Powerpoint toolbars explode after importing Excel data

[andrew.conkling]

So I've noticed a strange quirk in PowerPoint 2000. It seems that when
I edit imported Excel data, the toolbars start moving around and can't
be fixed without closing PowerPoint.

When I first open it up, I see my Menu Bar and the Standard and
Formatting toolbars at the top. I start a blank presentation, insert a
blank slide, and go to Insert | Object, select From File and import an
Excel spreadsheet (not a link). I double-click on my Excel object (the
Excel toolbar pops up at the top), then click on a blank area of the
slide (the Excel toolbar disappears). Oddly, however, there's an inch
or so of grey toolbar space between the title bar and the menu bar. If
I repeat the process (clicking into and out of the Excel data), the
grey space increases, eventually taking over my screen.

Has anyone seen this before? A search on MS's KB and on Google availed
me nothing, but I doubt I'm the first to see this.

Kind regards,
Andrew Conkling

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

So I've noticed a strange quirk in PowerPoint 2000. It seems that when
I edit imported Excel data, the toolbars start moving around and can't
be fixed without closing PowerPoint.

When I first open it up, I see my Menu Bar and the Standard and
Formatting toolbars at the top. I start a blank presentation, insert a
blank slide, and go to Insert | Object, select From File and import an
Excel spreadsheet (not a link). I double-click on my Excel object (the
Excel toolbar pops up at the top), then click on a blank area of the
slide (the Excel toolbar disappears). Oddly, however, there's an inch
or so of grey toolbar space between the title bar and the menu bar. If
I repeat the process (clicking into and out of the Excel data), the
grey space increases, eventually taking over my screen.

I haven't seen this particular behavior, but the toolbars can get a bit
twitchy, especially if you have rude addins like Adobe's Acrobat PDFMaker,
which insist on rearranging things for you whenever you start and shut down an
office app.

Do you have any such addins loaded in PPT?

 

[Echo S]

Yes, I've seen this behavior, and I don't know how to fix it reliably --
except by closing PPT.

You might close PPT and dump your *.PCB file(s) (your PPT toolbar) and let
PPT recreate it the next time it opens.

 

[andrew.conkling]

No, no addins at all.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

No, no addins at all.

To be certain of that, have a look here:

What add-ins are loaded?
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00655.htm

 

[andrew.conkling]

Well, actually, now that you mention it, msodraa9.ShapeSelect shows up
(under COM add-ins). I hadn't realized that was loaded (nor do I know
what it is). Might that cause a problem?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Well, actually, now that you mention it, msodraa9.ShapeSelect shows up
(under COM add-ins). I hadn't realized that was loaded (nor do I know
what it is). Might that cause a problem?

I don't believe that one's going to be the culprit. I show that as installed
too.

Apparently it may cause issues for some people in Word after some Office
critical updates are installed (google msodraa9.ShapeSelect to find a few
references) but this doesn't seem to affect PPT or Excel, just Word.

 

[andrew.conkling]

Oh, gosh. I feel sheepish. I meant to mention that this didn't happen
on a fresh 2000 install, but only when I ran the round of current
updates for Office. So it seems like the same thing that other Word
users are reporting, if I understand you right.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Oh, gosh. I feel sheepish. I meant to mention that this didn't happen
on a fresh 2000 install, but only when I ran the round of current
updates for Office. So it seems like the same thing that other Word
users are reporting, if I understand you right.

No need for the sheep ... we'd expect that SPs would improve things, not break
them. Silly us, <g>

Might be worth trying to remove the addin, at least temporarily ... if you feel
comfortable fiddling around in the registry, that is. Be well backed up, as
always.

 

[andrew.conkling]

OK, I checked with my admin and I can't remove the update. I'll try
removing the add-in, but I'm not really hopeul. :-/

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

OK, I checked with my admin and I can't remove the update. I'll try
removing the add-in, but I'm not really hopeul. :-/

Good luck! Let us know how it works out, please!