[CRITICAL UPDATE - If you are using Office 2003, you should install this
update as soon as possible. From PowerPoint, choose "Help -> Check for
Updates".]
Hello Jim,
PowerPoint will look in the same directory as the presentation for linked
multimedia if it cannot find the external file where it expects to find it.
If you move a presentation (from the Windows Explorer or CD burning
software, for example) to a new volume/drive (such as from Hard Drive to CD
Drive) PowerPoint will continue to look to the original location for any
linked multimedia and, if it cannot be found, PowerPoint will look in the
same directory as the presentation and, if still not found, the link will
not work.
It's very easy to break links between presentations and their supporting
files (such as multimedia and other presentations) when moving files around
in the Windows Explorer or from one system to another because Windows
doesn't know that there are dependencies in the presentation files, or that
the supporting files are linked to by other documents.
HOW TO PREVENT BROKEN LINKS FROM HAPPENING:
Because of this, in the future, the best way to distribute your
presentations or move/copy presentations presentations from one location to
another (while the links are NOT yet broken) is to use the built-in
capabilities of PowerPoint.
The feature and procedure you use will depend on how you plan on sharing,
moving or distributing your presentation.
If your intention it to simply move your presentation from one machine to
another, or to distribute it via some kind of removable media (such as
floppy or CD), or to make it available on some common file server
accessible from other machines on your network, then you will want to use
either Pack and Go or Package for CD (depending on your version of
PowerPoint). Each of them work differently but the important thing to know
is that in either case they can be used to copy the presentation and all
dependent files from one location to another (different folder, different
volume, different computer, etc.). And, although each feature is primarily
designed to work with removable media (Floppy disks for Pack and Go,
Recordable CD for Package for CD) they can actually be used to move a
presentation directly to another folder on same hard-drive, different
volume, network location, etc. without having to use any removable media at
all.
PACK AND GO:
1) Open presentation and verify that all links are working
2) File -> Pack and Go (pack to empty folder <I'll call it "Packed"> on
hard drive with enough room to contain presentation and all linked files)
3) Exit PowerPoint and, in Windows Explorer, go to the "Packed" folder
4) Open prez0.ppz with PNGSETUP.EXE (these should be only two files in the
"Packed") and unpack to another empty folder <I'll call it "UnPacked">
The contents of the "UnPacked" folder can now be moved/copied to another
computer, burned to CD, etc with links updated appropriately.
PACKAGE FOR CD - PowerPoint 2003 only
1) Open presentation and verify that all links are working
2) File -> Package for CD
3) If you are running Windows XP and have CD-Burner simply click "Save to
CD" button
4) Otherwise, click "Save to Folder" button. When done, the contents of
this folder can now be moved/copied to another computer, burned to CD, etc
with links updated appropriately.
For presentation that are going be distributed on the internet, you should
save your presentations as either HTML or (in PowerPoint 2002 or 2003)
MHTML. MHTML (single file web page) has the added advantage that it can be
sent through e-mail with all of the linked content intact. In both cases
they will be, by default, opened and displayed in the recipients internet
browser. However, depending on your version of PowerPoint (once again), the
HTML (2000 or later) and MHTML (2002 and later) file can include all of
the necessary data to open the presentation up directly in PowerPoint so
that you get the full fidelity of a native PowerPoint slide show (instead
of the more limited rendering possible through HTML and your browser).
Of course these features won't fix links that have already been broken
(because, pehaps, you moved a presentation or supporting files from Windows
Explorer) but, when used properly they can prevent you from breaking links
to your supporting content (such as multimedia files) when moving, sharing
or distributing your presentations.
If you (or anyone else reading this message) think that PowerPoint should
provide additional tools (or update existing tools) for managing
presentations and their supporting content and/or to
find/manage/repair/etc. links (broken or otherwise) to supporting content,
don't forget to send your feedback (in YOUR OWN WORDS, please) to Microsoft
at:
http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp
As with all product suggestions, it's important that you not just state
your wish but also WHY it is important to you that your product suggestion
be implemented by Microsoft. Microsoft receives thousands of product
suggestions every day and we read each one but, in any given product
development cycle, there are only sufficient resources to address the ones
that are most important to our customers so take the extra time to state
your case as clearly and completely as possible.
IMPORTANT: Each submission should be a single suggestion (not a list of
suggestions)
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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