Saving toolbar and format changes

[Guest]

After spending time to customize a toolbar (PowerPoint 2002)
it disappears when opening up another file, or starting the app again.
repeatedly change it, save it as Blank.POT, Blank presentation.pot, normal.po
....but the damn thing always defaults to its own toolbar and format settings.

How can one insist that PPT
use YOUR toolbar and format settings, rather than its own default

Microsoft seems mute on the subject, and "help" is decidedly not

 

[Sonia]

The template doesn't control the toolbar or its customization, so let's back
up a bit. What kinds of changes are you making?

 

[Jeff]

Hi, Sonia. I'm running XP professional and PPT 2002

Changes:

1.new objects are being filled with a turquoise color; I
wish no fill. (No, checking the "Default for new
objects" does NOT work; next time I start PPT 2002, we're
back to turquoise.) How can this be permanently fixed?

2. I do not wish to see "Click to add title" and "Click
to add subtitle" boxes. How can this be permanently
fixed?

3. I have spent an hour customizing the toolbar, but
every time I close, those changes are lost. Repeat; lose
again. How can this be permanently fixed?

Deleting the .pcb file and repeating customizations does
not work.

Saving blank.pot does not work.

Intense frustration! Can you please help?

 

[Sonia]

Ah. There are all sorts of "things" in PowerPoint and the things you're
trying to change are not the toolbar. The toolbar is that thing at the top
of the screen that has File, Edit, View, etc. on it. You can customize it
by adding tool sets, etc., and those settings are saved in the PCB file.

As for other "things" in PowerPoint, you can set some of their defaults at
the presentation level. See #1. Other things just can't be changed. See
#2.

1. The fill of an object is controlled by the Color Scheme. Every
presentation uses a template and every template has one or more Color
Schemes. Unfortunately the Color Scheme doesn't allow a setting of "no
fill". However, for a given presentation you can override the Color Scheme
by selecting the object and setting it's fill to "No Fill". Then while it
is still selected you can right click it and select Format Autoshape and
check the box at the bottom that says "Default for new objects". All
subsequent objects added to that presentation, now or later, will have No
Fill.

2. Here you're talking about "placeholders". Those come with the slide
layout and are fixed - - you can't add any and you can't change them. If
you don't want to see them, insert a new slide and then go to Format > Slide
Layout and pick the blank one. Duplicate this blank slide every time you
need it (Insert > Duplicate Slide).

I hope that makes sense.

 

[Jeff]

Here was the problem:

1.new objects are being filled with a turquoise color; I
RESPONSE:
Unfortunately the Color Scheme doesn't allow a setting
of "no fill".
DO I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, MS REFUSES TO ALLOW USERS
TO INSERT OBJECTS IN NEW PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE NOT
FILLED? THAT EVERY INITIAL OBJECT I CREATE WILL HAVE TO
BE SELECTED AND FORMATTED TO "NO FILL", ETC. SURELY THAT
CAN'T BE TRUE--I HAVE USED EARLIER AND LATER VERSIONS OF
PPT AND THIS SILLY BUSINESS WASN'T REQUIRED FOR OBJECTS.PLEASE ACCEPT THAT THE TOOLBAR IS INDEED WHAT IS PROVING
IMPOSSIBLE TO CUSTOMIZE PERMANENTLY. PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT
THE PROCESS IS FOR RETAINING ONE'S TOOLBAR CHANGES. IF
THE (HIDDEN) .PCB FILE IS THE PROBLEM, PLEASE EXPLAIN
CLEARLY WHAT THE MAGICAL PROCESS IS. I HAVE CAREFULLY
SCOURED THE PPT INSTRUCTIONS AND CANNOT DO IT. (AGAIN,
THIS WAS N-O-T A PROBLEM WITH BOTH EARLIER AND LATER
VERSIONS, WHICH EMPLOY "blank.pot" FORMATS. PPT 2002 IS
THE PROBLEM.)

THANK YOU!

 

[Sonia]

There's something about the All Caps and your words that make me think that
you think I represent Microsoft. I'm just a PowerPoint user like you and I
don't work for Microsoft. I can't change the software and I can't always
explain *why* it works the way it does. So let's talk as peers in normal
voices (caps denotes shouting on the Net). Okay?

Maybe it would help if you shared why you want all of your objects to have
no fill. I was assuming that you meant autoshapes, but if I'm wrong about
that and you mean other object types, the approach might be quite different.
However, autoshapes take on the fill color in the Color Scheme unless you
set the default to no fill at the presentation level. This is true of
PowerPoint 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. I'm not sure why this doesn't match
your memory, but I have all four versions on this system and have checked
them. On the other hand, if you set up the Color Scheme to use the same
color for fills as you use for your slide background, then it will "appear"
to have no fill. My guess is that no one thought that users would want to
always have no fill for objects.

You said: "PLEASE ACCEPT THAT THE TOOLBAR IS INDEED WHAT IS PROVING
IMPOSSIBLE TO CUSTOMIZE PERMANENTLY. ... THIS WAS N-O-T A PROBLEM WITH BOTH
EARLIER AND LATER VERSIONS, WHICH EMPLOY "blank.pot" FORMATS. PPT 2002 IS
THE PROBLEM"

All versions, including PowerPoint 2002, have a blank.pot template to start
with. You can modify it following the info at:

Create a default "blank" presentation with your own defaults
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00245.htm

But the above only saves changes/customizations to the template, not changes
to the toolbar(s). Can you give me a couple of examples of changes you are
trying to make to the toolbar that aren't sticking? Then we can discuss
whether there is some method for saving them. Changes that I make to the
toolbar are retained, but maybe we're not talking about the same type of
changes.

 

[Jeff]

Sonia,
I apologise. In the absence of formatting options, caps
are the only way to distinguish A's remarks from B's. No
shouting intnded, although I, too, usually read it that
way. Sorry.

In previous messages, it was always an MS rep who
responded. I had mistakenly interpreted "MS PowerPoint
MVP Team" as denoting your professional employment. All
the more reason to regret the inadvertant shouting
inference! Sorry again!

Following the MS instructions to the letter and losing
hours of work thereby is no fun. I deeply appreciate
your help, and will now go follow your instructions.
Thanks, Sonia.

 

[Sonia]

Hey, no problem. I think lots of people think that MVP means more than it
does.

I'm very interested in pursuing your problem, so if you could give us
details on what settings you want to customize and save, someone here will
be able to at least let you know whether the setting sticks with the
presentation, the template, or with the application. Also, you'll find some
tips at http://tinyurl.com/25opj .

 

[Echo S]

Here was the problem:

1.new objects are being filled with a turquoise color; I

As Sonia explained, the "default for new objects" is a presentation-specific
setting. If you want objects in new presentations to have no fill, then open
a new blank presentation, format one object the way you want it (i.e., with
no fill), right-click and choose "set autoshape default," and then save your
work by doing a File/Save As and saving as blank.pot "Set autoshape
default" is also presentation-specific.

You can also do this in each template you use regularly. When you apply the
template to a presentation, that autoshape default setting will be carried
along with.

For existing presentations, you'll have to set the autoshape default and
resave the presentation.

 

[John Langhans [MSFT]]

[CRITICAL UPDATE - Anyone using Office 2003 should install the critical
update as soon as possible. From PowerPoint, choose "Help -> Check for
Updates".]
[TOP ISSUE - Are you having difficulty opening presentations in PowerPoint
that you just created (you can save, but not open)? -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=329820]

Hello,

PowerPoint does not have the specific capability that you are looking for.
Although some defaults can be customized (such as using the Options dialog)
other defaults (such as fill color) are presentation specific and cannot be
set as a global default.

If you (or anyone else reading this message) think that PowerPoint should
provide more control over various default behaviors, settings, etc.
(without have to resort to VBA or 3rd party add-ins), don't forget to send
your feedback (in YOUR OWN WORDS, please) to Microsoft at:

http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp

It's VERY important that, for EACH wish, you describe in detail, WHY it is
important TO YOU that your product suggestion be implemented. A good wish
submssion includes WHAT scenario, work-flow, or end-result is blocked by
not having a specific feature, HOW MUCH time and effort ($$$) is spent
working around a specific limitation of the current product, etc. Remember
that Microsoft receives THOUSANDS of product suggestions every day and we
read each one but, in any given product development cycle, there are ONLY
sufficient resources to address the ones that are MOST IMPORTANT to our
customers so take the extra time to state your case as CLEARLY and
COMPLETELY as possible so that we can FEEL YOUR PAIN.

IMPORTANT: Each submission should be a single suggestion (not a list of
suggestions).

John Langhans
Microsoft Corporation
Supportability Program Manager
Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Windows
Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Windows

For FAQ's, highlights and top issues, visit the Microsoft PowerPoint
support center at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=ppt
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base at:
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This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
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[Guest]

Sonia,

I believe I have nailed it. The problem is that there is
a "blank.pot" file being saved but it is not the one that
PPT defaults to. The solution is to locate and get rid
of all such "blank.pot" files; then recreate one's
preferred format and toolbar options. Putting in
previous "blank.pot" or "blank presentation.pot", does
not seem to work. I'm not sure what role, if any, the
hidden "ppt10.pcb" file plays.

Your and Echo S's suggestions are excellent, and worked
for a moment, but until the old blank.pot file is located
and destroyed, PPT is like talking to an advanced
Alzheimer's patient. All changes are ignored, from
custom toolbar to font preference, to the object
formats. (Annoying turquoise-filled objects are this
version's default.)

Why this required several hours to track down and fix is
not clear. It would be nice if this were mentioned in
the help PPT function.

My thanks to Sonia and Echo S for your kindness and
suggestions.