Inserted sound files won't play

[CJSnet]

I've seen this reported a few times on Google Groups but no definitive
solution:

I have PowerPoint 2003
I have inserted a .wav sound into slide 2 of my presentation
I clicked Insert>Movies and Sounds>Sound from file
In the Browse window, the sound won't even play in Media Player if I
right-click it and choose Play
From Explorer the same sound file plays fine
I have tried converting the sound into other formats such as MP3
I have tried different sound files
The icon appears in the slideshow but doesn't play
I have set it to play 999 times and not to stop when clicked
I have set it to start with the 1 other previous animation

In a word, HELP!
--
Thanks.

CJSnet

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[Sonia]

Let's start with - -- go to Start > Run and type mplay32.exe to open the MCI
play (which PowerPoint uses). Go to File > Open and locate your WAV file.
Click on the Play icon. Does it play? If it doesn't play, it won't play in
PowerPoint. If it does play then there is something about how you have inserted
it that is causing the problem. You said at the end that you set it to start
with previous. Does the previous animation start when you play the slide show?
--

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

 

[CJSnet]

Hi, thanks, I tested that and yes it does play.

The previous animation does start, and its sound effect ('push') also plays.
Even if I set my sound to play on mouse-click or after the previous
animation, it still just won't play. When I click the mouse it doesn't
play. When I try to preview it from the Browse window it doesn't play.
Very odd.
--
Thanks.

CJSnet

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[Sonia]

Is it the last event on the slide? I suspect that there is something about your
settings that is inhibiting its play. But, if you put it on a slide all by
itself, does it play? That would be Insert > Movies and Sounds > Sound from
File and respond "Yes" when it asks if you want it to play automatically.

Try that and we'll go from there.

 

[CJSnet]

Hi Sonia

It was the 2nd event on the slide.

To test your theory I started a new presentation file and just inserted the
sound into the first slide and set it to play automatically.

It does exactly the same thing, i.e. nothing.
--
Thanks.

CJSnet

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[Sonia]

I'm assuming that after creating the slide with the sound file that you tested
it in Slide Show mode.

Since you said that you tested it in mplay32.exe and it worked, I'm out of ideas
other than to test with an entirely different WAV file and see if it works.
That would tell us there is a problem with the file.

 

[CJSnet]

Hi Sonia

Yes, I tested it is Slide Show mode but no good.

It's not the file. I have tried many different wave files, some with
different formats and sources. They all play fine anywhere except direct
from PowerPoint. But the same file plays fine if I add it to the Slide
Transition itself, rather than within the slide.

Very strange. As I said, this has been reported by many people at various
stages on Google Groups so it is something MS should probably be looking
into.
--
Thanks.

CJSnet

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[Sonia]

Please send me one of your WAV files that doesn't work. Maybe there is
something about the file that I can spot. You can send it to acdpc @
soniacoleman dot com.

 

[CJSnet]

Done
--
Thanks.

CJSnet

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[Sonia]

I received the file and inserted it in a new presentation and it plays fine.
We'll just have to compare settings I guess. The first thing to check is that
you don't have animations turned off. Go to Slide Show > Set Up Show and make
sure that under Show Options you have "Show without animation" unchecked.

The other thing to check would be to double click on the speaker icon in the
Systray and make sure that the Play Control dialog shows the Wave/MP3 control
"NOT muted".

Also, go to Tools > Options > General and where it says "Link sounds with file
size greater than", what do you see in the box? And when you right click on the
sound icon on your slide and select "Edit Sound Options", under Information does
it show that the sound is "Contained in presentation" or does it show a file
name and path?

 

[CJSnet]

I received the file and inserted it in a new presentation and it plays
fine. We'll just have to compare settings I guess. The first thing to
check is that you don't have animations turned off. Go to Slide Show > Set
Up Show and make sure that under Show Options you have "Show without
animation" unchecked.
Correct.

The other thing to check would be to double click on the speaker icon in
the Systray and make sure that the Play Control dialog shows the Wave/MP3
control "NOT muted".
Correct.

Also, go to Tools > Options > General and where it says "Link sounds with
file size greater than", what do you see in the box? And when you right
click on the

100KB. Should I change this?

sound icon on your slide and select "Edit Sound Options", under
Information does it show that the sound is "Contained in presentation" or
does it show a file name and path?

Name and path.
--
Thanks.

CJSnet

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[Sonia]

Your sound file is linked, not embedded, and the link might be breaking for you.
Since it's a WAV file, change the size limit to 50000 KB (50 MB), delete the
sound and reinsert it (VERY IMPORTANT). Save the presentation.

Now the sound file is part of the presentation file and will travel with it.
When you right click it and go to Edit Sound Object it will say "Included in
presentation", or some such. Why the link is breaking is hard to tell. If the
path is too long, that could cause it. Leave this setting at 50000 at all times
so that WAVs will always be embedded.

 

[CJSnet]

Hi, sorry for the delay. I'm gonna assume that is probably the solution,
but as I found a workaround (to put it in the background) for this slideshow
I don't need to try it yet. Thanks Sonia.
--
Thanks.

CJSnet

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