Cannot open .pps in OE email

I can open pps file in Microsoft Office Powerpoint viewer 2003 if I save the file to desktop, but not in O.E. When I look under folder options I see PPT listed but not PPS. Should I be adding this to the list? And if so how?
The readme file in PPviewer says ' The PowerPoint Viewer does not support running macros, programs, or opening linked or embedded objects'. Is this related? I never had this issue before. Error message is 'This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the folder options control panel.

Alicia

 

Anyone have any ideas how to fix this? Anyone at all....

Alicia

 

Alicia J--Maybe you need the latest version of PPViewer. It looks as if it will open both .pps and .ppt files (but probably necessary to uninstall any earlier version first).
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...27-43AB-4F24-90B7-A94784AF71A4&displaylang=en

 

Welshjim,

I have the Microsoft Office Powerpoint viewer 2003 File version 11.05530.0
The D/L exe for this viewer is version 6.0.2600.0 I have read some of the MS newsgroup questions about this. There are several people posting that since SP2 installation they can no longer open pps files within O.E They have the same experience as I do, being able to open them if saved to hard drive outside of O.E. No one has posted any solution to this problem other than the work around of saving to HD or uninstalling power point viewer 2003 and installing the 97 version. (a reinstall of the 2003 did not work for any of them). From the error message I get, I think (guess) that something in the registry is telling O.E. to look in the wrong place for the viewer.

Alicia

 

Alicia J--The latest (from that site I suggested) PowerPoint Viewer (.exe file) is version 11.0.5703.0.
I am not aware of the problem with XP SP2 (and I have not had a PowerPoint presentation since I recently got my new PC to test that out), but I agree that the proposed "work around ", while a few more steps, at least allows you to see these files.
I understand your problem is actually with old PowerPoint files that you now can no longer see directly after installing SP2. Here is a fix that works for other programs, not just the one mentioned.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=870883

 

Hi Weshjim,

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate the MS link. I have to admit that I'm too chicken to edit the registry without having specific directions for the pps issue. I don't know how to change the info since it's not wordpad I'm dealing with. The workaround works, you're right. I just hope MS fixes this annoying glitch.

Alicia

 

Installing newest version didn't help.

Alicia

 

I don't have a clean machine to test this on, my *GUESS* is that OE is looking for an 'Open' verb on the extension, and its missing by default.

Open explorer

Tools->Folder Options
File Types tab
Scroll down until you find the PPS extension
Click Advanced
Highlight 'Show' and hit edit.
Take a screenshot, or write down on paper exactly what this looks like, we are going to add an Open verb that looks just like it. note that on the application box, it may have scrolled to the right..

Close that Edit screen.
Hit the New button
Fill in the Action box with &Open
copy the rest to look exactly like the Show verb.

How'd we do?

 

I followed your directions (I hope). I used the path
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer\pptview.exe "%1 "
I checked off DDE and put app as pptview and topic as System, the same as
the Show except with &Open. It doesn't like my file path. What have I done wrong or what else can I try?

Thanks
Alicia

 

i would think that it should look like this:

Code:

 "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer\pptview.exe"  "%1" 

please make sure to post back results. i think this is a new one, if this works, it would be good to have this solution verified.

 

Hi Joe,

Here's my info(copy and paste) and yours to compare.

&Show

Copy and paste from my computer looks like this:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer\pptview.exe "%1 "

Joe's version:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer\pptview.exe" "%1"

I'll try yours anyway and see if it works. Thanks.

Note: &Print

Looks like this if that helps any:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer\pptview.exe /p "%1 "

Joe even the &Show has the same message about path file not found when I check it to copy and paste. It's still there though. And my pps files open on my desktop. Just not in O.E.

I tried my line copied and your line copied. It finally took yours without saying file path can't be found. Still didn't work, not even as the default.

Should I have rebooted? Is there a pps created with the 2003 version of powerpoint that I could test with? Should I have rebooted before trying?

Is there something we can check in the registry? I can do that if you tell me where to look.

Alicia

 

Alicia J--
1) The simple way to create an association of a file with the correct program for opening it is as follows
Right click on a .pps file|Open With. If you get a drop down that includes "Choose Program ", click on that. Otherwise, the next window should offer you some choices, but if you do not like the choices, is there a Browse button? If yes, click on it, browse to Powerpoint (pptview.exe --mine is in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer), click on it, check the box at the bottom "Always use specified program... "|OK. Did the .pps file open? If yes, then you have set the association of .pps with PowerPoint.

2) Take one of those PowerPoint files and copy it--just so you won't lose it in case things get messed up. Now using the copy, right click|Rename and change the file type to .ppt. (If Windows complains, just ignore it) Now can you open it when you click on it? If so that is a work around.

3) Totally wild guess. I know that .pdf files will not open directly in IE unless I have have allowed ActiveX controls set to run (IE Tools|Internet Options|Security Tab|Custom Level| "Run ActiveX controls and plugins "), but I do not need ActiveX if I download the .pdf first. Might apply here too.

 

Welshjim,

In O.E. the pps files are set to open with pp viewer. I tried holding the shift key to get open with, but it only has open as an option. Where did you want me to copy to? It is in the email as an attachment. I can do the save as and put it on my desktop and tell it to open as ppt with power point viewer. It already opens on my desktop as pps. Opens with ppt on desktop also.

Alicia

 

Alicia J--Could you ever open a .pps (or a .ppt) file directly from OE? I am beginning to think that saving them first and then opening is the way to do it.
However,
1) "In O.E. the pps files are set to open with pp viewer." I do not understand. I thought from your first post that you could not open a .pps file that you received as an attachment to an OE message.
2) "I tried holding the shift key to get open with, but it only has open as an option. " What I suggested should give you the Open With option when you right click on a .pps file that you have downloaded. But if not, hold down Shift at the same time you right click on the .pps file (again one that you have downloaded).
3) "Where did you want me to copy to?" Anywhere that is convenient. Desktop will do fine. (Remember the only reason to make a copy is so you do not mess up the original.) When you save the .pps that came with the email, that is a copy, since the email still has the original attached.
4) For what it is worth, I have both PPS and PPT in my File Types list. And the "Show" Editing Action window for each is exactly the same. (See screen shot) The full application line reads C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer\pptview.exe "%1 "

 

Hi Welshjim,

The first time I tried to open this pps attachment in O.E. it asked me what I wanted to open with. I picked always open with ppt viewer. Even though I picked that option, it would not and has not opened within O.E. This problem did not occur with ppt viewer 97, just ppt viewer 2003.

I guess I'll have to live with the work around.

Alicia