cannot open file (PP2007 Viewer)

Topic

New Reply

I have given my friend a PowerPoint slide show created with PP2007(ppsx). She has Microsoft Works (version 8.5) on her computer. I had her download and install the PP2007 viewer. She cannot open the slideshow. The error message that she gets is “PowerPoint Viewer cannot open the file “CHRISTMAS SLIDE SHOW.ppt” because the file is not a PowerPoint file.” Is there a compatibility problem between Vista and the PP2007 viewer? Is there any suggestion that someone may have? Thank you very much.
Alan Silberlight

Reply | Quote

Replies

She will probably also have to download and install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.

Reply | Quote

Thank you, Hans. As I write this, she is downloading the MOCP. I’m curious as to why you suggested this. Isn’t the PP2007 Viewer for people who don’t have PP at all on their computer? By the way, it seems that she has both the PP2003 and 2007 viewers on her computer. Thank you, again.

Reply | Quote

From a Google search, I gather that “PowerPoint 2007 Viewer” is a misnomer – it is basically the same application as the PowerPoint 2003 Viewer, i.e. it can be used to view PowerPoint 97-2003 presentations (.ppt files). It uses the Compatibility Pack to convert PowerPoint 2007 presentations (.pptx) to PowerPoint 2003 (.ppt) format in order to view them.

Reply | Quote

Thank you again. She did install the MOCP. However, she still gets the same error message. Do you know of any compatibility problems with regards to Vista? Alan

Reply | Quote

I don’t know anything about Vista, sorry. I hope that someone else can help with that.

Reply | Quote

You could try saving the .ppsx file as a PowerPoint 97-2003 slide show (.pps) – she should be able to view that.

Reply | Quote

I she has two versions of the viewer installed, try uninstalling both and the installing the 2007 viewer. The Instructions for use section at Download details: PowerPoint Viewer 2007 imply that it should work for the 2007 format as it registers with those formats is no other version of PPT is installed.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

Thank you. She went to the Control Panel, but there is no indication for PP Viewer 2003, even though it is on her computer. I am able to save the file as pps or ppt but cannot send it to her; it is too big. (The original file was sent via YouSendIt. What is perplexing is that other people have had no problem in viewing the slide show. Thank you again. Alan

Reply | Quote

Try these steps. Uninstall the 2007 viewer. Then install the 2003 viewer which can be downloaded from Download details: PowerPoint Viewer 2003. Then uninstall the 2003 viewer. Then install the 2007 viewer again.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

Hi Alan

As an alternative why not convert the presentation to flash, it produces a significantly smaller file that you can usually email easier. For example it reduced a 900kb PPT that I made for a lounger into 90kb. You can get the free I spring PowerPoint to Flash program here i-Spring .

Cheers

Steve

Reply | Quote

Note: the free download is a 30 day trial version that will add an i-Spring banner to Flash presentations. To produce a presentation without such a banner, you must purchase the application (US $249).

Reply | Quote

Hi Hans

Sorry, I should have read further, I must have downoaded it before they added those limitations as it has not done it for the few things I have done.

Cheers

Steve

Reply | Quote