Troubleshooting: Uploads & File Issues

Upload failed or stuck at 0% / 100%

Symptom: The upload progress bar freezes or the file never appears after upload completes.

Steps to fix

1. Check file size — very large files (>500 MB) may time out on slow connections. Compress in PowerPoint: File → Compress Media → Internet Quality.
2. Check your internet — run a speed test. Upload requires at least 5 Mbps stable upload speed. Unstable Wi-Fi causes partial uploads.
3. Try a different browser — if Chrome is failing, try Firefox or Edge. Ad-blockers can interfere with file uploads.
4. Check file format — StartSync accepts .pptx, .ppt, .pdf, .docx, .key, .xlsx, .csv, .txt, .mp4, .mov, .mp3, .jpg, .png, .zip, and more. See File Formats for the full list.
5. Reload and retry — press F5 to reload, then upload again. Incomplete uploads are cleaned up automatically.

Upload completed but file not appearing: Wait 10–15 seconds and reload. Large files take a moment to process server-side after upload finishes.

Self-upload link not working for a speaker

Symptom: A speaker says the upload link doesn't work, shows an error, or asks for a password they don't have.

Troubleshooting steps

1. Verify the link is correct — go to dashboard → event → copy the self-upload link fresh. Don't forward a link that was already forwarded (email clients mangle URLs).
2. Check if the event is still active — if you deleted or deactivated the event, the link stops working.
3. Speaker uploading a disallowed format — self-upload accepts the same formats as regular upload (PPTX, PDF, DOCX, KEY, MP4, XLSX, and more). See File Formats for the full list.
4. File too large — the file may exceed the plan's size limit. Ask the speaker to compress their presentation.
5. WhatsApp / email mangled the link — some messaging apps break long URLs. Send the link as plain text, or use a link shortener.

File conversion error (PDF / Word / Keynote → PowerPoint)

Symptom: A conversion job fails or produces a broken .pptx with missing fonts, corrupted images, or blank slides.

Common causes and workarounds

• PDF with embedded fonts — complex PDFs with non-standard fonts may not convert perfectly. Ask the speaker to re-export with "Embed all fonts" enabled.
• Keynote from a very old version — Keynote 09 or earlier may not convert correctly. Ask the speaker to re-export from a newer version, or export to PDF first.
• Word with complex layouts — multi-column layouts and tables may shift. After converting, do a quick visual check slide-by-slide.
• File is password-protected — protected files cannot be converted. Ask the speaker to remove the password and re-upload.

Fallback: If conversion fails, use the original format directly. PDF opens fine in Adobe Reader — set it as the default PDF app and presentations work without conversion.

Uploaded file not appearing in the dashboard

Symptom: Upload showed 100% but the file doesn't appear in the presentations list.

Steps to diagnose

1. Wait and reload — large files (>50 MB) take 10–20 seconds to process. Press F5 and check again.
2. Check the correct room/session — if you had a different room or session selected, the file may have been assigned there. Look in other rooms or "All Presentations".
3. Browser tab was in background — some browsers throttle network activity for background tabs. Keep the upload tab visible while uploading.
4. Upload on a different account — verify you're logged into the same account. Files are only visible to the uploading account.
5. Storage limit reached — if your plan's storage is full, uploads are rejected silently. Check the storage indicator in account settings.