Deleting slides associated with custom layouts

[Jeffrey]

Hey everyone,

I created a template in PowerPoint 2007 for my research group and included
three new, custom layouts for the kinds of displays my teammates were
assembling slapdash. I provided a demo presentation to them that showed how
every layout (now 14) could be used for our purposes. I was disappointed to
see the following: They would start with the demo, delete the demo slides,
and start over with the title slides. When they did this, the three new,
custom layouts that I added vanished from the list of layouts to select and
from the "Slide Master View."

I'm guessing that once no slides use a custom layout, PowerPoint decides,
for me, that I no longer want to keep the things I spent hours making and
removes it?

I looked into the "Preserve" button, but I think that's for multiple Masters
that go together in one presentation. Even with that, you would still only
have the 11 default layouts unless someone used one of the custom layouts you
gave them. How about a button for "Preserve the selected layout so that it
remains with the presentation even if it is not used."

I hope my description of my problem makes sense. If nothing else, you
letting me know that this is, in fact, a usability flaw in the program will
save me time trying to find a solution.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Echo S]

Thanks for posting this, Jeffrey. I haven't run into this -- but it could be
because I'm providing sample slides (as you did) and I'm not seeing the
users delete them all before beginning.

I'll try to test this, and if I can repro, I'll add it to some layouts /
masters complaints I've sent to Microsoft.

 

[Echo S]

Just to follow up, I can't repro this.

Hm. I can't think what in the world might be causing this. You and the users
are up-to-date on Office 2007 service packs, right?

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com
What's new in PPT 2010? http://www.echosvoice.com/2010.htm
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances http://tinyurl.com/36grcd
PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit http://tinyurl.com/32a7nx

Thanks for posting this, Jeffrey. I haven't run into this -- but it could
be because I'm providing sample slides (as you did) and I'm not seeing the
users delete them all before beginning.

I'll try to test this, and if I can repro, I'll add it to some layouts /
masters complaints I've sent to Microsoft.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com
What's new in PPT 2010? http://www.echosvoice.com/2010.htm
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances http://tinyurl.com/36grcd
PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit http://tinyurl.com/32a7nx

Hey everyone,

I created a template in PowerPoint 2007 for my research group and
included
three new, custom layouts for the kinds of displays my teammates were
assembling slapdash. I provided a demo presentation to them that showed
how
every layout (now 14) could be used for our purposes. I was disappointed
to
see the following: They would start with the demo, delete the demo
slides,
and start over with the title slides. When they did this, the three new,
custom layouts that I added vanished from the list of layouts to select
and
from the "Slide Master View."

I'm guessing that once no slides use a custom layout, PowerPoint decides,
for me, that I no longer want to keep the things I spent hours making and
removes it?

I looked into the "Preserve" button, but I think that's for multiple
Masters
that go together in one presentation. Even with that, you would still
only
have the 11 default layouts unless someone used one of the custom layouts
you
gave them. How about a button for "Preserve the selected layout so that
it
remains with the presentation even if it is not used."

I hope my description of my problem makes sense. If nothing else, you
letting me know that this is, in fact, a usability flaw in the program
will
save me time trying to find a solution.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Jeffrey Coleman]

I have the exact same problem in PowerPoint 2010. The Master template has a number of customized layouts. The default presentation supplied by Marketing has 28 example slides. When I delete those slides, the associated layouts are also removed. The preserve button only applies to the Slide Master and not to the Layouts.

Adding to the odd behavior, some layouts are preserved. But I can't tell what the difference between these and the ones that are removed.

Hey everyone,

I created a template in PowerPoint 2007 for my research group and included
three new, custom layouts for the kinds of displays my teammates were
assembling slapdash. I provided a demo presentation to them that showed how
every layout (now 14) could be used for our purposes. I was disappointed to
see the following: They would start with the demo, delete the demo slides,
and start over with the title slides. When they did this, the three new,
custom layouts that I added vanished from the list of layouts to select and
from the "Slide Master View."

I am guessing that once no slides use a custom layout, PowerPoint decides,
for me, that I no longer want to keep the things I spent hours making and
removes it?

I looked into the "Preserve" button, but I think that is for multiple Masters
that go together in one presentation. Even with that, you would still only
have the 11 default layouts unless someone used one of the custom layouts you
gave them. How about a button for "Preserve the selected layout so that it
remains with the presentation even if it is not used."

I hope my description of my problem makes sense. If nothing else, you
letting me know that this is, in fact, a usability flaw in the program will
save me time trying to find a solution.

Thanks for reading!

On Tuesday, March 30, 2010 11:46 PM Echo S wrote:
Thanks for posting this, Jeffrey. I have not run into this -- but it could be
because I am providing sample slides (as you did) and I am not seeing the
users delete them all before beginning.

I will try to test this, and if I can repro, I will add it to some layouts /
masters complaints I have sent to Microsoft.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com
What's new in PPT 2010? http://www.echosvoice.com/2010.htm
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances http://tinyurl.com/36grcd
PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit http://tinyurl.com/32a7nx

On Friday, April 30, 2010 10:17 AM Echo S wrote:
Just to follow up, I cannot repro this.

Hm. I cannot think what in the world might be causing this. You and the users
are up-to-date on Office 2007 service packs, right?

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com
What's new in PPT 2010? http://www.echosvoice.com/2010.htm
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances http://tinyurl.com/36grcd
PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit http://tinyurl.com/32a7nx

 

[rodney2008]

This is an old thread, but I ran into this as well.

It might be related to a presentation that was created by copying and pasting slides into a template with Keep Source Formatting preserved. This seems to associate a layout with the slide and have the preserved attribute left off.

 

[Lisa Wilke-Thissen]

Hi,

This is an old thread, but I ran into this as well.

I don't see any other posting except yours.

It might be related to a presentation that was
created by copying and pasting slides into a template
with Keep Source Formatting preserved.
This seems to associate a layout with the slide
and have the preserved attribute left off.

Which version of PowerPoint are you using? What is the problem?