unable to open old powerpoint files in Powerpoint 2004

[mac-aroni]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)

I can't open old powerpoint documents with 2004. I get an error message saying the file is corrupt, in use or not recognized by powerpoint.
This happens with several powerpoint presentations I made in the past but I can't identify what version of powerpoint I originally used.
Can you help?

 

[snnopy67]

Sorry, I can't really help.

I had the same problem several times myself, even with not-so-old
files.
Usually, it went away after a while.

Do you happen to have two versions of powerpoint installed?
I've found that this confuses PPT occasionally.
In that case it helps to open the file with "open with" and then
choose one or the other version of ppt.

You also might try ppt 2008 ...
Or transfer the files to windoze and try ppt there ..

Good luck.

Best regards,
Gabriel.

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)

I can't open old powerpoint documents with 2004. I get an error message saying the file is corrupt, in use or not recognized by powerpoint.
This happens with several powerpoint presentations I made in the past but I can't identify what version of powerpoint I originally used.
Can you help?

PowerPoint 2004 can open presentations from Mac and Windows all the way
back to at least PowerPoint 07, and if my memory serves me right perhaps
even to PowerPoint version 4.

It might make a difference if you use File > Open rather than
double-clicking on the file icon.

-Jim

 

[mac-aroni]

Sorry, I can't really help.

 

[mac-aroni]

PowerPoint 2004 can open presentations from Mac and Windows all the way
back to at least PowerPoint 07, and if my memory serves me right perhaps
even to PowerPoint version 4.

It might make a difference if you use File > Open rather than
double-clicking on the file icon.

-Jim

Tried the file open too and that didn't work. These are old files from 1999, some more recent 02-03. Do you think it could be linked to the different OS I've had?

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Tried the file open too and that didn't work. These are old files from 1999, some more recent 02-03. Do you think it could be linked to the different OS I've had?

Nope. The file type has nothing to do with the OS.

If you can find an older version of PowerPoint, such as PowerPoint 98,
or v.X you might try using one of those as a bridge to get your
presentation up to date.

You can always get the text out of the presentations using Microsoft
Word's File Open and choose to Get Text From Any File.

-Jim