Slide show is faster when repeated

R

Richard McMasters

Our PowerPoint presentations are huge (>100 MB) due to large embedded
JPEG files. We will use the helpful suggestions given by group members
for reducing the size. In the meantime, however, we noticed a curious
thing: The first time we run "Slide Show" we find, not surprisingly,
that each slide takes about two full seconds to show on the screen.
However, if we scroll through the slide show once and then run "Slide
Show" a second time, we find that the slides appear on the screen
instantaneously, no matter how large our files are.

Does anyone know why this happens? We speculate that PowerPoint
requires extra time to decompress the JPEG images the first time
"Slide Show" is run, and that the decompressed JPEG bitmaps are saved
in RAM, where they can be accessed immediately when "Slide Show" is
run the second time. Or something like that!
 
B

Brian Reilly, MS MVP

mcmaster,
This has been a known issue since at least 1996 when I first became a
PowerPoint MVP.

Seems still to be, from what you say. Not sure why. Would depend on
what version you are using and what picture filetypes you are using,
etc. but best anecdotal comment is that is expected, but not sure why.
Probably because the underlying file caches some information that is
not available to the normal user interface that helps it the second
time through.

Perhaps John Langhans, our favorite PPT expertSoftie will add an
insight. I know we've discussed it before but I forget and John L
never forgets nuthin'. Uber John?

Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP
 
J

John Langhans [MSFT]

[CRITICAL UPDATE - Anyone using Office 2003 should install the critical
update as soon as possible. From PowerPoint, choose "Help -> Check for
Updates".]

| From: Steve Rindsberg <[email protected]>
|
| I'm pretty sure it was John Langhans who explained that PowerPoint
generates
| bitmaps at screen resolution for slides as it displays them, then caches
them
| so they're available the next time you visit the slide. So once a
slide's been
| displayed once, it will display more quickly afterward (during that
session)
|

What Steve said with the addendum that IF the cache becomes full "during
that session" previously viewed graphics might have to be
reloaded/uncompressed again upon subsequent viewing.

John Langhans
Microsoft Corporation
Supportability Program Manager
Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Windows
Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Windows

For FAQ's, highlights and top issues, visit the Microsoft PowerPoint
support center at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=ppt
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbhowto

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