Microsoft KB Archive/104707

Paste Linked Slides Have Placeholders for Metacharacters PSS ID Number: Q104707 Article last modified on 11-23-1994 PSS database name: POWERPT

3.00 WINDOWS

= SUMMARY =

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to use “metacharacters” on the slide master to automatically place page numbers, dates, or times on slides. These metacharacters appear as “##”, “//” or “::” (respectively) until the slide is printed or the on-screen slide show is run. If you link a slide from a PowerPoint presentation using the Paste Link command, it will show the actual metacharacter (“##”, “//”, or “::”) instead of page numbers, date, or time. However, if you paste the slide with the Paste command, the numbering comes with it.

= MORE INFORMATION =

Steps to Reproduce Problem

 * 1) Open a PowerPoint presentation.
 * 2) Select Slide Sorter view.
 * 3) Select a slide.
 * 4) Copy the slide.
 * 5) Open or create another presentation.
 * 6) From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special.
 * 7) Select PowerPoint Slide Object.
 * 8) Click the Paste Link button.

The slide will paste with placeholders rather than data.

= WORKAROUND =


 * 1) Open a PowerPoint presentation.
 * 2) From the View menu, choose Slide Sorter.
 * 3) Select a slide.
 * 4) Copy the slide.
 * 5) Go to the other presentation.
 * 6) From the Edit menu, choose Paste.

The slide will paste with the page numbers, and so on, rather than simply displaying the metacharacter.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in PowerPoint version 3.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

KBCategory: kbusage kbbuglist KBSubcategory: Additional reference words: 3.00 power point powerpt

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================================================================ Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.