Can't get sound file to work in new presentation if file is not in certain place

  • Thread starter Thread starter Frank Jamison
  • Start date Start date
F

Frank Jamison

OK...here's the scoop:

I made these presentations on another computer and they
worked great. I put them on CD and put them on another
computer and they worked great. I bought a new computer
which was pre-programmed with lots of stuff and I
transfered all my files to the hard drive and loaded
office xp. Now my presentations don't have sound from
the folder it is in. If I move the sound file to another
folder it works. Now...I tried making a new presentation
and have the same problem. If the sound file is in 1
folder it works, but if it is in another folder, it
doesn't. New presentation...no links except the one i
tried to create that is real picky about the folder the
MP3 must be in...and it's not just mp3 files...other
audio files do the same thing. It's just too wierd. I
can play the sound files through media player from
anywhere...so it can't be a permissions thing unless
powerpoint doesn't have permission to access the file or
folder...and that would be wierd...but that's what it
looks like.
 
I think i found the answer. I bekieve the path to the
sound file is too long. It appears to store the entire
path to the file, which is in My Documents...but the path
there is c:/windows/documents and settings/Frank's
documents/my music/blah/blah/blah/file.mp3

That's interesting...i didn't know there was a limit to
the characters in a linked object.
 
It appears that the maximum actual path to the linked
file, including the file name, can only be 122 characters
long. A good think to remember...lol...there went 4
hours of my life figuring that out!

Thank you all who help me to figure it out as well. I
really appreciate it.
 
Frank,

if you want your sound to travel with the presentation (on a CD, on another
computer) you need to have both in the same folder before you insert the
sound into the presentation. In all other cases the path will be saved as an
absolute, not as a relative path. And the sound file will not be found
within another file structure.

Kind regards,
Ute
 
I've noticed only now that you already got an answer similar to mine in the
other thread. PLEASE, post your follow-ups in the same thread you started,
don't start a second thread!

Thanks,
Ute
 
Hi Frank, thanks for letting us know the outcome. I've added this to the
FAQ on breaking links:

Path Length: In at least some versions of PowerPoint, links to sounds (and
possibly other file types) will break if the total path to the file ( ie,
the C:\My Documents\My Sounds\My Sounds Of My
Baby\Gurgling\GooGooGahGah.WAV ) is longer than 122 characters. Thank you,
Frank, for the four otherwise wasted hours it took you to research this.
The rest of you, blow a kiss in Frank's direction for saving you hours of
stress.


--

Steve Rindsberg PPT MVP
PPTLive ( http://www.pptlive.com ) Featured Speaker
PPTools: http://www.pptools.com
PPT FAQ: http://www.pptfaq.com
 
Smooch!

Steve Rindsberg said:
Hi Frank, thanks for letting us know the outcome. I've added this to the
FAQ on breaking links:

Path Length: In at least some versions of PowerPoint, links to sounds (and
possibly other file types) will break if the total path to the file ( ie,
the C:\My Documents\My Sounds\My Sounds Of My
Baby\Gurgling\GooGooGahGah.WAV ) is longer than 122 characters. Thank you,
Frank, for the four otherwise wasted hours it took you to research this.
The rest of you, blow a kiss in Frank's direction for saving you hours of
stress.


--

Steve Rindsberg PPT MVP
PPTLive ( http://www.pptlive.com ) Featured Speaker
PPTools: http://www.pptools.com
PPT FAQ: http://www.pptfaq.com
Click to expand...
 
Steve,

I don't use sounds so I aint kissing anyone <g>.

However, I will take my hat off to Frank for saving the hair pulling of
those who do use them!

Good on you, Frank!

--
Regards,

Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP
http://www.powerpointworkbench.com/
Please tell us your ppt version, and get back to us here
 
Uh, that's getting a little too personal. I like to keep my long, slippery,
slithery (from whence it came) strands to myself. Unless you are offering a
new home. "Say hello to my little friend." :-O
 
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