Can't open any file in PowerPoint 97 under Win XP

[memoto]

I am using Office 97 running on Win XP Home.

When I try to open a new document or an existing file, I get a message
"PowerPoint found an error it can't correct. You should save
presentations, exit, and then restart PowerPoint."

I am able to see the file when I turn on the preview pane or when I use
the PowerPoint Viewer application.

This problem did not occur when I ran the same application on my
previous computer which had Win XP Pro. I recently got a new Compaq
laptop which came preloaded with Microsoft Works and Microsoft Money
and a trial version of Microsoft Office 2003, but I did not launch or
activate any of these.

I am not having any problems with the other Office apps - Excel or
Word.

I found some references to this issue but they all referred to a
problem that occurs in other versions and combinations of PowerPoint
and Windows. My problem is specifically the combination of PowerPoint
97 under Win XP, running on a computer that has some vendor apps
preloaded. The reason I think that the vendor's preloaded applications
might be a part of the problem is because I never had problems with
PowerPoint on my previous computer which also ran under Win XP.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who ran into something similar,
and any guidance toward a solution.

Thanks.

 

[Austin Myers]

Have you installed ALL updates to Office 97 and WinXP? If not, start there.


Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

PowerPoint Video and PowerPoint Sound Solutions www.pfcmedia.com

 

[memoto]

Thanks for the very quick response! I will check that first. I am
pretty sure the Office apps are the latest versions that were made
available, especially since I think there haven't been any updates to
Office 97 in quite some time and it was running beautifully - after
been painstakingly customized over many years - on my older computers.
As for Win XP, I have updated security patches but as far as other
updates, I guess I just assumed the vendor would have sent it out with
the latest version at time of shipment. Of course, that might not be
the case, so I will check at Microsoft.

 

[Darrell S]

I am using Office 97 running on Win XP Home.

When I try to open a new document or an existing file, I get a message
"PowerPoint found an error it can't correct. You should save
presentations, exit, and then restart PowerPoint."

I am able to see the file when I turn on the preview pane or when I
use the PowerPoint Viewer application.

This problem did not occur when I ran the same application on my
previous computer which had Win XP Pro. I recently got a new Compaq
laptop which came preloaded with Microsoft Works and Microsoft Money
and a trial version of Microsoft Office 2003, but I did not launch or
activate any of these.

I am not having any problems with the other Office apps - Excel or
Word.

I found some references to this issue but they all referred to a
problem that occurs in other versions and combinations of PowerPoint
and Windows. My problem is specifically the combination of PowerPoint
97 under Win XP, running on a computer that has some vendor apps
preloaded. The reason I think that the vendor's preloaded applications
might be a part of the problem is because I never had problems with
PowerPoint on my previous computer which also ran under Win XP.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who ran into something similar,
and any guidance toward a solution.

Thanks.

You might try reinstalling PPT 97. Perhaps the installation of the trial
version of MS Office 2003 had an effect on it. Did Office 2003 include PPT?