odd text effect?

[Geoff Cox]

Hello,

Occasionally when using PowerPoint 2003 on a PC with Windows XP Pro
with a 3GHz processor and 1GB RAM I find following.

1. the words in a sentence appear on top of each other and/or appear
condensed into a small graphic blob.

2. if I run the presentation again these effects are absent.

Any idea why this happens?

Thanks

Geoff

 

[Luc]

Geoff,
Sounds like a font problem to me. A missing or corrupted font maybe.
If this happens have a look at Format - Replace Fonts. Look for a font with
a ? icon next to it. Replace that font.
It could be something else though, I've read that turning down hardware
acceleration helped in some cases.

 

[Geoff Cox]

Geoff,
Sounds like a font problem to me. A missing or corrupted font maybe.
If this happens have a look at Format - Replace Fonts. Look for a font with
a ? icon next to it. Replace that font.
It could be something else though, I've read that turning down hardware
acceleration helped in some cases.

Thanks for the suggestions Luc - will have a look and get back.

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Geoff Cox]

Geoff,
Sounds like a font problem to me. A missing or corrupted font maybe.
If this happens have a look at Format - Replace Fonts. Look for a font with
a ? icon next to it. Replace that font.
It could be something else though, I've read that turning down hardware
acceleration helped in some cases.

Luc,

When I select Format / Replace font, do I look for a ? next to the
font names in the replace drop down box? If so, there are non there.

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Luc,

When I select Format / Replace font, do I look for a ? next to the
font names in the replace drop down box?

Look for question mark icons next to the fonts in the UPPER of the two list
boxes. That displays the fonts used by the presentation. The lower list box
displays the fonts present on your computer (never with ? icons, since, being
there, they're all there. <g> )

While you're at it, check for multiple fonts with the same name. The Replace
Fonts dialog probably won't show this but a peek into your fonts folder might
help. Some programs exhibit exactly the behavior you've described when there's
both a TT and Type1 version of the font installed.

Oh, and does the problem go away when you select a different font for the
troubled text?

 

[Geoff Cox]

Look for question mark icons next to the fonts in the UPPER of the two list
boxes. That displays the fonts used by the presentation. The lower list box
displays the fonts present on your computer (never with ? icons, since, being
there, they're all there. <g> )

While you're at it, check for multiple fonts with the same name. The Replace
Fonts dialog probably won't show this but a peek into your fonts folder might
help. Some programs exhibit exactly the behavior you've described when there's
both a TT and Type1 version of the font installed.

Oh, and does the problem go away when you select a different font for the
troubled text?

Steve,

There are no fonts with ? in the upper box.

Problem is that the this effect is not one I can reproduce at will and
if I re-run the presentation it usually disappears so even if I wait
until it happens and then change the fonts - its disappearance may not
be due to the font change!

I have been given following suggestions from the private PPT NG. Have
you had any success with any of them?

Cheers

Geoff

Step 1 Start PowerPoint with safe mode
===============================
1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. In the Run dialog box, type in "powerpnt /safe" without quotation
marks.
Please note, there is a space before /safe.
3. Click OK to start PowerPoint with the /safe switch.
4. Then click File->Open to open the PPT file and check if this issue
recurs.

Step 2 Change the printer driver to Generic/Text printer driver
==============================

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Printers, and then
double-click
Add Printer.
2. Follow the instructions on the screen.
3. Select from Generic from the list in Manufacturer.
4. Select Generic/Text Only from the list of Printers.
5. Follow the succeeding instructions.
6. After installing it, right click the Generic/Text Only printer icon
and
click Set as Default.
7. Launch PowerPoint and see if the problem still persists.

Step 3 Update the video driver to the latest version
==========================
Please update the video driver to the latest version.

Step 4 Use another user account
==========================
To test this issue in a new user account may help us to identify if
this
issue is caused by corrupt user profile. Please create a new user
account
to log on and check if the issue recurs.

Step 5 Reduce graphics hardware acceleration
=====================
1. Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties on the menu.
2. Click the Settings tab, and then click Advanced.
3. Click the Troubleshoot tab.
4. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider until it is one notch to the
right
of None, the Basic acceleration setting.
5. Click OK, and then click Close.
6. Check if the issue recurs.

If the suggestions don't help, please help us collect more information
for
further troubleshooting:
1. Have you updated Office and Windows to the latest version?
2. Does this issue happen to a specific ppt file or does this issue
happen
to every ppt file on the machine?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

There are no fonts with ? in the upper box.

Problem is that the this effect is not one I can reproduce at will and
if I re-run the presentation it usually disappears so even if I wait
until it happens and then change the fonts - its disappearance may not
be due to the font change!

I have been given following suggestions from the private PPT NG. Have
you had any success with any of them?

Haven't had the problem myself in a long long time, so I haven't had occasion to ry
them.

Haven't heard from you, though, on whether there are multiple fonts with the same
font name in your fonts folder. You might want to use a font management utility
for this, as the two fonts might have different file names but have the same
internal name (ie, what shows up in the font dialog box).

 

[Geoff Cox]

Haven't had the problem myself in a long long time, so I haven't had occasion to ry
them.

Haven't heard from you, though, on whether there are multiple fonts with the same
font name in your fonts folder. You might want to use a font management utility
for this, as the two fonts might have different file names but have the same
internal name (ie, what shows up in the font dialog box).

Steve,

I have looked but couldn't see any duplicate names - will try to find
a font management utility - do you have one in mind?

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Geoff Cox]

Haven't heard from you, though, on whether there are multiple fonts with the same
font name in your fonts folder. You might want to use a font management utility
for this, as the two fonts might have different file names but have the same
internal name (ie, what shows up in the font dialog box).

Steve,

I have tried a font utility now and not too clear what to do?!

It shows 5 problem fonts and recopmmends their removal.

They are Myriad Condensed Web (TrueType) and 4 varieties of Myriad Web
fonts. I've never heard of these and cannot imagine that I have ever
used them so it's not likely that they cause the problem - is it?

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Haven't heard from you, though, on whether there are multiple fonts with the same

Steve,

I have looked but couldn't see any duplicate names - will try to find
a font management utility - do you have one in mind?

I'd start with the Typography extension available at

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/TrueTypeProperty21.mspx

It won't give you a list of all the fonts on the system, but all you really need to do
is examine any thaty seem likely to be the same font (name) in different font files,
and then only the one(s) that suffer from what we might term "font englobulation" in
your presentation.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Steve,

I have tried a font utility now and not too clear what to do?!

It shows 5 problem fonts and recopmmends their removal.

They are Myriad Condensed Web (TrueType) and 4 varieties of Myriad Web
fonts. I've never heard of these and cannot imagine that I have ever
used them so it's not likely that they cause the problem - is it?

Copy them to another folder then delete them from your fonts folder; worst case, you
can simply reinstall them, as long as you have backup copies.

 

[Geoff Cox]

I'd start with the Typography extension available at

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/TrueTypeProperty21.mspx

It won't give you a list of all the fonts on the system, but all you really need to do
is examine any thaty seem likely to be the same font (name) in different font files,
and then only the one(s) that suffer from what we might term "font englobulation" in
your presentation.

Steve,

Since I cannot imagine ever using the fonts named as problem fonts,
i.e. Myriad Condensed Web (TrueType) and 4 varieties of Myriad Web
fonts, this is not likely to be the problem is it?

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Geoff Cox]

Copy them to another folder then delete them from your fonts folder; worst case, you
can simply reinstall them, as long as you have backup copies.

OK! Will do this.

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Steve,

Since I cannot imagine ever using the fonts named as problem fonts,
i.e. Myriad Condensed Web (TrueType) and 4 varieties of Myriad Web
fonts, this is not likely to be the problem is it?

Why speculate on whether it's possible that they might be causing trouble when it's
so easy to test?

But yes, rogue fonts can cause all sorts of problems ... I once had what I was
convinced was a horrible computer virus, but the symptoms only played up when I had
a certain customer file open. It turned out that they'd embedded a bad font in the
presentation and when it installed itself on presentation-open, all hell broke
loose.

 

[Geoff Cox]

Why speculate on whether it's possible that they might be causing trouble when it's
so easy to test?

But yes, rogue fonts can cause all sorts of problems ... I once had what I was
convinced was a horrible computer virus, but the symptoms only played up when I had
a certain customer file open. It turned out that they'd embedded a bad font in the
presentation and when it installed itself on presentation-open, all hell broke
loose.

OK - point taken. I have removed the fonts which the font utility said
were faulty - but am still getting the problem.

I have noticed the following.

ppt file on a CD was giving this effect. I copied it to my hard disk
and it did not give the effect - could this be a clue?

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

OK - point taken. I have removed the fonts which the font utility said
were faulty - but am still getting the problem.

I have noticed the following.

ppt file on a CD was giving this effect. I copied it to my hard disk
and it did not give the effect - could this be a clue?

Interesting. What are the embeddability properties of the font in question ( that MS
Typography extension will tell you). And are the fonts embedded in the PPT?

 

[Geoff Cox]

Interesting. What are the embeddability properties of the font in question ( that MS
Typography extension will tell you). And are the fonts embedded in the PPT?

Steve,

You mean the font for the word that is truncated? I will have to wait
until it happens again!

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Steve,

You mean the font for the word that is truncated? I will have to wait
until it happens again!

Yes, that's the one.

 

[Geoff Cox]

Interesting. What are the embeddability properties of the font in question ( that MS
Typography extension will tell you). And are the fonts embedded in the PPT?

Steve,

I now have a couple of images of the truncated texts - I will email
you them.

Both egs are Times New Roman Bold and both disappear when the ppt is
run again. The fonts can be but are not embedded.

My well be a good idea to embed all fonts being used - but is it
possible to use VBA?

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Steve,

I now have a couple of images of the truncated texts - I will email
you them.

Both egs are Times New Roman Bold and both disappear when the ppt is
run again. The fonts can be but are not embedded.

My well be a good idea to embed all fonts being used - but is it
possible to use VBA?

Every Windows system will have Times New Roman (in regular, bold, ital and bold ital) so
embedding the fonts doesn't seem like it'd help anything.

You might try temporarily removing all of the fonts but the absolute basics from your
fonts folder (copying them to another folder then deleting them from \Fonts, of course).

This is out of date but should get you started:

Make sure my chosen fonts are available
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00256.htm