Cannot Open Powerpoint Presentations?!??!

[adamf]

We have a problem here where some pupils cannot open previously created powerpoints in Powerpoint 2003.

 

They seem to get a variety of error messages:

 

PowerPoint can't open the type of file represented by filename

 

PowerPoint can't read the outline from filename. No text converter is installed for this file type.

 

I've tried multiple solutions found on the web, critical updates and hotfixes from Microsoft that we already have installed

 

We are using SP3.

 

Any suggestions or ideas

[BJG]

...guess students couldn't have edited them in Powerpoint 2007 at home or somewhere...? Have you tried opening them on a PC with the compatibility pack installed...?

 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

[tech_guy]

Have you tried installing the compatibilty pack? I had this at another place I work at and it solved the problem.

 

Linky

[tech_guy]

Doh, BJG beat me to it!

[adamf]

The pupils say they haven't taken them home and they haven't been modified on a different version because we only use 2003.

 

I have the compatibility pack installed on my machine and they won't open, nor will then open striaght into PowerPoint 2007 that I have on another machine.

[tech_guy]

I remember once having an issue where ppt files were being corrupted on saving but that was way back with Office 2000 or even 97.

 

What happens when you log on with a 'clean' test pupil account and create ppt files?

[adamf]

What happens when you log on with a 'clean' test pupil account and create ppt files?

 

Not tried, but then it's not happen to every pupil. So far, I think the total count is 5 or 6 but I want to stop whatever is happening so it doesn't get any worse.

[torry_loon]

Have you tried opening the files in OpenOffice? It can open some corrupted MS office files that MS Office can't open.

[CyberNerd]

Have you tried opening the files in OpenOffice? It can open some corrupted MS office files that MS Office can't open.

 

In addition, OpenOffice can open all versions of powerpoint including files saved in Office 2007

[conehead]

Are there any pictures/images in common that the students affected have used. I have found more often than not, it's a faulty clip art file or other graphic file that has been used that corrupts the ppt file

[adamf]

Could be, although not being able to get in to the file means I can't confirm this.

[adamf]

When I try and open the presentation in OpenOffice I get the ASCII Filter Options and the file opens in OpenOffice Writer. This is what appears:

 

#################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################n#ðàT##†C†$§è�$ 2®*3–ËPÿ‰PNG

#

###

 

Not sure if its useful

[bossman]

You will probably find if you ask the students that they have had pictures embedded in the ppt and these have become corrupted by powerpoint app.

How many students is it?

Are they on computers in one particular area?

Have you re-installed the office apps on these workstations?

Have you been cleaning user profiles?

You could try recovery apps for ppt though i doubt you will get much success but you could try for nowt.

Only thing left after that is for them to do their ppt over again.

[adamf]

How many students is it?

 

So far 5

 

Are they on computers in one particular area?

 

Different rooms, same hardware, same image on machines

 

Have you re-installed the office apps on these workstations??

 

Not since the summer

 

 

Have you been cleaning user profiles?

 

No

[rdk]

We're using Office 2007 and are having the same problem - randomly corrupted pptx files, one or two per class.