Powerpoint opens hyperlink with the wrong App

[Eric Gossett]

My system (Vista) is set to open jpg images with a third party app. If I
double-click a jpg in a file browser the proper app is used to open the
image. However, if I set a hyperlink in PowerPoint 2007 to a jpg, PowerPoint
opens the image in IE. The same PowerPoint file works properly on my other
computer (running Office 2003).

I assume this behavior has been programmed into Office 2007 since I can find
no settings to change this. It seems like a bad choice to me.

Is there any way to fix this other than using action links instead of
hyperlinks? (That method is not a good option because I need to move the
PowerPoint files to the other computer and file paths are quite different.)

 

[Christine]

Could you open the file in the app you prefer before clicking the hyperlink
in the presentation?

I generally try to do that anyway so that way my audience doesn't have to
sit through a program opening in the middle of my presentation.

HTH

Christine

 

[Eric Gossett]

I often open the external app ahead of time. In addition, the machine I use
for the presentation is the one that works properly anyways.

I am just thinking about the future when that laptop dies and I will need to
use PowerPoint 2007 (or some future incarnation) to do presentations. Forcing
a Microsoft-chosen app that is different from what I have set as the
system-wide preference just irritates me.

 

[John Wilson]

Annoys me too, but here it happens in 2003 (SP3) as well! I figured it might
be the version of IE but it seems to happen in 6,7,&8.

I often open the external app ahead of time. In addition, the machine I
use
for the presentation is the one that works properly anyways.

I am just thinking about the future when that laptop dies and I will need
to
use PowerPoint 2007 (or some future incarnation) to do presentations.
Forcing
a Microsoft-chosen app that is different from what I have set as the
system-wide preference just irritates me.




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[Mel]

I'm not sure how you got 2003 to work properly. Mine has always opened
graphics in IE. Excel does to, for that matter. Same story in 2007
still.

My workaround is instead of using links I use a macro to the linked
picture. I can then dictate what program to open with. I assign the
macro to the clickable whatever shape will trigger the image to show
up. See below for the code I use. Paste it into a VBA module and edit
as needed then assign it to a shape on the slide.

Sub SeePic()
Dim Action
Dim sProgPath As String
'Path to the program
sProgPath = "C:\Program Files\IrfanView\i_view32.exe"
Dim sFilePath As String
'Path to the pic
sFilePath = "C:\Documents and Settings\Melina\Desktop\MyPic.png"
'Put the action all together
Action = Shell(sProgPath & " " & sFilePath, 3)
End Sub

-Melina

 

[Mel]

Great tips, thanks Steve.

So, a PPT Sub xxx(oShp as Shape) is like "Shape(application.caller)"
in Excel to determine the item clicked? PPT doesn't have an equivelant
property, right?

So, if I wanted to open a pic in IrfanView upon click of a shape (with
the pic's path in the shape's alt text), this works but is it the best
coding?

Sub ViewPicInApp(oShp As Shape)
Call Shell("C:\Program Files\IrfanView\i_view32.exe" _
& " " & oShp.AlternativeText, 3)
End Sub

-Melina