Microsoft KB Archive/141522

PPT4: Error Opening PowerPoint 7.0 Files in Mac PowerPoint

PSS ID Number: Q141522 Article last modified on 05-16-1998

macintosh:4.0

MACINTOSH

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The information in this article applies to:

 == Microsoft PowerPoint for the Macintosh, version 4.0 == 

= SYMPTOMS =

When attempting to open a presentation created with PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0 in PowerPoint 4.0 for the Macintosh, you may receive an error similar to one of the following:

Sorry, PowerPoint cannot read the outline from. No text converter is installed for this file type. Try saving the file again as RTF or in the format of one of the text converters you have installed.

-or-

 Sorry, this file is not a PowerPoint Presentation.

NOTE: You get the first error when you click Slides From Outline on the Insert menu.

If you are opening the file in PowerPoint 3.0 for the Macintosh, the file may open without error, but nothing recognizable appears on the screen.

= CAUSE =

PowerPoint 7.0 uses a different file format than PowerPoint 4.0. PowerPoint 4.0 cannot read this file format without converting it to a familiar file format.

= RESOLUTION =

Method 1: In PowerPoint 7.0, Save File in 4.0 Format
In PowerPoint 7.0 for Windows 95, save the file as a PowerPoint 4.0 for Windows presentation and then on the Macintosh platform, save as a PowerPoint 4.0 for the Macintosh presentation:

  Open the presentation with PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0.   On the File menu, click Save As.   Rename the file to avoid saving over your original file.   In the Save As Type list, click PowerPoint 4.0.   Click Save to create the PowerPoint 4.0 version of your file.   Move the presentation file to the Macintosh platform. Before you open the presentation, PowerPoint 4.0 should display the following message: This is a Windows PowerPoint file. It will be translated and opened as read-only. </li>  Click Continue to translate the file. </li>  Click Save As on the File menu to save the presentation in the translated form. Rename the file if you need to preserve the Windows version of the presentation. </li></ol>

NOTE: Some features of PowerPoint 7.0 will be lost when they are saved to the 4.0 file format.

Method 2: Install the 7.0 Converter for 4.0 for the Macintosh
Install the PowerPoint 7.0 converter for PowerPoint 4.0 for the Macintosh. You can now open PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0 presentations with PowerPoint 4.0 for the Macintosh.

For more information on the PowerPoint 7.0 converter for Macintosh PowerPoint 4.0 and how to obtain it, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID : Q133803 TITLE : PowerPoint for Windows 95 Translators for PowerPoint for Mac

ARTICLE-ID : Q151983 TITLE : PPT4: PowerPoint 7.0 Translator for Mac PowerPoint 4 Available

Additional query words: 4.00 7.00 power point ppt ppt4 m_ppt4 ppt7 ppt95 pp7trans.hqx

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========================================================= Keywords : kberrmsg kbinterop kbdta kbconversion Version : macintosh:4.0 Platform : MACINTOSH Hardware : MAC Issue type : kbprb ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998.