Images lost in Powerpoint 2008

[McMaster]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Dear all,
Finally, I switched from windows to mac, but unfortunately I am having compatibility problems with office 2008 programs.
in particular, I am not able to visualise images of ppt presentations created with powerpoint 2003 for windows. In the presentation is only present a big RED X, with a message referring to the impossibility to open the picture .. probably for memory problems or because the image is corrupted.
I veryfied both, but the problem is still here..
If anyone knows what to do... please...

 

[michael_carr]

Hopefully you have the original images and/or a back-up of your presentation somewhere, because the image(s) is/are corrupted. The only image format that I have found that works cross-platform, and even on different Windows machines moving files through mail systems, servers, etc. is PNG. JPEGs and GIFs will almost certainly become corrupted at some point.

Open your original still images in Photoshop or iPhoto, (or copy and paste from your back-up) and re-save/export them as PNGs and re-insert them into your presentation.

 

[CyberTaz]

Actually, the red X often is an indication that the images which should be
in those boxes are missing from the file, most likely because they were
Linked when the file was created.

It's also possible that the images aren't actually corrupt but are in a
format not supported on a Mac. That can often happen when copy/paste is used
to stick the image into the file rather than the appropriate Insert>
Picture... method.

I agree with Michael insofar as your best - perhaps only - option is to
obtain copies of the original images & properly reinsert them into the
presentation. Another possibility is to open the file in PPT 2003/2007 if
you have access to it. Assuming the images display save each one into a
separate appropriate file type, then reinsert the new copies in place of the
old ones. Save the file & return that copy to the Mac.

Unfortunately, users are typically lulled into thinking that "an image is an
image is an image", but nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the
more common image file types [TIFF, PNG, PDF, GIF, JPEG, EPS] travel
cross-platform without a problem **if they are properly processed** in the
first place. Where the problem typically arises is in how the image is
handled from that point on... And copy/paste is one of the most lethal
weapons one can unleash on an image. Combine that with the so-called
"graphics tools" conveniently provided in many non-graphic editing programs
& you wind up with an unrecognizable hybrid that's quite likely to not
render properly in the file it was originally placed, let alone in a
different program file or on a different OS... It may have started out as a
JPEG or whatever, but it ain't no more

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I agree with Michael insofar as your best - perhaps only - option is to
obtain copies of the original images & properly reinsert them into the
presentation. Another possibility is to open the file in PPT 2003/2007 if
you have access to it. Assuming the images display save each one into a
separate appropriate file type, then reinsert the new copies in place of the
old ones.

To save the images, right click and choose Save Image.
Or to save time, save the whole PPT as a web page (not single-file/mht).
PPT will create a single HTML file where you specificy and in a subfolder, will
give you exported copies of all the graphics and sounds in the presentation.
They'll have weird names but you can work out which slides each graphic came
from.

Unfortunately, users are typically lulled into thinking that "an image is an
image is an image", but nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the
more common image file types [TIFF, PNG, PDF, GIF, JPEG, EPS] travel
cross-platform without a problem **if they are properly processed** in the
first place.

Amen.

Though as a point of order, Windows versions don't import PDF and depending on
version(s) of Office you have installed and what you try to do with 'em, may
butcher EPS. Er. Probably WILL butcher EPS. It seems to be one of the items on
the Big Checklist. Can't ship the new Windows version of PPT until there's a new
and creative way to mung EPS graphics.

Photoshop also tends to do things that PPT doesn't quite expect ... embedding
color profiles, for example. That can give PPT indigestion.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Steve;

I thought PDF had been added in 2007 but I see that you're right about that.

I've seldom had problems with EPS, though, as long as the proper Preview
format was used. Word can't read/display EPS but an 8-bit TIFF or WMF
preview should be fine [as long as the EPS isn't specifically set to Mac
byte order]. Of course, there are a number of apps out there that generate
their own spin on EPS & those can be unusable just about anywhere.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

I agree with Michael insofar as your best - perhaps only - option is to
obtain copies of the original images & properly reinsert them into the
presentation. Another possibility is to open the file in PPT 2003/2007 if
you have access to it. Assuming the images display save each one into a
separate appropriate file type, then reinsert the new copies in place of the
old ones.

To save the images, right click and choose Save Image.
Or to save time, save the whole PPT as a web page (not single-file/mht).
PPT will create a single HTML file where you specificy and in a subfolder,
will
give you exported copies of all the graphics and sounds in the presentation.
They'll have weird names but you can work out which slides each graphic came
from.

Unfortunately, users are typically lulled into thinking that "an image is an
image is an image", but nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the
more common image file types [TIFF, PNG, PDF, GIF, JPEG, EPS] travel
cross-platform without a problem **if they are properly processed** in the
first place.

Amen.

Though as a point of order, Windows versions don't import PDF and depending on
version(s) of Office you have installed and what you try to do with 'em, may
butcher EPS. Er. Probably WILL butcher EPS. It seems to be one of the items
on
the Big Checklist. Can't ship the new Windows version of PPT until there's a
new
and creative way to mung EPS graphics.

Photoshop also tends to do things that PPT doesn't quite expect ... embedding
color profiles, for example. That can give PPT indigestion.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi Steve;

I thought PDF had been added in 2007 but I see that you're right about that.

I've seldom had problems with EPS, though, as long as the proper Preview
format was used. Word can't read/display EPS but an 8-bit TIFF or WMF
preview should be fine [as long as the EPS isn't specifically set to Mac
byte order].

Last time I looked, it tosses the WMF preview and generates its own. And in this day and
age, a PC app that can't read Mac-order TIFFs is pretty pathetic. I can't say that I've
tested that though.

And it'll do that with EPS that have no preview at all. On the one hand, that's kind of A
Good Thing; beats the Ol' Gray Box hands down. But it shouldn't toss out WMF previews, rare
though they may be.

And watch out on systems with several versions of Office. The EPS filters arent' all
compatible; the ones from 2002 and after can prevent EPS from printing at all in 2000 and
previous. The fix is obvious, of course. Print from 2002 or later. After you've wasted
all that paper trying to print from the earlier version. <g>

That one had me going for a while, rare though it may be. One of my add-ins creates little
EPS files on the fly then imports them into PPT in order to do mysterious and useful things
when you convert the PPT to PDF. Only the magic didn't happen until I worked out that
problem. Weird.

Of course, there are a number of apps out there that generate
their own spin on EPS & those can be unusable just about anywhere.

Fer sher.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

I agree with Michael insofar as your best - perhaps only - option is to
obtain copies of the original images & properly reinsert them into the
presentation. Another possibility is to open the file in PPT 2003/2007 if
you have access to it. Assuming the images display save each one into a
separate appropriate file type, then reinsert the new copies in place of the
old ones.

To save the images, right click and choose Save Image.
Or to save time, save the whole PPT as a web page (not single-file/mht).
PPT will create a single HTML file where you specificy and in a subfolder,
will
give you exported copies of all the graphics and sounds in the presentation.
They'll have weird names but you can work out which slides each graphic came
from.

Unfortunately, users are typically lulled into thinking that "an image is an
image is an image", but nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the
more common image file types [TIFF, PNG, PDF, GIF, JPEG, EPS] travel
cross-platform without a problem **if they are properly processed** in the
first place.

Amen.

Though as a point of order, Windows versions don't import PDF and depending on
version(s) of Office you have installed and what you try to do with 'em, may
butcher EPS. Er. Probably WILL butcher EPS. It seems to be one of the items
on
the Big Checklist. Can't ship the new Windows version of PPT until there's a
new
and creative way to mung EPS graphics.

Photoshop also tends to do things that PPT doesn't quite expect ... embedding
color profiles, for example. That can give PPT indigestion.