Microsoft KB Archive/131749

PPT4: Insufficient Memory Error Starting PowerPoint

PSS ID Number: Q131749 Article last modified on 05-16-1998

windows:4.0,4.0a,4.0c

WINDOWS

================================================================ ==

The information in this article applies to:

 Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a, and 4.0c Microsoft Windows operating environment version 3.1 and 3.11 == Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1 and 3.11 == 

= SYMPTOMS =

When you try to start PowerPoint, you may receive one of the following messages:

Sorry, there is insufficient memory to run PowerPoint.

“Sorry, PowerPoint cannot start due to insufficient memory”

This error message may occur even when you can successfully start other applications that require a minimum of 4 megabytes (MB) of memory to run (such as Microsoft Word 6.0 or Microsoft Excel 5.0).

= RESOLUTION =

To troubleshoot this problem, start by running Msinfo.exe. This program is installed by most Office and PowerPoint installation options. It is located in your subfolder (where  is the path to your Windows program folder, usually C:). Make sure that you have at least 4 MB of available memory, that your system resources are above 50 percent, and that there is some available disk space.

If these steps do not point to a problem (for example, low disk space), try the following steps:


 * 1) Search your hard disk for copies of Powerpnt.exe and Powerpnt.dll.
 * 2) Delete or rename these files.
 * 3) Manually decompress these files from your PowerPoint Setup disks.

To Manually Decompress Files
If there is a file called Decomp.exe on Disk 1 of your Office or PowerPoint disks, use the following steps:

  Copy Decomp.exe to your hard disk. You may want to copy this to your MS-DOS or Windows folder.   Find the disk that has the file Powerpnt.ex_ on it. This is usually Disk 1 from the PowerPoint 4.0 or the Office 4.2/4.3 disk set(3.5-inch) or on Disk 2 from the Office 4.2 disk set(5.25-inch.)   Run MS-DOS Prompt. At the MS-DOS prompt, type the following and press ENTER: decomp a:.ex_ c:.exe (This assumes that you have installed PowerPoint to a folder called C:and your Setup disk is in drive A). </li>  Find the disk that has the file Powerpnt.dl_ on it. This is either Disk 2 or Disk 8 from the PowerPoint disk set or Office Disk 7 (Office 4.2, 3.5-inch) or Office Disk 12 (Office 4.3, 3.5-inch). </li>  At the MS-DOS prompt, type the following and press ENTER: decomp a:.dl_ c:.dll (Once again, this assumes PowerPoint was installed to C:.) </li></ol>

If there is a file called Extract.exe on Disk 1, use the following steps:

<ol style="list-style-type: decimal;">  Insert Office Disk 1 in your floppy disk drive. </li>  At the MS-DOS prompt, type the following and press ENTER: extract /a msoff1.cab c:.exe The prompt will then tell you which disk you need to insert. Insert that disk in your floppy disk drive and press ENTER. </li>  Type the following and press ENTER: extract /a msoff1.cab c:.dll Once again, the prompt will tell you which disk you need to put in the floppy disk drive. </li></ol>

= STATUS =

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

For more information about using the Extract utility to extract files, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q119838 TITLE : DMF/Diamond Information in Office 4.2c Readme Files

Once you have manually decompressed these two files, PowerPoint should run correctly.

= Additional query words: 4.00 4.00a 4.00c ppt4 winppt start launch =

Keywords : kberrmsg kbsetup kbdta Version : windows:4.0,4.0a,4.0c Platform : WINDOWS Hardware : x86 Issue type : kbprb ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998.