powerpoint X will not open pps files

[giltaylor]

some time ago, i noticed some files that wouldn't open. back then it
was limited to only files from one CD and one vendor. their tech
support told me it was a powerpoint issue not theirs. i didn't worry
about it since i could run them on my PB and that is the computer that
need to run it anyways.

today, i went to open some PPS files for a class i am doing. the files
are new and came on a CD provided to me by the organization i am doing
the work from. it works fine on a PC using PowerPoint 2003 and Windows
XP home edition, but on ALL my macs, the G3 running OSX and Office 2001
(in classic), PB G4 running OSX.4.6 running PowerPoint X and the G5 DP
2.7 OSX.4.6 Powerpoint X.

the files can not be unlocked from pps to ppt i don't know why since i
never saw a file i couldn't simply go to ownership and make it
read/write and then change the extension.

any ideas why this is happening and if there is a work around to get
them to run in my mac?

 

[Jim Gordon]

Hi Gil,

The problem I am assuming is that when the files are double-clicked that
the presentations don't run. They open OK from PowerPoint's FIle>Open
menu, right?

What you need to do is to tell MacOS to use PowerPoint as the
application for files with .pps extensions.

SINGLE-click on one of the pesky pps files. Don't try to open the file,
just select (highlight) the file icon. Then use Finder's GetInfo
command. One of the disclosure triangles is Open With. Click the
triangle to expose the control. Select the Microsoft PowerPoint
application and click the CHANGE ALL button and/or ALWAYS OPEN WITH.

That should fix this problem.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

If Jim's suggestion doesn't work, Gil, and you can open the PPS files using
PowerPoint's File, Opent menu, you should be able to do that then File, Save As
and choose Presentation rather than Show, give the file a new name (or same
name with PPT extension) and save to your local hard drive.

Hi Gil,

The problem I am assuming is that when the files are double-clicked that
the presentations don't run. They open OK from PowerPoint's FIle>Open
menu, right?

What you need to do is to tell MacOS to use PowerPoint as the
application for files with .pps extensions.

SINGLE-click on one of the pesky pps files. Don't try to open the file,
just select (highlight) the file icon. Then use Finder's GetInfo
command. One of the disclosure triangles is Open With. Click the
triangle to expose the control. Select the Microsoft PowerPoint
application and click the CHANGE ALL button and/or ALWAYS OPEN WITH.

That should fix this problem.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Gil]

already tried it....i think it has to do with encryption.

 

[Gil]

still no good

 

[Gil]

i downloaded a trial version of Office 2004 for Mac and tried opening
the file with it. it returned the same error.

i downloaded the file to my hard drive and unlocked the folder. i was
then able to change the extension to .ppt.

when i tried to open it i got a new error box saying the it was created
with Office 2003 and is encrypted. it then said the PowerPoint 2004
for mac does not support this advanced encrytption. you should contact
the author and have them resave the file in an older version of
powerpoint.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

when i tried to open it i got a new error box saying the it was created

with Office 2003 and is encrypted. it then said the PowerPoint 2004
for mac does not support this advanced encrytption. you should contact
the author and have them resave the file in an older version of
powerpoint.

If it was encrypted, it would have asked you for a password when you opened it
on your Windows computer. Did it?

If so, you won't be able to open the file in any Mac version of PPT,
unfortunately. Sounds like the vendor didn't do their homework.


================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Jim Gordon]

Hi Gil,

The message you received is correct.

It is not possible on a Mac to open any office documents that have
digitally signed macros in them.

It's a long shot, but maybe a flavor of OpenOffice might be able to open
a signed document. I have not heard one way or another about this aspect
of openoffice. I don't like to ask people to be guinea pigs, but if you
want to give that a try and see what happens (I give it low probability
of success) please post the results here.

Thanks.

Jim Gordon
Mac MVP