PowerPoint Viewer 2003 Doesn't Work...???

[RonK]

I've installed on two different computers with Windows XP, one is a fresh
install with no antivirus or anything.

Tried to open a pps & ppt file. Viewer shows splash screen, then closes. Try
to open the file directly from viewer, just keeps prompting for a file.

Opened up the ppt in Powerpoint 2003 and did a "Save As", file can now be
opened in viewer!!!

WTF, searched, cannot find any issues. Just trying to help someone out & a
simple thing turns into a fiasco. Anyone experienced this???

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I've installed on two different computers with Windows XP, one is a fresh
install with no antivirus or anything.

Tried to open a pps & ppt file. Viewer shows splash screen, then closes. Try
to open the file directly from viewer, just keeps prompting for a file.

Opened up the ppt in Powerpoint 2003 and did a "Save As", file can now be
opened in viewer!!!

WTF, searched, cannot find any issues. Just trying to help someone out & a
simple thing turns into a fiasco. Anyone experienced this???

It's possible that the original PPT was borderline corrupt. If you have all
current SP's installed in Office 2003, it's able to open and fix some problems
with files; perhaps the viewer's not able to open files with these problems?

 

[RonK]

I'm helping out a friend, so these are not my files. I believe the ppt was
created in PowerPoint 2000. The pps was received via an email so I don't
know. Two corrupted files from two different sources...that's high
probability. Both of these files open up properly using PowerPoint 2000.

TIA for any ideas.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I'm helping out a friend, so these are not my files. I believe the ppt was
created in PowerPoint 2000. The pps was received via an email so I don't
know. Two corrupted files from two different sources...that's high
probability. Both of these files open up properly using PowerPoint 2000.

Sounds like a perfect description of a problem that PPT 2003 shipped with, one
that got corrected in SP1. To have the same problem with two files from
different sources ... yeah, well ... it does seem to be spreading it thin.
Still, if opening and resaving in 2003 fixes it, it does seem to point to that
as the problem.