Problem with movies

[AL H]

I have a desktop computer and a notebook computer. Both have the same
versions of PowerPoint 2003 (11.6361.6360) SP1, Windows XP SP2 and
Media Player 10. On both the desktop computer and the laptop computer,
I inserted a movie (wmv file) into a slide using the PowerPoint menu:
Insert, Movies and Sounds, Movie from File. When I run this slide show
from the desktop computer the movie plays perfectly.

When I run the slide show from the laptop computer, the first frame of
the movie is shown. It is quickly replaced by a distorted green and
blue screen. I then need to bring up the Windows Task Manager by
pressing Ctrl/Alt/Del. When I click on End Task, I get the message,
"This program is not responding."

The movie file itself plays perfectly in Windows Media Player on both
computers. I have already run the PowerPoint menu: Help, Detect and
Repair on the laptop computer.

 

[Sonia]

PowerPoint doesn't use the Windows Media Player. Go to Start > Run and type
mplay32.exe and click OK. Then open your video file and click on the play icon.
Does it Play? Are there display problems?
--

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

 

[AL H]

I have movies in both wmv and asf files. All of them play perfectly
when using mplay32.exe. However, none of them play in the PowerPoint on
my laptop computer.

 

[Sonia]

Just to be sure, did you test them in mplay32.exe on your laptop?

I think that I would first go to the website of the laptop manufacturer and look
for an updated video driver.

 

[AL H]

I tested the movie files using mplay32.exe on my laptop. My laptop is a
Dell Inspiron 6000 purchased from Dell on April 4, 2005. It includes
their latest video driver.

 

[Sonia]

I disagree with your assumption. If you bought it in April, it was probably
assembled and boxed a year or more ago and does not have the most recent driver.
If your card is an ATI MobilityRadeo, there is a driver released by Dell on
2/28/05. If it's an Intel Graphics Video, there latest driver was released on
4/14/05.

 

[AL H]

I went to the Dell web site and checked for updated video drivers.
Updated drivers are listed for other computers but none are listed for
my computer.

I did the following tests to better define my problem:

On my desktop computer, I packaged for CD a presentation containing
movies. These movies ran perfectly on my laptop computer using the
attached PowerPoint Viewer.

On my laptop computer, I packaged for CD a presentation containing
movies. This entire presentation did not run at all on my desktop
computer using the attached PowerPoint Viewer. However, when on my
laptop computer, I packaged for CD a presentation not containing
movies; it ran perfectly on my desktop computer using the attached
PowerPoint Viewer.

I disconnected the monitor on my laptop and plugged in the monitor from
my desktop computer into the laptop. When I ran PowerPoint to do a
slide show of a presentation containing a movie, it showed the same
green screen and hung up as it did when using the laptop monitor.

 

[Sonia]

Well, when I look at the Dell site I find two drivers for the Inspiron 6000,
which is what you said you had.
http://support.dell.com/support/dow...ystemID=INS_PNT_6000&category=6&os=WW1&osl=EN
I'm assuming that you are using Windows XP. Is that incorrect?

 

[AL H]

I downloaded and installed the latest Intel Graphics Video driver. The
PowerPoint on my laptop computer now shows movies perfectly. Thank you
for your help.