the case of the mysteriously growing powerpoint file

  • Thread starter Thread starter JonW
  • Start date Start date
J

JonW

I encounter an interesting situation with powerpoint. As a
revise a file over time (adding elements, removing
elelments - graphs, pictures, etc.) the file begins to
grow.
I had one file that grew to about 65 MB. However, the
presentation was not really that much bigger than the
original 2 MB file.

So I tried something: I went through each individual
slide, and copied the individual elements off the slde and
pasted into a brand new blank presentation, slide by
slide. when I got done the new presentation was the same
as the old one in every respect except one: the new
presentation was now 2 MB as compared to the 65 MB of the
old one!

That got me thinking. I imagine, somewhere in an
unreachable place in the powerpoint software, Powerpoint
is capturing everything that ever happended to that
presentation and saving it.

Here is my wish: To find a way to open up access to that
part of the presentation file that was storing the 63 MB
of unused (but saved) information and delete it.

I tried to get the answer from MS help. It just cost me
$200 to hear the tech say, "Oh, it is just your computer
mapping the file every time you open it." I do not think
the computer is mapping the file to the tune of 63
exteraneous MB of data!
 
Hi JonW,

Perhaps the size increase is caused by the "Allow fast saves" feature. For more
information search Microsoft PowerPoint Help for the following topic titled:
"The difference between a fast save and a full save".

You may also want to post in a PowerPoint newsgroup. Your message header seems to
indicate that you are posting from the Microsoft Communities Web Page. So below you
will find a link to the main Microsoft Communities Office Newsgroups Web Page where
you can select a PowerPoint newsgroup.

Microsoft Office Newsgroups
Welcome to Microsoft Office Newsgroups
http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp?icp=prod_office&slcid=US

--
Carrie Garth, Microsoft MVP for Windows 2000
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- c x g

"JonW" <[email protected]>
: Wrote in message : Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 03:49 PM
:
: I encounter an interesting situation with powerpoint. As a
: revise a file over time (adding elements, removing
: elelments - graphs, pictures, etc.) the file begins to
: grow.
: I had one file that grew to about 65 MB. However, the
: presentation was not really that much bigger than the
: original 2 MB file.
:
: So I tried something: I went through each individual
: slide, and copied the individual elements off the slde and
: pasted into a brand new blank presentation, slide by
: slide. when I got done the new presentation was the same
: as the old one in every respect except one: the new
: presentation was now 2 MB as compared to the 65 MB of the
: old one!
:
: That got me thinking. I imagine, somewhere in an
: unreachable place in the powerpoint software, Powerpoint
: is capturing everything that ever happended to that
: presentation and saving it.
:
: Here is my wish: To find a way to open up access to that
: part of the presentation file that was storing the 63 MB
: of unused (but saved) information and delete it.
:
: I tried to get the answer from MS help. It just cost me
: $200 to hear the tech say, "Oh, it is just your computer
: mapping the file every time you open it." I do not think
: the computer is mapping the file to the tune of 63
: exteraneous MB of data!
 
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