Removing Movie Links from files

[Tim England]

I have a large number of presentation (over 100) that are between 70 and 120
MB in size. Each file contains anywhere from 10 - 50 movie links. Many of
these presentations are old ones (all created on a Mac, PowerPoint 98 and
later), and all of the movie links are broken. In fact, a lot of the movies
they used to link to don't exist anymore! What I need is to be able to open
them quickly, because they still contain data in them (pictures, text,
etc.). If I open them now, I can spend up to 45 minutes on one file,
waiting for it to not find the movie and then allow me to click cancel for
each bad link. After almost 80 hours of work this week, I have only fixed
about 30 files.

What I want to do is delete out the link, but still keep the quicktime
preview image. I have been able to do this using a test file and a hex
editor (trust me, this is extremely ugly, and you really get to see what a
ppt is made up of ... Its amazing this program works at all), but when the
same practice is applied to an old file, it doesn't work. The problem lies
in the fact that their may be up to as many as 10 different pointers in the
ppt to the same movie, even though it only appears on one slide. It seams
that PowerPoint saves the link even when the movie or slide is deleted. I
also know this might be possible because some files do open without
complaining about links, yet the quicktime preview is still there.

Please help!

Thanks,

Sleepless and Frustrated in Salt Lake

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I have a large number of presentation (over 100) that are between 70 and 120
MB in size. Each file contains anywhere from 10 - 50 movie links. Many of
these presentations are old ones (all created on a Mac, PowerPoint 98 and
later), and all of the movie links are broken. In fact, a lot of the movies
they used to link to don't exist anymore! What I need is to be able to open
them quickly,

A theory based on other similar experiences:

If you know the original path where the movies were, re-create it and leave it
empty. A lot of the delay may be because PPT goes looking for the link, can't
find the disk media it's on but waits for a local or network timeout to expire
before deciding that the link is unavailable. If you can show it present but
*empty* disk media rather than no disk media, you cut out the wait time.

Next, try ungrouping one of the shapes that represents the movie.
If that gives you what you want (picture but no movie or link) we can probably
fix you up with a macro that'll automate the task across a whole presentation.

As far as the multiple links in a file and whatnot:

- The deleted but still present content may be because "Allow Fast Saves" has
been enabled (it is by default) and left that way in Preferences. You really
do want to disable it if so.

- If there are multiple links to non-deleted content, it's one of the ways PPT
saves disk space, I'd expect. If you insert the same picture multiple times or
insert once then copy many, it doesn't suck in the entire data content but
once; subsequent usages get a pointer to the content.

because they still contain data in them (pictures, text,
etc.). If I open them now, I can spend up to 45 minutes on one file,
waiting for it to not find the movie and then allow me to click cancel for
each bad link. After almost 80 hours of work this week, I have only fixed
about 30 files.

What I want to do is delete out the link, but still keep the quicktime
preview image. I have been able to do this using a test file and a hex
editor (trust me, this is extremely ugly, and you really get to see what a
ppt is made up of ... Its amazing this program works at all), but when the
same practice is applied to an old file, it doesn't work. The problem lies
in the fact that their may be up to as many as 10 different pointers in the
ppt to the same movie, even though it only appears on one slide. It seams
that PowerPoint saves the link even when the movie or slide is deleted. I
also know this might be possible because some files do open without
complaining about links, yet the quicktime preview is still there.

Please help!

Thanks,

Sleepless and Frustrated in Salt Lake

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

 

[Timothy England]

A theory based on other similar experiences:

If you know the original path where the movies were, re-create it and leave it
empty. A lot of the delay may be because PPT goes looking for the link, can't
find the disk media it's on but waits for a local or network timeout to expire
before deciding that the link is unavailable. If you can show it present but
*empty* disk media rather than no disk media, you cut out the wait time.

It would be impossible to recreate the original folders. Not only are we
talking probably over 1000 folders, but they come from OS 9 land, and many
of them have illegal characters.

Next, try ungrouping one of the shapes that represents the movie.
If that gives you what you want (picture but no movie or link) we can probably
fix you up with a macro that'll automate the task across a whole presentation.

I can't seem to find a way to ungroup the shape that contains the movie and
poster image. PowerPoint doesn't present them as a group, although
programmatically they are. Any suggestions?

As far as the multiple links in a file and whatnot:

- The deleted but still present content may be because "Allow Fast Saves" has
been enabled (it is by default) and left that way in Preferences. You really
do want to disable it if so.

- If there are multiple links to non-deleted content, it's one of the ways PPT
saves disk space, I'd expect. If you insert the same picture multiple times
or
insert once then copy many, it doesn't suck in the entire data content but
once; subsequent usages get a pointer to the content.

After examining the file again, your theory on multiple links to save space
seems to be valid. After running a file through a meta-data cleaner, and
saving it with "Allow Fast Saves" off, the number of links to the file
dropped dramatically. We are experimenting now with that file . . . I'll
let you know what happens.

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

Thanks,

A little more rested in Salt Lake

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

It would be impossible to recreate the original folders. Not only are we
talking probably over 1000 folders, but they come from OS 9 land, and many
of them have illegal characters.

Nuts.

If you know the names of all the movies and can put them in the same folder as the
PPT, it might be possible to do the conversion in code. Conceptually, in aircode:

Sub FixEmUp()

Dim oSh As Shape
Dim oSl As Slide

For Each oSl In ActivePresentation.Slides
For Each oSh In oSl.Shapes
' is it a media file
If oSh.Type = msoMedia Then
' is it a movie rather than sound
If oSh.MediaType = ppMediaTypeMovie Then
If oSh.LinkFormat.SourceFullName <> "" Then
' I'm a PC guy and don't recall exactly what Mac paths should
look like
' you'll need to work out how to parse the path and leave
' just the filename here
'oSh.LinkFormat.SourceFullName = "JustTheFilename"
' OR we can do it the chee-Z way and let you edit it manually
' Still beats the alternative!
oSh.LinkFormat.SourceFullName = InputBox("Edit away all but
the filename", _
"Edit the path", _
oSh.LinkFormat.SourceFullName)
End If
End If
End If
Next ' shape
Next ' slide

End Sub

I can't seem to find a way to ungroup the shape that contains the movie and
poster image. PowerPoint doesn't present them as a group, although
programmatically they are. Any suggestions?

PPTX lets me copy the movie and then Edit, Paste Special, Picture. That seems to
do the job. Give that a try.

After examining the file again, your theory on multiple links to save space
seems to be valid. After running a file through a meta-data cleaner, and
saving it with "Allow Fast Saves" off, the number of links to the file
dropped dramatically. We are experimenting now with that file . . . I'll
let you know what happens.


Thanks,

A little more rested in Salt Lake

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

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Steve,

Another suggestion - use the breaklink command.

Sub LinkExample()
'This example breaks the links between any OLE objects on slide one in
the active presentation and their source files.
For Each sh In ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes
If sh.Type = msoLinkedOLEObject Then
With sh.LinkFormat
.BreakLink
End With
End If
Next
End Sub

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi Steve,

Another suggestion - use the breaklink command.

Sub LinkExample()
'This example breaks the links between any OLE objects on slide one in
the active presentation and their source files.
For Each sh In ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes
If sh.Type = msoLinkedOLEObject Then
With sh.LinkFormat
.BreakLink
End With
End If
Next
End Sub

Depending on what you want to do, yes, very good point. Setting the link to
pathless will make it work, so long as the movie's in the same folder as the
PPT. If the movie's not available, breaking the link's the only sane thing.

FWIW, .BreakLink isn't available on PPT/Windows, or apparently PPTX either.
The Object Browser goes "Huh?" when you go looking for it.
================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Steve,

It appears to be an omission in the object browser. However if you
search for breaklink in help it's in both PowerPoint 2004 and v.X.

In PowerPoint 2001 it's found in help under LinkFormat Property.

I bet it's available in Windows PowerPoint, too.

-Jim

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi Steve,

It appears to be an omission in the object browser. However if you
search for breaklink in help it's in both PowerPoint 2004 and v.X.

In PowerPoint 2001 it's found in help under LinkFormat Property.

I bet it's available in Windows PowerPoint, too.

I'm in 2000 at the moment and it's not there (in the object browser for one,
and PPT goes "Woof!" at you if you try to invoke the method, so it's not just a
case of it being missing from the OB).

[checks in 2003 as well]

Nope. Nobody home.

Must be a Mac thing. PPTwin wouldn't understand. <g>


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

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi Steve,

It appears to be an omission in the object browser. However if you
search for breaklink in help it's in both PowerPoint 2004 and v.X.

In PowerPoint 2001 it's found in help under LinkFormat Property.

Weird, this one. Here's what I tried in PPTX and 2001:

Sub SimpleMinded()
With ActiveWindow.Selection.ShapeRange(1).LinkFormat
.breaklink
End With
End Sub

It won't compile in either. Help's so screwed up in my install of X as to be
useless. Sigh. I'll trust ya that it appears there. <g>

Does it work in X, though?

(Mostly idle curiosity, since OP has two possible solutions to the dilemma)

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

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Steve,

The syntax you provided does not please the PowerPoint gods. However,
the sytax provided by Help does work in v.X and 2004.

In 2001 the code runs without error but has no effect. Same thing with
2003 (Windows). The sample code provided for LinkFormat in 2003 help is
very different from the sample in Mac PPT. I didn't try it, though.

-JIm

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Jim,

The syntax you provided does not please the PowerPoint gods.

Ah me. SO many of the things I do in PPT seem to get me in hot water with
them.

However,
the sytax provided by Help does work in v.X and 2004.

Go figya.



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