Resolved Recover PowerPoint file created in '97?

I recently opened an old PPT file which I made in 1998. I guess in PowerPoint '97.

I expected it to open fine, considering it was mostly just .jpg images and all the images were still in the same directory as the .ppt file. However, nearly all images are red "X ", no images.

A quick google search showed hundreds of references to the red X problem but no easy solutions to updating an older .ppt to work with anything newer.

There is not time to replace and reformat all the images. Additionally, without filenames, I don't even recall the order of the images used, and they were essential to the flow of the old presentation.

Any ideas how to reload or refresh the images in modern PowerPoint, hopefully automatically?

 

Update -

Playing with my recent ppt install on my laptop, I found the "update source" which allowed it to see the files, at least, but it's laborious, since I still have to manually click on each one (but at least this time I can see which file is in question), and I see no way to REMOVE the path, entirely, which would be vastly preferred.

Alas, this is not a good solution, not as a final solution, at least, because when I tried it on another system, the absolute paths still caused the files to not be visible.

I'm surprised powerpoint doesn't have an automated way to find files and reload them. Most software I've used can do this, not to mention saving with NO paths at all.

 

Hi stelliger, You need to give us more info.
You have not filled in your System Details so the only thing I know is you have a 'Laptop'.
What OS are you using?
What Power Point version are you trying to open your '97 PPT in?
A Google search gave me this which seems pretty easy to me.
How to Convert PowerPoint 97–2003 Presentations to 2007 Neil.

 

How To Add System Specifications To Your Profile

 

Thanks, retired.

I'll fill in the profile when I get a chance.

Interestingly, though, I have tried to open it both in Office 2003 on an XP desktop, and Office 2013 on a Win 7 laptop. Same problems.

For what it's worth, I found a workaround. I was able to "edit paths" and have to "change source" for every file, individually, in the presentation. That made it viewable in PPT '13. Then I was able to go back and "break link" to get rid of the absolute path.

Why such a thing wasn't easily accomplished in a single command (e.g. "break all links "), to revert to all files in the same directory, or change the folder globally, I don't know.

It's no longer a huge or rush issue, though, as I don't know any older large PPT files from that era I wish to revive. However it's nice to learn in case I have the problem again.

 

Ok, thanks.