Can't open .pps file from WM

[peggy]

When I receive a pps file attachment I get an error message that the file
needs to be associated. I have PP viewer already installed on my Vista
computer. If I save the file to my desktop and then right click the pps
file and check the box to "Always use PP viewer with this file" it will only
work if I have saved the pps file to my desktop but I cannot open it
straight from Windows Mail. I keep getting the same message saying it needs
to be associated. Any ideas? To repeat, I can only open and view .pps
files if I save them to my desktop first. I cannot open directly from WM
TIA

 

[John Inzer]

When I receive a pps file attachment I get an error message that the
file needs to be associated. I have PP viewer already installed on
my Vista computer. If I save the file to my desktop and then right
click the pps file and check the box to "Always use PP viewer with
this file" it will only work if I have saved the pps file to my
desktop but I cannot open it straight from Windows Mail. I keep
getting the same message saying it needs to be associated. Any
ideas? To repeat, I can only open and view .pps files if I save them
to my desktop first. I cannot open directly from WM TIA

==============================
Maybe the following articles will offer some ideas:

Open Powerpoint files directly in Windows Mail
http://www.vistabits.nl/tipstricks_gb.htm#Powerpoint_files

Windows Vista -
Unable to open .PPS attachments directly
from Windows Mail in Windows Vista:
http://tinyurl.com/27mzp3
or...
http://www.winhelponline.com/articl...ectly-from-Windows-Mail-in-Windows-Vista.html

 

[peggy]

EXCELLENT!
Thank you ...that worked!

==============================
Maybe the following articles will offer some ideas:

Open Powerpoint files directly in Windows Mail
http://www.vistabits.nl/tipstricks_gb.htm#Powerpoint_files

Windows Vista -
Unable to open .PPS attachments directly
from Windows Mail in Windows Vista:
http://tinyurl.com/27mzp3
or...
http://www.winhelponline.com/articl...ectly-from-Windows-Mail-in-Windows-Vista.html

 

[John Inzer]

EXCELLENT!
Thank you ...that worked!

================
You're welcome.

Thanks for the update.

 

[Reynolds]

I have tried the changing to "open" and it still gives me that message when I
try and open a pps file........what do I try now?

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Hi Skcyclost,
where did you grab the thread you are replying to?
I can not see Peggy's original posting :-(

I simply drag the file to the desktop and open it from there as you
mention above. This seems to solve the problem with minimal adieu.
Why fool with the arcane instructions?

Saving attachments and then opening them is not the *standard* way of
doing things. And when attachments can not be opened directly, something
is broken. Si what you are doing and recommending is nothing but a
workaround for a shortcoming.

AFAICS there are 2 different areas of problems:
(a) Missing association for the PPT/PPS files and (b) possibly the
IE8-WinMail problem which affects opening attachments of all sorts.

For the PPT/PPS opening problem the following will help:
http://www.winhelponline.com/articl...ectly-from-Windows-Mail-in-Windows-Vista.html

(b) If the associations are set the right way with this fix and the
attachments still will not open, it's more likely than not an "in
general" problem and one should check the situation with other types of
attachments too.

 

[t-4-2]

All due respect :
" To move it to the desktop and out of Windows Mail program" is a
workaround, not an answer.
To be able to open it within WM is, and there isn't one short of
un-installing IE8, which is not an answer either.
t-4-2

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Rainald, I'm totally new here, so don't know where to direct you. I
hope I provided an answer that works to opening pps file by moving it
to the desktop and out of Windows Mail program.

Hi Steve,
I'm sorry, should my reply have sounded to harsh.
But pls understand that the IE8-WinMail has been bothering us for quite
a while.
And the possibility to save a file on some folder (better not in the
desktop) and opening it from there has been known as a workaround fir
many weeks already. So it's nothing new.

And working this way just is a "last resort" to handle JPG and TXT files
which remain as trouble kids after applying the workaround of changing
the path in the shortcut.

Rainald

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

The Microsoft news server only keeps posts for 90 days.
Those accessing via other means use a third party storage system
that my have a longer retention time.

 

[Rainald Taesler]

I'm satisfied with a handy work around. Doesn't come up often anyway.
Thanks for your input.

Yes, but save to the desktop and then opening the attachment from there
is only necessary for JPG and TXT files once the fix for the path in the
shortcut has been applied[1]

Rainald
[1] Workaround:
The problems can be reduced to JPG and TXT files (all other files types
opening fine) with a workaround:
Right-click on the shortcut that you use to open Windows Mail.
Select Properties.
In the field labeled 'Start in' change the entered value to
%UserProfile%. Click OK.
Restart Windows Mail and try opening attachments.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

When you try opening the attachment, does the error message say
something like, the file can not be found?
If so, that's a known issue that is affecting some who installed IE8.
One workaround is to uninstall IE8, which reverts you back to IE7.
Even without uninstalling IE8 you can make it work for all but TXT and
JPG attachments by doing the following:

Right-click on the shortcut that you use to open Windows Mail.
Select Properties. In the field labeled 'Start in' change the existing
value to %UserProfile%. Click OK. Restart Windows Mail and try
opening attachments.

Windows Live Mail does take getting used to, and is excessively
'busy' looking for those with a large number of mail accounts.
You can approximate the WM way (one Inbox) by collapsing all
the accounts to one line each, and then reading new mail in the
combined Inbox of Quick Views.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

This should take care of any difficulty opening your PPS attachments:

Right-click on the shortcut that you use to open Windows Mail.
Select Properties. In the field labeled 'Start in' change the existing
value to %UserProfile%. Click OK. Restart Windows Mail and try
opening attachments.

 

[t-4-2]

Pardon for butting in. I do not have IE8, but one curious question :
My " Start in " field is blank. Reason ?
t-4-2

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Good question. I assume the 'Start in' field is created when the
shortcut is created, but I don't know what determines the value.
I remember in the old MS-DOS days, one had to be careful where
you started a program from, because programs would often write
data files to the 'default' directory, which would be the 'Start in'
directory. Modern programs tend to be more sophisticated, and
they will query the operating system for advice as to where to
write temporary data files.

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Why does MS keep removing functionaility from applications ?

AFAICS there was no functionality taken away.
Obviously something is on conflict with the processes for opening
attachments on *some* systems (though not the majority). As the
occurrence seems to be rather rare the problem obviously has not been
detected during the Beta - neither by by MS nor by the millions of
users.

I will not upgrade to MSIE 8 simply because I can't open files from
within WM.

Although being bitten by the big in all if my system I take the liberty
of doubting that this would be too wise.

I receive up to 30 pdf and jpeg file attachments each day so saving to
the desktop and opening from there just wastes my time.

No problem with PDFs if one applies my workaround (posted numerous
times, f.e. on June 11 in this tread.

I lose enough time as it is with the painfully slow VISTA I
wish I never had.

I take the liberty to disagree strongly. If not mis-configured, Vista is
anything but slow. And prefer it by far.

I would love to upgrade this PC to XP !

If you believe in your estimations, why don't you do that and wait for
Win7 which will appear this autumn?

I installed Windows Live Mail and was appalled by its crass features.
I simply do not want a separate set of folders for each email address
I use. I uninstalled it the same day and kept WM.

Although I can't remember the situation with (I'm having that
everywhere, be it OE, Outlook or WinMail as I use IMAP only). But I
share your misheard for WLM.

I wish MS would bring back the simplicity of Outlook Express for the
millions who like it and don't want the bloatware Windows Live Mail
when they are forced to replace their PCs with the Windows 7 OS.

WinMail has OE's simplicity. And there might be a chance to further use
WinMail under Win7 (as is possible under the current RC).

Rainald

 

[Rainald Taesler]

:

Good question. I assume the 'Start in' field is created when the
shortcut is created,
Right!

but I don't know what determines the value.

Me too :-( :-(

The strange thing is that the entries differ.
On my Vista Business 32 German systems in the shortcut in "Start | All
Programs" I found WinMail's program directory. On a system set up with
Vista Enterprise SP1 English it was %UserProfile%. The latter was
reported by quite some in this NG.

I remember in the old MS-DOS days, one had to be careful where
you started a program from, because programs would often write
data files to the 'default' directory, which would be the 'Start in'
directory. Modern programs tend to be more sophisticated, and
they will query the operating system for advice as to where to
write temporary data files.

And Vista's WinMail is that sophisticated that it assumes to check for
temporary files in c:\windows\system32 <g,d&rf>

Rainald

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Pardon for butting in. I do not have IE8, but one curious question :
My " Start in " field is blank. Reason ?

No idea.
One of the riffles with the bug.
On some systems by default comes with %UserProfile%. In others it is
blank. In many system it is c:\program files\windows mail. And the
latter leads to trying to open the temporary files in
c:\windows\system32 - really the best place for writing temporary files
<bg>

Being blank is OK. temporary files are then created in a subdirectory of
TIFs.

Rainald

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Agree, there are some difficulties with Vista. My workaround of
moving pps file to desk top and opening it there seems to take care
of the problem of opening the file. It's a very simple solution for
me. Good luck.

No, not a solution at all!!
Saving attachments first is not necessary at all for PPS attachments if
one uses a shortcut with a proper entry in the "Start in:"-field.
I posted this workaround all over (and Gary too), f.e. in this thread in
June 11.

Working the right way, only JPG and TXT files need to be saved first.

Rainald

 

[LesHarc]

These seem to be similar to my problems but different enough that they
confuse me. I've only had this PC 6 weeks and I already hate it.
When I try to open wmv's or avi's, Media Player starts then says 'the file
type is not supported ofr the codec was not correct"
When I try to open PPS attachments it says "PowerPoint can't read c:\
Windows\System32\filename"
When I try to open layered email it says "Can't loacate :\
Windows\System32\filename".

There is no box im EMail properties for 'Start in'.
There is one in the IE shortcut.
Oh this might help, it's Vista 64 bit and it came with IE8.

 

[Rainald Taesler]

These seem to be similar to my problems but different enough that they
confuse me. I've only had this PC 6 weeks and I already hate it.
When I try to open wmv's or avi's, Media Player starts then says
'the file type is not supported ofr the codec was not correct"
When I try to open PPS attachments it says "PowerPoint can't read c:\
Windows\System32\filename"
When I try to open layered email it says "Can't locate :\
Windows\System32\filename".

Bingo!
Your system for sure is affected by the "IE8-WinMail"-bug which appears
on quite many (though not all) systems after having installed IE8.

There is no box im EMail properties for 'Start in'.

"Box"?
We were talking about a "field" in the "Properties" dialog of the
shortcut used for launching WinMail.
How do you open WinMail?

There is one in the IE shortcut.

The way IE is launched has nothing to do with what we are talking about.

Oh this might help, it's Vista 64 bit and it came with IE8.

The Vista version does not matter. The bug treats (bites) all users
equally <gbg>.

Rainald