invisible figures in edit mode (started from network file)

[Guest]

If I start PowerPoint 2003 by double-clicking a .ppt file (using Explorer)
residing on the network, imported figures are not visisble in the edit mode.
There is no problem in the Slide show mode, nor if I open a copy of the file
on my harddisk by the double-click method in Explorer. Installing SP2 did not
help.

 

[Bill Dilworth]

Sounds like PowerPoint is giving up on loading some of the images over the
network. PowerPoint keeps very close tabs on its source presentation file,
so you will see a huge spike in network traffic while a presentation is open
over any network. The access time from the hard drive is a small fraction
of the time it takes to access the file over a network. This can also cause
file corruption and general mischief. For this reason it is strongly
suggested that you always save a local copy and run from that instead of
over a network.


--
Bill Dilworth
A proud member of the Microsoft PPT MVP Team
Users helping fellow users.
http://billdilworth.mvps.org
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
yahoo2@ Please read the PowerPoint FAQ pages.
yahoo. They answer most of our questions.
com www.pptfaq.com
..

 

[Guest]

Sounds like PowerPoint is giving up on loading some of the images over the
network. PowerPoint keeps very close tabs on its source presentation file,
so you will see a huge spike in network traffic while a presentation is open
over any network. The access time from the hard drive is a small fraction
of the time it takes to access the file over a network. This can also cause
file corruption and general mischief. For this reason it is strongly
suggested that you always save a local copy and run from that instead of
over a network.

Thanks for your response to my problem, but the problem seems to be more
complicated:
1) it only happens with figures that were inserted "from file", e.g jpg's
or gif's
2) after starting powerpoint as described( double-clicking a ppt file on a
network drive), powerpoint also refuses to show that type of figures in a ppt
file residing on the hard disk and opened from within powerpoint.
3) the reverse is also true: once opened from Start-->Programmes, or after
double-clicking a ppt file on the hard disk, there is no problem with a ppt
file on a network drive

 

[Bill Dilworth]

How large is the file (KBs)?

Have the images been optimized to PowerPoint, or are they large?

Bill D.

 

[Guest]

It happens irrespective of file size. The images are ~50 kB jpeg or gif .
Remarkably the No Show of the figures does not happen if the file is
downloaded through internet. See an example at
http://www.hspweb.net/test2.ppt
When that file is opened over the network (either on NT-machines or through
Novell) and used to start PowerPoint (double-click) the figures are invisible
in the edit-mode. It looks as if PowerPoint is inadequately initiated.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

It happens irrespective of file size. The images are ~50 kB jpeg or gif .
Remarkably the No Show of the figures does not happen if the file is
downloaded through internet. See an example at
http://www.hspweb.net/test2.ppt
When that file is opened over the network (either on NT-machines or through
Novell) and used to start PowerPoint (double-click) the figures are invisible
in the edit-mode. It looks as if PowerPoint is inadequately initiated.

That may point to another known problem. Try copying the file from the network
to your local hard drive then open it from there in PPT. Does that make any
difference?

 

[Guest]

Dear Steve,

NO.
Please see my initial question above.
Ruurd

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Dear Steve,

NO.
Please see my initial question above.

I did, and in one of the followups, you said:

"3) the reverse is also true: once opened from Start-->Programmes, or after
double-clicking a ppt file on the hard disk, there is no problem with a ppt
file on a network drive "

Which seems to suggest just the opposite: that opening the file from your local HDD
rather than over the network *does* make a difference.

The reason I ask is that PowerPoint's always had problems opening files across at
least some networks. Nobody seems to know quite why or what circumstances trigger
the problems, but the usual recommendation, if you happen to be on a network that
PPT doesn't get along with, is to work from your HDD exclusively, copying the PPT
files to and from the network as needed.

 

[Guest]

Hi Steve,

Sorry, I was a bit in a hurry yesterday.
Yes, starting Powerpoint by double-clicking a copy of the file on the HD is
without any problems.
But when working on a project (doc's, ppt's stored at a project-folder on
the network) it is easier for me to start the programs from Explorer
(double-clicking).
It's quite unhandy to make a copy on the HD first.
But when starting from the network PowerPoint is not initialised correctly,
though the figures are visible in the thumbnails, they are not in the edit
window.
Your solution will work, but it's like your garage suggests you, in case of
troubles, to start your car from a downhill slope.
ruurd

 

[Guest]

Solution Found:
After another google search, now for invisible graphics, a remotely related
phenomenon was described at
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?s=06d48f18e9f24e663a24d076ab267421&showtopic=63063
Following Warrior21's suggestions I discovered that changing the Hardware
Acceleration (Display properties--> Settings--> Advanced--> Troubleshoot)
three steps down (Disable all DirectDraw and Direct3D accelerations), the
problem was gone.
Apparently Powerpoint has a different connection with DirectX after being
started by double clicking a ppt-file on the network.
I only hope that life without accelerations is not too slow.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Solution Found:
After another google search, now for invisible graphics, a remotely related
phenomenon was described at
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?s=06d48f18e9f24e663a24d076ab267421&showtopic=63063
Following Warrior21's suggestions I discovered that changing the Hardware
Acceleration (Display properties--> Settings--> Advanced--> Troubleshoot)
three steps down (Disable all DirectDraw and Direct3D accelerations), the
problem was gone.
Apparently Powerpoint has a different connection with DirectX after being
started by double clicking a ppt-file on the network.
I only hope that life without accelerations is not too slow.

How *totally* bizarre. Not that changing graphics acceleration should affect it, but
that it's needed only when opening files across the network.

Thanks for reporting this!