Run a PowerPoint Tutorial Before User Log In

I don't see how you can do this since it must run under a user context and no user has logged in.

You can use the logon message in a GPO for that (found in Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Settings\Security Options, "Interactive logon: Message text for users attempting to log on").
Or you can tell the users to logon with the UPN instead of the pre-W2k user name (and maybe, in addition, disable the domain dropdown box at logon).
8750 » How can I prevent a Windows XP user from toggling the Domain box during log on? 03-Dec-04
http://www.jsifaq.com/SF/Tips/Tip.aspx?id=8750

Thanks GlennaShaw -

The script does not run at startup - I created a batch file that consists of this command:
start "c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe" "http://www.mywebsite.com/TestTutorial.pps"
Placed in the startup folder - Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Scripts > Startup
When I test it by restarting the computer, it goes directly to the logon screen and the presentation never runs. If I run the batch while in Windows it opens fine. Please advise.

Okay, I put a pause in the batch file and found it was prompting to make IE my default browser! I decided to use a file path instead and it does work but it loads the login screen first - then a few seconds later it runs the presentation. There's enough of a delay for users to enter their user/pass - any way to make sure the presentation runs before the logon screen pops up?

Try disabling the "Run startup scripts asynchronously" in
Computer Configuration - Administrative Templates - System - Scripts

I tried that but the same thing happens...

I think it's because the batch file is completing before the PPS finishes running so the LOGON script starts too soon.
You can try a WAIT DELAY in the Script:
http://www.futuresoft.com/support/scriptxmp/sx-autlg.htm

Thanks GlennaShaw,

I tried to use wait/sleep but it still didn't work, once I disabled Fast Logon Optimization by enabling Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon in -  it worked!  Thanks!

If I need to open another question to award points, I can do that if no is willing to answer this question:

The presentation will not run on more than one computer at a time. I have computers in an OU that I created so I can assign the startup script to them. It runs fine when one computer starts up but when I start up any more (2, or 3,) at the same time, I get an error similar to "cannot read Power Point presentation at - path to script".

When I look at the event log of the PC where it didn't start there's an GPO timeout message. I've added the domain computers group to the sysvol folder but it still won't work. Please advise.

You need to accept GlennaShaw's answer if that solution worked as you seem to have stated.

I did accept GlennaShaw's answer because it worked - I got the presentation to run first - before the user name/password logon box - but the problem is it won't run on more than one PC at the same time. Thanks for your response.

... then if you want to ask another question you need to open another question !

Did you use quotes around the file path?  Also, before logon there is no way to determine access rights so that may be a factor as well.  
As I said before: Save the PowerPoint as a PPS file, post it to a web site or "open" network share and enter the full URL or path in the Start Up Script.  As long as the PC has PowerPoint installed with the appropriate file associations, the presentation will run automatically at PC startup.

Try the "http://www.mywebsite.com/TestTutorial.pps" again, but you don't need to start it with IE, you can use it as a parameter for PowerPoint or, if file associations are correct on the PC, by itself.

Thanks a lot GlennaShaw! I changed the path to \\server\share\file.pps. I had placed the file in the startup folder of the computer's OU and it was pointing to URL of the domain (domainname.com\share\file.pps. I'm not sure why it wouldn't read as I had set permissions on the share to read...at any rate - I'm grateful for your help!