements for presentations to establish an internet connection. When in doubt, please refer to your administrator or contact us.

Some email programs, including older versions of Lotus Notes, do not support the execution of certain web links (i.e. mailto: links). Please simply send your colleagues and friends a link to our website: www.efficient-elements.com.

Make sure you have full access to your 'Temp' folder:

1. Open Windows Explorer, type %localappdata% and press .
2. Right click on the 'Temp' folder and select 'Properties'.
3. Select the tab 'Security' and click 'Edit'.
4. In the 'Permissions' dialog select your user name under 'Group or user names' or add your user name clicking on 'Add...'.
5. Set the check mark next to 'Full control' and close the 'Permissions' and 'Properties' dialogs clicking 'OK'.
6. Try to install the .msi package again.

Windows 32-bit

1. Click 'Start', click 'All Programs', and then click 'Accessories'.
2. Right-click 'Command Prompt', and then click 'Run as administrator'.
3. When the User Account Control dialog box appears, click 'Continue'.
4. Type the following command and confirm pressing 'Enter':
   

   reg delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{B54F3741-5B07-11CF-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}" /f
   
   regsvr32 "C:\Windows\System32\vbscript.dll"

5. Try to install the .msi package again.

Windows 64-bit

1. Click 'Start', click 'All Programs', and then click 'Accessories'.
2. Right-click 'Command Prompt', and then click 'Run as administrator'.
3. When the User Account Control dialog box appears, click 'Continue'.
4. Type the following commands and confirm pressing 'Enter':
   

   reg delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{B54F3741-5B07-11CF-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}" /f
   
   regsvr32 "C:\Windows\SysWow64\vbscript.dll"

5. Try to install the .msi package again.