PPT 2003 consumes all resources for several minutes when I start to edit a presentation

[loz]

I guess my machine isn't that powerful by todays standards, but never had any
problems until I upgraded to Office 2003.

I have a 1.2mhz P4 with 256mb RAM

When I open and view a presentation there are no problems at all.
However, the second I start editing, the system slows to a crawl.
A look at Windows Task Manager shows PPT consuming all available resources.
It goes on like this for a few minutes.
Then everything returns to normal and I can continue at full pace.

Any idea what is it doing for that time?
And of course, what might fix it?

It doesn't seem to happen with very small presentations.
It seems like it is perhaps thrashing for some reason whilst it sets up all the
objects - but it is only once I start editing for the first time. Once this
period is over, I can continue editing as long as I like without it slowing
down.


Loz

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I guess my machine isn't that powerful by todays standards, but never had any
problems until I upgraded to Office 2003.

I have a 1.2mhz P4 with 256mb RAM

That should be plenty and in fact is, since it works well for you after the
initial period of startup sloth.

Try the suggestions here:

PowerPoint gets the SLOWS
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00114.htm

When I open and view a presentation there are no problems at all.
However, the second I start editing, the system slows to a crawl.
A look at Windows Task Manager shows PPT consuming all available resources.
It goes on like this for a few minutes.
Then everything returns to normal and I can continue at full pace.

Any idea what is it doing for that time?
And of course, what might fix it?

It doesn't seem to happen with very small presentations.
It seems like it is perhaps thrashing for some reason whilst it sets up all the
objects - but it is only once I start editing for the first time. Once this
period is over, I can continue editing as long as I like without it slowing
down.

Loz

--
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Featured Presenter, PowerPoint Live 2004
October 10-13, San Diego, CA www.PowerPointLive.com
================================================

 

[loz]

That should be plenty and in fact is, since it works well for you after the
initial period of startup sloth.

Try the suggestions here:

PowerPoint gets the SLOWS
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00114.htm

Thanks for the suggestion but these don't seem to be the cause.

The problem isn't slow startup of PPT or opening a presentation, but an abrupt
slowdown once I start editing.

LOz

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

The problem isn't slow startup of PPT or opening a presentation, but an abrupt
slowdown once I start editing.

I'd also check to make sure that you have a printer driver installed and set as
default. If that's not the problem, try Help, Detect & Repair.

--
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Featured Presenter, PowerPoint Live 2004
October 10-13, San Diego, CA www.PowerPointLive.com
================================================

 

[loz]

I'd also check to make sure that you have a printer driver installed and set as
default.

Yes I have

If that's not the problem, try Help, Detect & Repair.

Made no difference.

Might as well go back to Office XP.

Loz

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

To avoid possible wheel spinning ... when you mentioned earlier that the
suggestions in that link I posted "don't seem to be the cause" ... did you try
them all?

If so, try a Ctrl+Alt+Del, look at task manager and see how many processes are
running; do any of them seem out of the ordinary? Are any consuming large
amounts of memory or clock cycles?

Yes I have


Made no difference.

Might as well go back to Office XP.

Loz

--
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Featured Presenter, PowerPoint Live 2004
October 10-13, San Diego, CA www.PowerPointLive.com
================================================

 

[loz]

If so, try a Ctrl+Alt+Del, look at task manager and see how many processes are
running; do any of them seem out of the ordinary? Are any consuming large
amounts of memory or clock cycles?

That's what I said right at the beginning (and in the title of the thread )
"A look at Windows Task Manager shows PPT consuming all available resources."

It is't PPT at startup. It isn't some other process.
It is PPT, *only when* I start editing a presentation - i.e. it is already
loaded and open, I can view it no problem. As soon as I click on something to
edit it, then PPT consumes 98% of resources for 5 minutes. (but not on small
presentations)
And I have reinstalled.

Loz

 

[Kathy J]

What is in the bigger presentations? It sounds like it is taking a long time
to do the pre-load of the presentation. (PPT pre-loads things so that you
can move through the presentation more quickly during edits.)

Could you check a couple of things for me?
First off:: Is Fast Saves on? If so, does turning it off then saving the
presentation(s) under a new name help with the slow loading?
Next: At what point does a presentation move from small to large? (Maybe a
better way to ask is: What is smaller and what size causes the problems?)
Third: Is any of the content linked content that doesn't reside on the local
drive? Or, by chance does the presentation itself not reside on a local
drive? If either of these is the case, does it work better if the content is
on a local drive?

--
Kathryn Jacobs, Microsoft MVP PowerPoint and OneNote
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint - Available now from Holy Macro! Books
Get PowerPoint answers at http://www.powerpointanswers.com
Featured Presenter at PPT 2004 - http://www.pptlive.com

I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

If so, try a Ctrl+Alt+Del, look at task manager and see how many processes are

That's what I said right at the beginning (and in the title of the thread )
"A look at Windows Task Manager shows PPT consuming all available resources."

It is't PPT at startup. It isn't some other process.
It is PPT, *only when* I start editing a presentation - i.e. it is already
loaded and open, I can view it no problem. As soon as I click on something to
edit it, then PPT consumes 98% of resources for 5 minutes. (but not on small
presentations)

If some of these questions seem silly, bear with me. I'm trying to get a handle
on this.

When opening one of the problem presentations, what happens (to the
resources/cpu-meter) if you just open it and let it sit for several minutes? IOW,
don't edit anything right away.

What if you then move from slide to slide but still don't click on anything?

And it goes into the weeds when you click anything to edit, or is it some specific
shape/shapes?


--
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Featured Presenter, PowerPoint Live 2004
October 10-13, San Diego, CA www.PowerPointLive.com
================================================

 

[loz]

Thanks for your help Kathy

What is in the bigger presentations? It sounds like it is taking a long time
to do the pre-load of the presentation. (PPT pre-loads things so that you
can move through the presentation more quickly during edits.)

Not big.
e.g. 920k, 29 slides

Note, that as I said before, loading and viewing or scrolling through the
presentation in edit mode isnt a problem.
It is only the instant I start actually editing it starts using all the
resources.

Could you check a couple of things for me?
First off:: Is Fast Saves on?

Yes.
Turning it off made no difference

If so, does turning it off then saving the
presentation(s) under a new name help with the slow loading?
No.

Next: At what point does a presentation move from small to large? (Maybe a
better way to ask is: What is smaller and what size causes the problems?)

See above.
Small is very small.
I wouldn't call 920k big, but at this size I get the problem

Third: Is any of the content linked content that doesn't reside on the local
drive?
No

Or, by chance does the presentation itself not reside on a local
drive? If either of these is the case, does it work better if the content is
on a local drive?

No. It is local

Loz

 

[Kathy J]

Thanks for the update, sorry none of that made an obvious difference.
(Though the fast saves will make a performance and file size difference,
just not enough yet.)

The only question you didn't answer: What's on the slides? Pictures? Text?
Animations? Embedded objects?

--
Kathryn Jacobs, Microsoft MVP PowerPoint and OneNote
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint - Available now from Holy Macro! Books
Get PowerPoint answers at http://www.powerpointanswers.com
Featured Presenter at PPT 2004 - http://www.pptlive.com

I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

 

[loz]

Thanks for the update, sorry none of that made an obvious difference.
(Though the fast saves will make a performance and file size difference,
just not enough yet.)

The only question you didn't answer: What's on the slides? Pictures? Text?
Animations? Embedded objects?

Just text and graphics (not bitmaps)

Loz