Powerpoint Can't Open .pps File

[aazgorelec]

Hello there,

I'm having a little trouble opening up a couple of .pps files that
have been emailed to me.

If I download the files to my computer, then double click them to
open, I get a message: "Powerpoint can't read C:\...\xyz.pps"

If I open up my version of Powerpoint, and do File...Open... I get
"Powerpoint can't open the type of file represented by xyz.pps"

Reading around on the Internet, I tried to download Powerpoint Viewer
2003. Using that to open the files, I get "Powerpoint viewer cannot
open the file xyz.pps".

I then tried Powerpoint Viewer 2007, and I get the same error message
as above.

I even thought I'd give OpenOffice Impress a go. When I try to open
one of the .pps files, I get a "Filter Selection" list, and whatever I
seem to choose it tells me "General Error: General Input/Output
Error".

I've been assured that the two files were all fine when they left the
person who emailed them to me!

I'm on Windows XP SP2, using Microsoft Office 2002. (Yes, it's old, I
know.)


Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Echo S]

What version of PPT were these created in, do you know? If PPT 2007, then
make sure the person is "backsaving" the files as 97-2003 format and not
just changing the file extension from PPSX to PPS.

You might also ask the person to zip the files and send them to you. That
seems to help prevent corruption of the files, which emailing seems to cause
sometimes.

Finally, if the person *is* creating the files in PPT 2007, you could try
installling the compatibility pack, which allows Office 2003 and XP apps to
open 2007-format files:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...70-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en

 

[aazgorelec]

Thanks very much for your advice. I'm afraid I don't know what version
of Powerpoint the files were created in (although yes, it would be
helpful to know) but I had hoped that by using Powerpoint Viewer 2007,
I'd be able to get round any problems associated with creating/looking
at files in different versions.

I'll also try your other suggestions.

 

[Echo S]

Well, yes, you'd think the 2007 Viewer would get around those issues -- and
it definitely should have, although you must have all Windows updates
installed in order for the compatibility pack to work. And since the 2007
Viewer is really just the 2003 Viewer (for all intents and purposes) plus
the compat pack, well....

You might want to go the zip route. At least that way you can be assured
that it's not an email corruption thing.

 

[aazgorelec]

Thanks again for your advice.

 

[Bracketman]

PowerPoint emails won’t open in Office 2010.

Save to desktop or Documents – right click to go to the document's properties

Go to General Tab – at bottom :”This file came from another computer….” Click on “Unblock”



You will then be able to open and view the email.



This worked for me on pps attachments that wouldn't open in Outlook 2010.