[CRITICAL UPDATE - Anyone using Office 2003 should install the critical
update as soon as possible. From PowerPoint, choose "Help -> Check for
Updates".]
[TOP ISSUE - Are you having difficulty opening presentations in PowerPoint
that you just created (you can save, but not open)? -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=329820]
Hello,
If by "CD" you mean "CD-Audio" format disc, the audio exists as tracks (not
files), using the "Play CD Audio Track" command in PowerPoint does not
actually "insert" the sound into the presentation but, instead, inserts a
reference to the track information on the CD-Audio disc that you want
PowerPoint to play. This is fine when you can insure that the necessary
CD-Audio disc is inserted into the computer from which the presentation
will be shown. If you want the sound to be available to PowerPoint when the
CD-Audio disc is not inserted, the sound tracks would have to first be
converted to one of the various sound file formats that PowerPoint can play
and then inserted using the "Sound from file" command instead.
If by "CD", however, you mean a "CD-ROM" format disc, where the audio
exists as some kind of sound file (*.WAV, *.WMA, *.MP3, etc.), then using
the "Sound from file" command will, depending on the type and size of the
actual sound file, either insert a link to the actual file or actually
incorporate (embed) the sound into the presentation. If the sound is linked
you need to be careful when moving the presentation to use appropriate care
to insure that those links don't get broken (for example, by using the
Package for CD feature in PowerPoint 2003). Only one sound file format
(*.WAV) can be embedded (not linked) into PowerPoint presentation and only
if the threshold setting to "Link sounds with file size greater than 'NNN'
Kb" (Tools -> Options dialog) is larger than any individual *.WAV file at
the time that you insert your sounds into your presentation.
Of course, If you (or anyone else reading this message) feel strongly that
the option to embed other kinds of multimedia should be a built-in feature
in PowerPoint or that PowerPoint should provide better tools for managing
linked content (such as linked media files), don't forget to send your
suggestion (in YOUR OWN WORDS, please) to Microsoft at:
http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp
It's VERY important that, for EACH wish, you describe in detail, WHY it is
important TO YOU that your product suggestion be implemented. A good wish
submssion includes WHAT scenario, work-flow, or end-result is blocked by
not having a specific feature, HOW MUCH time and effort ($$$) is spent
working around a specific limitation of the current product, etc. Remember
that 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 so that we can FEEL YOUR PAIN.
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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