hyperlinked pdf file won't come up in PowerPoint 2003

[Guest]

We recently upgraded to PowerPoint 2003. Never had this problem with
previous versions. When I click on the hyperlink, the file appears to be
opening for a split second and then disappears. Any ideas?

 

[Sonia]

Is underneath the presentation window? Use Alt + Tab to see if Acrobat or
Acrobat Reader is an active task and switch to it.
--

Sonia Coleman
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Team
Autorun Software, Templates and Tutorials
http://www.soniacoleman.com

 

[Guest]

Is underneath the presentation window? Use Alt + Tab to see if Acrobat or
Acrobat Reader is an active task and switch to it.
--

Sonia Coleman
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Team
Autorun Software, Templates and Tutorials
http://www.soniacoleman.com

Nope. Not there. Never fully opens.

 

[Sonia]

What version of Acrobat? I've never been able to make Acrobat Reader V.7 work
in this scenario.

 

[Guest]

Bingo. V7.0. Is Microsoft working on a fix? I have to send these
presentations to customers in the field. These are spec sheets that they
expect to be linked to the presentation, and I'm sure some will be using
v7.0. What do I do?

 

[Sonia]

Microsoft has nothing to do with Acrobat. Look to Adobe if you want a fix. My
experience with the V 7 Reader has been negative. Talk to Steve about Acrobat
products. He knows a lot more than I do. Adobe has archives of all previous
versions of their Readers, including V 6 which works great.

 

[Guest]

No offense, but if it is an Adobe problem, why did I not have it prior to
upgrading to PowerPoint 2003?

 

[jameskrolak]

I'm running into this same problem with Acrobat Reader 7.0. It works
fairly well, but I can't open any linked .pdfs from PowerPoint.
(Powerpoint 2000) I found a post somewhere where the guy mentioned
that it caused so many problems in the background with other programs
(even after he uninstalled it!) that he had to go back to a restore
point and restore Windows.

 

[Sonia]

Thanks, James. I was just about to respond that I have tried it in other
versions of PowerPoint and get the same results.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Bingo. V7.0. Is Microsoft working on a fix?

Probably not, since it's apparently Adobe's problem. After all, it works with
previous versions of Acrobat/Reader.

They always end up having to issue a bugfix release after any new version.

I have to send these
presentations to customers in the field. These are spec sheets that they
expect to be linked to the presentation, and I'm sure some will be using
v7.0. What do I do?

You may have to warn them that Reader 7 is busted and won't work; suggest
installing an earlier version. Yep, I know how unpalatable this is, but it's
outside your control.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

No offense, but if it is an Adobe problem, why did I not have it prior to
upgrading to PowerPoint 2003?

No offense taken. It's a reasonable question.

PowerPoint 2003's been out for a lot longer than Reader 7, and the same problem doesn't seem
to happen with Reader 6 or previous. Couple that with Adobe's history of buggy first
releases and the number of similar complaints that don't involve Office apps and draw your
own conclusions.

IAC, I'm downloading the thing now to try on a test system with PPT 2003 and others. If I
come up with any good workarounds, I'll post back.

[later]

Try this: instead of hyperlinking to the PDF, do a Run Program action setting. Click
Browse and choose All File instead of *.EXE, pick your PDF.

That seems to work a bit better.

Reader 7 does its little tricks with earlier versions of PPT too, by the way. Doesn't work
worth spit in PPT 2000 or 2003. You see it pop up briefly then disappear. No visible PDF,
no sign of Reader in the task list, nothing.

FWIW, I also have Acrobat 6 Professional on this system. That may have some effect on the
behavior of Reader 7. Are you seeing the same weird behavior on a system with just Reader?