Weird file created when moving a PP presentation to PC.

[Oscar Recio Cantù]

Can Anyone help me to understand why a file is created when I create a new
presentation besides my own file?

I have Office 2004, SP1 in a iMac G5 Mac OS 10.3.7

I did create a presentation for my teaching. The filename is
"Ecuaciones.ppt". I had no problem when the presentation was created. The
file was originally 128 KB.

I did put my file in a homepage created using .Mac facilities and the file
was OK. I tested it downloading to my Mac again.

When I tried to download the file in my classroom, I noticed that its size
was 123 KB instead of the 128 KB. When downloaded, I tried to use PP 2003 in
a Windows XP environment and got a message: "The file can not be opened
because it is incomplete" or something like that.

I got back to my home, I modified my file in the Mac, added new slides, I
tested again with my Mac and I copied it into a diskette (just for backup).

Next day, the same problem with the PC and when I explored the diskette I
found another PP file, besides mine, named "._Ecuaciones.ppt" of size 1K.

What is that? Who created it? What, if needed, is it used for?.

Now I know why .Mac sent me a message when I tried erasing my file
"Ecuaciones.ppt" and then copy it again. I got the message that the file
already exists (it was not there when I see my Public folder).

I do appreciate any help, Thanks

Oscar

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi,

The file name that starts with an underscore is visible because in
Microsoft windows you have the setting checked to display hidden files.
Normally you would not see system files that start with underscore. Just
ignore those files. You won't see them if you put the Windows setting to
the way it was designed to be used with hidden files not visible.

If your file is getting corrupted along the way, try using Stuffit to
compress the file before you try to upload it. That may keep things in tact.

-Jim

 

[Oscar Recio Cantù]

Thanks Jim.

But, Why this file is there if the only thing I did was to create a
PowerPoint presentation?

Does it have to do with the fact that inside the presentation I inserted
Equation Editor objects?

Thanks again

Oscar


En (e-mail address removed) del 26/1/05 22:07, "Jim Gordon MVP"

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi,

It has nothing to do with Equation Editor. That's the way Microsoft
Windows works. Every file you open will will have a corresponding file
with an underscore. Set Windows to stop displaying hidden files and all
will be well.

-Jim

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

But, Why this file is there if the only thing I did was to create a

PowerPoint presentation?

You'll probably get a similar file whenever you copy a Mac file to DOS-formatted
floppies, ZIPs, hard drives, etc.

It stores certain bits of information about the file that the PC doesn't use.
In the bad old days if you copied a Mac file to PC formatted media, this
information would simply get lost; your PPT file would open fine on the PC but
when you looked at it again on the Mac, it'd have the generic "I haven't a clue
what this is" icon and the Mac wouldn't know what to do with it.

Now, the Mac sees a PC file, looks for the companion _hiddenPCfile and if it
finds it, uses the info there to identify the file and make it once again
Mac-like.

Does it have to do with the fact that inside the presentation I inserted
Equation Editor objects?

Thanks again

Oscar

En (e-mail address removed) del 26/1/05 22:07, "Jim Gordon MVP"

================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi,

It has nothing to do with Equation Editor. That's the way Microsoft
Windows works. Every file you open will will have a corresponding file
with an underscore. Set Windows to stop displaying hidden files and all
will be well.

It's the Mac that creates the files, whether or not Windows is set to display
them. They're small, they're harmless, they're there for good reason.

If anybody finds them really really upsetting, they can delete 'em. 'Course,
when the file comes back to the Mac, it might or might not know to open the
file in PPT or whatever when doubleclicked. ;-)


================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi again,

Steve is right on the money. MacOSX will most likely know by the .ppt
extension to open these files with PowerPoint.

Deleting the underscore files is time consuming and runs the risk of
accidentally deleting files that are desired, so my recommendation is to
do the right thing and turn off the display of hidden files in Microsoft
Windows.

-Jim

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Steve is right on the money. MacOSX will most likely know by the .ppt

extension to open these files with PowerPoint.

Just doublechecked this; I have scores of PPT files on a shared network folder
accessible to both PC and Mac. I have my Windows boxes set to show
hidden/invisible files. The only "underscored" files I ever see are the ones
saved from the Mac. There are none in this particular folder, but MacOSX sees
all the files with .PPT extensions as PPT files; it shows me the correct icons
for the files and opens them in PowerPoint.

Sure beats the dancing we used to have to do to make stuff jump from PC to Mac.

================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================