Hello Mirabel,
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) 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 THIS 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.
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.
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 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
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of any included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm