Unable to Edit Master Slide Layouts

[Kevin]

I have a presentation here that was originally created in 2003 and it edits
fine in 2003. However, I am now on 2007 and do not have 2003 installed on my
laptop. The original presentation has a graphic and a text box in the upper
left hand corner which I normally just change from presentation to
presentation (i.e. I will update the textbox and sometimes the graphic).

I can't seem to do that in 2007.

It doesn't matter whether I am in regular layout or master slide layout. I
cannot select, edit, or delete either the graphic or the text box. The only
thing I seem to be able to do is to start over. While this might be "a work
around" I don't really want to have to delete and recreate every single 2003
presentation I've ever made simply because the idiots at Microsoft don't know
the definition of term "backwards compatible".

Anyone have a solution to this little undocumented feature?

 

[Glen Millar]

Hi Kevin,

Only thing I can think of is whether the graphic might be on the actual
slide deck as a slide background image? Or 2007 has imported it as such. any
chance you could email me a sample?

--

Regards,
Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP

Tutorials and PowerPoint animations at
the original www.pptworkbench.com
glen at pptworkbench dot com

 

[Kathy Jacobs]

I wonder if the graphics are on the master slide, not on the individual
layouts. When you go to view the masters, the default selection is the
layout. If you can't select the graphic on that, scroll up to the actual
master (the one that is a little bigger) and see if the graphics are there.
If you need a screenshot or screen recording of what I am talking about,
post back.

--
Kathy Jacobs, Microsoft MVP OneNote and PowerPoint
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint
Get PowerPoint and OneNote information at www.onppt.com

I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

 

[Kevin]

I'll send off a copy tonight.

I am also a technical consultant for the Government of Canada and right now
if I can't get this to work then my recommendation is that we shouldn't be
considering to do any upgrades until this is fixed or there is a work around.
This problem is going to cause thousands upon thousands of mandays in lost
productivity because everyone here uses powerpoint and everyone pretty much
uses it the same way I am on this one presentation I'm trying to modify now
for a side project I have on the go.

I have no idea how these people can call Office 2007 an improvement because
so far everyone I've talked to has absolutely and unequivocally hated what
has been done. Word / Excel / Powerpoint --- all of it --- its an absolute
disaster - especially that horrendous ribbon thing. I have enough problems
with real estate on my screen without half of it being taken up by something
that worked perfectly well before.

K

 

[Kevin]

Oh for crying out loud --- That worked --- I can select and edit everything
now. That is just nuts. I've been looking through help, on google, and on
yahoo for 3 weeks and no one seems to know that is this what MS has done to
these things.

This is going to cause untold problems in the Government as they just won't
give people training in all the various updates that they will need to know.

Thx,
K

 

[Glen Millar]

Hi,

Wait until someone sends them a presentation created in 2007, then they open
it in 2003 and either:

1. They need the convertor which is not installed and they have no admin
rights to download it, let alone install it, or

2. It was saved as backwards compatible, they can open it, but a couple of
slide masters blow out into dozens of them in 2003.

Been there, done both!

--

Regards,
Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP

Please tell us your PowerPoint version

Tutorials and PowerPoint animations at
the original www.pptworkbench.com
glen at pptworkbench dot com

 

[Lisa Bucki]

2. It was saved as backwards compatible, they can open it, but a couple of
slide masters blow out into dozens of them in 2003.

Been there, done both!

Regards,
Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP

<snip>

Glen,
I have a client who seems to have done exactly what you mention above. I
provided dozens of presentations created in PowerPoint 2003, and when a
handful of them came back to me for edits, suddenly there are dozens of
masters.

Is there a fix for this? I've searched Knowledge Base, and don't seem to be
finding anything.

TIA for the help,
Lisa Bucki

 

[Glen Millar]

<snip>

Glen,
I have a client who seems to have done exactly what you mention above. I
provided dozens of presentations created in PowerPoint 2003, and when a
handful of them came back to me for edits, suddenly there are dozens of
masters.

Is there a fix for this? I've searched Knowledge Base, and don't seem to
be finding anything.

TIA for the help,
Lisa Bucki

Hi,

Sadly, no. Just run your mouse over the thumbnails and a pop up will tell
you how many slides the particular master applies to.