Problem plyaing PPT files with Embedded Audio on Windows Mobile

[Vanhalen]

Hi to all,

I'm working on a SocketMobile SoMo 650-E with Windows Mobile 5.0

I'm using PPT Viewer for WM5 to play a PPT Presentation containing
embedded wav audio files
I've chosen to start the audio reproduction when clicking on a
specific icon inside one of the slides
When I click on that icon, PPT Viewer returns me the following error
message

"Powerpoint Viewer could not open the selected linked or embedded
object.
The Powerpoint Viewer does not support opening linked or embedded
objects."

I've asked a friend of mine to try with PPT Viewer for Windows Mobile
6 and he told me he got exactly the same message

So I guess Microsoft has chosen not to implement this kind of feature
on PPT Viewer, probably because of the
lack of computational power of ARM processors, am I right ?

Anyway the question is:
Is there another software or a different approach / solution that
could allow me to view PPT files and listen to their embedded audio on
Windows Mobile ?

Tnx

 

[Vanhalen]

Hi Steve,

first of all, tnx for your answer

I state beforehand that I was quite sure that the wav file was
embedded and not linked in the PPT,
anyway I tried following your suggestion, to be sure to have it
embedded :
I modified the size limit to 1000 kb (the wav is 500 kb) and I noticed
a file size increase of 60 kb,
quite curious but I dont think this could mean that the file was not
embedded before this operation,
I think it's Powerpoint embedding the wav in a different way or
something like that ...

Anyway I get the same error message as before :
"Powerpoint Viewer could not open the selected linked or embedded
object.
The Powerpoint Viewer does not support opening linked or embedded
objects."

Reading the message, it seems to me that Powerpoint Viewer doesnt make
any difference between linked or embedded object,
it seems it can't simply handle both of them ...
It looks like a permanent and desired limitation, Microsoft wanted to
put in its software,
perhaps because of the limited computational power of ARM
processors ...


Anyway it would be great finding any workaround or even a completly
different software ...

 

[Vanhalen]

If people aren't familiar with the way PowerPoint handles files, they often
use the term "embedded" to describe what they think is going on, though it
may not really BE what's going.  So we have to make sure.

You're right, it's better being sure

To be certain:  after changing the limit, you deleted the original sound
then re-inserted it?  You have to do that for this to work.

And did you bring in the sound using Insert, Movies and Sounds, From File
rather than Insert Object?  

I've tried repeating again the procedure you explicitated above and I
experimented something really inexplicable, look at this:

1) Initial File Sizes
- PPT with embedded WAV Object = 1422 KB
- WAV File = 582 KB

2) I deleted the wav file inside the PPT then I embedded it again with
"Insert --> Movies and Sounds --> From File ... "
- PPT new size = 1555 KB

That's quite strange because I obviously expected getting the file
size of 1422 KB again but that's not all

3) I open the PPT and without doing any modification, I save it
- PPT new size = 2152 KB

I refreshed the explorer window more than once but I always got that
incredible size increase

4) I open the PPT and without doing any modification, I save it
again
- PPT new size = 1555 KB

PPT size comes back to that value and if I go on cycling opening the
PPT, saving it, closing it --> I alternatively get the 1555 KB and
2152 KB values ...

I can't really understand what Powerpoint is doing ...

Anyway there's constant behaviour: I tried to open both the smaller
and bigger PPT on the palm and when I click on the icon
that should start the audio, nothing happens ... I don't get the error
message anymore

Last annotation:
I observe that the speaker icon colour (the link that, when clicked,
starts the audio) has changed
before all the procedure listed in this mail, it was gray and clicking
it generated the error message
after this procedure, it's yellow and clicking it causes no behaviour

I tried to give you as many details as I could ...

Anyway I get the same error message as before :
"Powerpoint Viewer could not open the selected linked or embedded
object.
The Powerpoint Viewer does not support opening linked or embedded
objects."

Reading the message, it seems to me that Powerpoint Viewer doesnt make
any difference between linked or embedded object,
it seems it can't simply handle both of them ...
It looks like a permanent and desired limitation, Microsoft wanted to
put in its software,
perhaps because of the limited computational power of ARM
processors ...

Anyway it would be great finding any workaround or even a completly
different software ...

 

[Vanhalen]

That's a reasonable thing to expect, but it might not work that way if Fast
Saves are on.  In 2003 and earlier, choose Tools, Options and go to theSave
tab.  Remove the check next to "Allow fast saves".  Then try saving again to
a new file name.  Even then, the file size may vary slightly.



Yep.  Definitely turn off Fast Saves.  ;-)

I definitely will

Tnx for the explanation

With Fast Saves on, PPT adds any changes to the end of your file and keeps
doing that until the file reaches some percentage over it's "real" size; at
that point it "folds" all the changes into the original file at the next
save, which makes the file suddenly shrink again.





So the sound NEVER plays, or it never plays on your mobile device but does
play on the PC?

The sound plays on the PC and never plays on the Mobile ...

Given that it's a job matter and probably the PPT number to be played
on Mobile Devices will increase dramatically,
I was wondering to substitute this poor palm (So-Mo with Windows
Mobile 5) with an UMPC ...

This way I could be sure there will be no more incompatibilities
between PC and UMPC in the future, am I right ?

Tnx a lot

I tried to give you as many details as I could ...