PPT 2004 doesn't keep links to external audio when CDs are burned

[chaysster]

When I burn a CD of the folder that contains all of the parts of my
presentation, PPT loses the links to my external audio. All of the
audio files are .aif's and are exported from GarageBand to iTunes and
then brought into PowerPoint 2004. The CDs work perfectly except for
the audio!

Also, I've tried the "PowerPoint Package" format, and it doesn't work,
either. All it does is save a .ppt file in a folder. No audio,
either.

Please help!

Thanks.

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi,

A couple concepts come into play here. This sounds like a case of
something called "relative reference" vs "absolute reference."

If you create an "absolute" reference (a link) to your sound files, if
you change the file path to those files then PowerPoint can't find them.
An "absolute" link with the full path name is kept by PowerPoint
whenever the sound files (or movie files) are in a directory or
subdirectory other than the exact same folder that the presentation has
been saved to.

The full path name might be something like
MyHardDrive:MyUserNameocumentsowerPoints:FancyPresentation

If you just burn the folder FancyPresentation then the file path on the
CD you burn is CDName:FancyPresentation which is different from the path
name that is expected by your presentation. So PowerPoint can't find the
sound files when you play the presentation.

The way to avoid this is to create a single folder that has no
subfolders. First, save the presentation to this folder. Then put all of
the sound files you will use into this folder (not a subfolder or any
other folder). Then you can create the links to the sound files in the
presentation.

When you do it this way PowerPoint will create a "relative" reference,
which means PowerPoint will not store the entire file path. Instead,
PowerPoint assumes the content is at the same directory level. If you do
it this way, then you can burn just the single folder and PowerPoint
should be able to find the audio (and movie, graph, picture or whatever
else you've linked to) files.

You are correct that PowerPoint should have done all of this
automatically for you use Save As PowerPoint Package. That your result
did not include the sound files is a bug that was (disappointingly) not
fixed in any service pack so far.

-Jim Gordon

Mac MVP

 

[picardmeisterNO]

When I burn a CD of the folder that contains all of the parts of my
presentation, PPT loses the links to my external audio. All of the
audio files are .aif's and are exported from GarageBand to iTunes and
then brought into PowerPoint 2004. The CDs work perfectly except for
the audio!

Also, I've tried the "PowerPoint Package" format, and it doesn't work,
either. All it does is save a .ppt file in a folder. No audio,
either.

When you're saving as PowerPoint Package, how long (how many
characters) are the filenames of the .aif files? Are they by chance

 

[ingenious]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. That's the weird thing. Everything is stored in
the same folder, and and I select the file from the "Browse" menu.
That probably creates a definite link, which I knew, but how do I
create relative links? By the way, now the audio clips will play when
I transfer it to a different computer... I'm not sure why. Also, when
it did transfer to a different computer (this wasn't the first time it
did) I tried burning it with Toast instead of Finder burning. Not sure
how that turned out though. I'll find out tomorrow.

Thanks

 

[ingenious]

I think that the longest is around 25 characters, but the thing is that
/no/ audio files show up when I save it as a PowerPoint package.

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi again,

Remember, the order in which you do things is important.

Make the folder.
Then save the powerpoint file into the folder.
Then put the media files into the folder
THEN make the links to the media.
Save the presentation (within the folder, not someplace else).

If you make links to the media and later put the media into the folder
the links will break.

-Jim

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Thanks for the reply. That's the weird thing. Everything is stored in
the same folder, and and I select the file from the "Browse" menu.

Everything that Jim said, plus this: If you haven't already tried it, use
Insert, Sounds, From File to insert sounds rather than hyperlinking to them.

I can't promise the results will be different, but PPT generally does treat
this type of link to a file (sounds, movies, images) a bit differently from the
way it treats hyperlinks.

That probably creates a definite link, which I knew, but how do I
create relative links? By the way, now the audio clips will play when
I transfer it to a different computer... I'm not sure why. Also, when
it did transfer to a different computer (this wasn't the first time it
did) I tried burning it with Toast instead of Finder burning. Not sure
how that turned out though. I'll find out tomorrow.

Thanks

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

 

[ingenious]

Thanks. Actually, that's how I inserted them. It's still not working.
I have to present this tomorrow! Does anyone think it might work if I
opened it in PPT X and tried saving it as a Package? Also, I was
reading on this site
<http://www.askdavetaylor.com/microsoft_powerpoint_audio_files_clipped.html>
that PPT has a limit set in Preferences on how big audio files can be.
I couldn't find it... is this true and hidden somewhere I can't find?

Thanks.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Thanks. Actually, that's how I inserted them. It's still not working.
I have to present this tomorrow! Does anyone think it might work if I
opened it in PPT X and tried saving it as a Package? Also, I was
reading on this site
<http://www.askdavetaylor.com/microsoft_powerpoint_audio_files_clipped.html>
that PPT has a limit set in Preferences on how big audio files can be.
I couldn't find it... is this true and hidden somewhere I can't find?

This bit?

"Some sound formats, such as MP3 and MIDI files, and files with a file size
larger than the size set in Preferences, are not embedded in the presentation
when you insert them. Instead, they are linked from a location on your hard
disk or the Internet. If you move the presentation, make sure to move these
sound files with it. To make sure all linked files are included with your
presentation, save the presentation as a PowerPoint Package."

Some of Dave's info is good, some of it is most un-guru-like. ;-)

PowerPoint NEVER embeds any sounds but WAV. All other sounds are linked.
WAVs may or may not be linked, depending on how they're added, on their size
and on your PPT settings.

Go to File, Preferences and on the General tab, there'll be "Link sounds with
file sizes greater than ..." and a place to set a value. When you insert any
WAV sound file larger than the value you set here, it'll be linked. Smaller
and it'll be embedded.

Also, if the file is going to be linked, you need to put the file in the same
folder as the already-saved PPT file and only then insert it, as Jim's
mentioned.
================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[ingenious]

Everything *is* in a folder together, and it's been saved the proper
way. It will not run off of a CD, but if I burn a CD, and then copy
the folder onto the hard drive, everything works! This is getting
ridiculous.

Should I reinsert everything as a WAV and raise the limit to the size
of my largest file?

Thanks.

 

[mmmmark]

Everything *is* in a folder together, and it's been saved the proper
way. It will not run off of a CD, but if I burn a CD, and then copy
the folder onto the hard drive, everything works! This is getting
ridiculous.

Perhaps it will not run from a read-only volume. <shrug>

Any chance there are other things going on here in the background? Like is
it possible that files _other than_ .wav files are really converted to .wav
which requires a writeable volume? Could it be related to version of
Quicktime, since it probably uses those filters if (only if?) they are
available?

This is just wild-ass-guessing, so feel free to call me crazy!

-Mark

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Everything *is* in a folder together,

"IS" doesn't matter. Where the files are *now* is irrelevant.

It's where the files were at the time you inserted them. If they weren't in
the same folder as the saved PPT file at that time, your links are likely
breaking.

and it's been saved the proper
way. It will not run off of a CD, but if I burn a CD, and then copy
the folder onto the hard drive, everything works!

Onto the hard drive of the same computer as the presentations were created on?
That's not really a test, if so.

This is getting
ridiculous.

It often does when you mix PPT and linked files. The way it mangles the links
is just pathetic. Has been for dog's years.

Should I reinsert everything as a WAV and raise the limit to the size
of my largest file?

That might be best. But do it the other way around. Raise the limit FIRST,
then insert the files.

Thanks.

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

 

[Michelle York]

I didn't realize that ONLY WAV files could be embedded. I assumed that MP3
files could be also. Is this a limitation in ALL versions of PowerPoint?
Windows and Mac? Is this also the case in the "Packages" that are being
discussed?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I didn't realize that ONLY WAV files could be embedded. I assumed that MP3
files could be also. Is this a limitation in ALL versions of PowerPoint?
Windows and Mac?

It's certainly true of Windows versions.

Is this also the case in the "Packages" that are being
discussed?

I'd look at it this way: Packaging may assemble needed components and put 'em in
a nice wrapper, but it won't change the fundamental capabilities of PowerPoint.
So yes, in the sense that it won't force otherwise unembeddable sounds to embed.

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