Powerpoint 2003 sp1 crash

[Steve]

Has anyone else seen Powerpoint 2003 crash when you try to
resize text boxes. This is reproducable before and after
SP1 is applied.

 

[Sonia]

Haven't heard about it. Can you give the exact and detailed steps for
reproducing it? Include things like, 1) did the presentation originate in
PowerPoint 2003? 2) does this happen in all presentations? 3) if not, what are
the differences between presentations?

 

[Larry]

I think I have the same problem. This occurs when I hold
down the left mouse button, the way you do to resize or
move an object. Actually, just holding the mouse down
anywhere on the powerpoint slide will cause Powerpoint to
suddenly disappear, there is no warning, no attempt to
log a crash, its as if windows doesn't know it happened.
This does not happen if you hold the mouse down anywhere
in the app, avoiding the actual slide. I have tried with
a new presentation, no template of my own, just the
standard template. No other office apps do this.

This happens on a Dell Latitude D400, with XP SP2 and
Office SP1, all the latest patches. I did not notice
this before installing XP SP2, and installing office SP1
did not help.

-----Original Message-----
Haven't heard about it. Can you give the exact and detailed steps for
reproducing it? Include things like, 1) did the presentation originate in
PowerPoint 2003? 2) does this happen in all

presentations? 3) if not, what are

 

[Echo S]

I think I have the same problem. This occurs when I hold
down the left mouse button, the way you do to resize or
move an object.

Hm. I know that if PPT crashes when resizing a font, it's sometimes due to a
need for a printer driver. See http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00220.htm
for info on that. (This info is mostly for the original poster.)

But I've not seen crashes occur when holding down a mouse button. I'd
probably try changing hardware acceleration as a first troubleshooting step.
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00129.htm Crank that slider clear to the
left and see if that resolves the issue.

Actually, just holding the mouse down
anywhere on the powerpoint slide will cause Powerpoint to
suddenly disappear, there is no warning, no attempt to
log a crash, its as if windows doesn't know it happened.

Now, *this* I have seen happen, and it's maddening as all get-out! It
happens to me frequently on my new system at the office, and I haven't been
able to quite track it down yet. I have a feeling it's a Windows XP issue --
something about the connection to the network, I'm thinking -- as when PPT
disappears, so does everything on my desktop except my wallpaper. Logging
off and then back on restores it.

Is that what happens to you?

This does not happen if you hold the mouse down anywhere
in the app, avoiding the actual slide. I have tried with
a new presentation, no template of my own, just the
standard template. No other office apps do this.

This really is a very strange sequence of events. I would start with the
hardware acceleration, and you might also try updating your video drivers.
But try hardware acceleration first.

This happens on a Dell Latitude D400, with XP SP2 and
Office SP1, all the latest patches. I did not notice
this before installing XP SP2, and installing office SP1
did not help.

I'm working on a Dell at the office, too, but our problems might not be the
same. I'm using WinXP SP-1 and Office 2003 SP-1. You're right, though, SP-1
for Office 2003 didn't make a difference in my case.

 

[Tomi]

Steve,

exactly same symptom here. IBM T42 laptop, XP SP2 and Office 2003 SP1. Was
fine with Win2k or with XP without SP2. This is annoying problem, Powerpoint
just disappears, no error messages, nothing ;-( Easy to reproduce... Just
keep your left mouse button down for a while or try to resize text boxes,
graphics etc... Just 5-10 secs and you are doomed. I better uninstall SP2...

- Tomi

 

[Echo S]

This happens to me all the time, but it happens to me not just in PPT. I
think it's a network connection issue -- on my machine, anyway.

 

[Tomi]

Just FYI, I removed XP SP2, and Powerpoint now works like a charm. So there
is something in XP SP2 which makes Powerpoint 2003 to crash.

- Tomi

This happens to me all the time, but it happens to me not just in PPT. I
think it's a network connection issue -- on my machine, anyway.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

Steve,

exactly same symptom here. IBM T42 laptop, XP SP2 and Office 2003 SP1. Was
fine with Win2k or with XP without SP2. This is annoying problem, Powerpoint
just disappears, no error messages, nothing ;-( Easy to reproduce... Just
keep your left mouse button down for a while or try to resize text boxes,
graphics etc... Just 5-10 secs and you are doomed. I better uninstall SP2...

- Tomi

 

[Echo S]

Very interesting, Tomi. Thank you for posting this information.

My problem must be different, as I've resisted installing Windows XP SP2.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com
presenter, PPT Live '04
Oct 10-13, San Diego http://www.powerpointlive.com

Just FYI, I removed XP SP2, and Powerpoint now works like a charm. So there
is something in XP SP2 which makes Powerpoint 2003 to crash.

- Tomi

This happens to me all the time, but it happens to me not just in PPT. I
think it's a network connection issue -- on my machine, anyway.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

Steve,

exactly same symptom here. IBM T42 laptop, XP SP2 and Office 2003 SP1. Was
fine with Win2k or with XP without SP2. This is annoying problem, Powerpoint
just disappears, no error messages, nothing ;-( Easy to reproduce... Just
keep your left mouse button down for a while or try to resize text boxes,
graphics etc... Just 5-10 secs and you are doomed. I better uninstall SP2...

- Tomi

:

Has anyone else seen Powerpoint 2003 crash when you try to
resize text boxes. This is reproducable before and after
SP1 is applied.