Microsoft KB Archive/116804

FastTips: PowerPoint for Window 95 Frequently Asked Questions Article ID: Q116804 Revision Date: 10-SEP-1996

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0

SUMMARY “PowerPoint for Windows 95 Frequently Asked Questions” (WT1217) is a FastTips recorded script available on the Microsoft FastTips line, which you can reach by calling (800) 936-4100. You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:


 * Microsoft’s World Wide Web Site on the Internet
 * The Internet (Microsoft anonymous ftp server)
 * Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
 * Microsoft FastTips Technical Library
 * Microsoft Product Support Services

For complete information, see the “To Obtain This FastTip” section at the end of this article.

THE TEXT OF WT1217

Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File)

WT1217: POWERPOINT(R) FOR WINDOWS(R) 95 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Revision Date: 9/95 No Disk Included

The following information applies to Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0.

INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an Application Note) IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this Application Note. This Application Note may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and all pages must be included; 2) If software is included, all files on the disk(s) must be copied without modification (the MS-DOS(R) utility diskcopy is appropriate for this purpose); 3) All components of this Application Note must be distributed together; and 4) This Application Note may not be distributed for profit.

Copyright (C) 1995 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, MS-DOS, PowerPoint, and Windows are registered trademarks and Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. ———————————————————————

What’s New in Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95?

  Q. What’s new in Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95? A. Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95 has many significant enhancements and new features. For example: - It can function as an in-place OLE server.

- It can create textured backgrounds and transparent fills, and it can blend colors. You can even fill objects with bitmaps.

- You can run multiple slide shows (different presentations) simultaneously or run multiple views for the same presentation.

- You can perform build effects (when bullet points or objects appear one at a time) on all objects, including text, drawings, shapes, graphical elements, OLE objects, and sounds.

- You can use the new Black And White view to determine precisely how your color presentations will appear when printed to a black-and-white printer.

- Text editing includes drag and drop capabilities between placeholders and text objects.

- In your master views, you can insert fields for the date and time, the slide number or page number, a header, and a footer.

- It supports multiple undos.

- You can format the on-screen annotation to different colors.

- With the new Presentation Conferencing feature, you can show a presentation on your machine and have it viewed by others on theirs.

- You can take notes and assign action items during meetings by using the new Meeting Minder feature.

- You can use graphical hot spots on your slides to activate specific tasks when clicked.

- The new Pack And Go Wizard helps you to easily prepare your presentations for travel.

- It supports two masters: one for title slides and another for all other slides.   Q. What are the system requirements for Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95? A. The system requirements for Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95 are as follows: - 386DX processor or greater (486 recommended)

- Windows 95 or Windows NT(TM) 3.51 or later

- 6 MB RAM for Windows 95; 12 MB RAM for Windows NT

- CD-ROM or 3.5-inch HD disk drive

- VGA or higher (256 recommended)

- Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

- Network with TCP/IP protocol for Presentation Conferencing

- Audio board with headphones or speakers for sound functionality   Q. How much hard disk space is required for Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95? A. The amount of hard disk space required to install Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95 depends on the type of installation you choose. Hard disk space for the different types of installations are as follows: - Workstation installation        3 MB*

- Compact (laptop) installation  14 MB

- Typical installation           24 MB

- Custom (maximum) installation  35 MB

*NOTE: This size is approximate. In a Workstation installation, PowerPoint is run from a server location on a network. Only certain necessary files are written to workstation hard disks.   Q. What is “Presentation Conferencing”? A. In Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95, you can view and control presentations on one or more computers, which are driven by a single computer. As a presenter, you are provided with the tools necessary to connect to other computers on a local area network (using TCP/IP protocol), to view backup materials, to monitor your progress against rehearsed timings, and to gracefully jump to and preview slides. 

General Usage

  Q. What features does Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95 include that makes it easy to learn and use? A. Online Help in Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95 has been enhanced and simplified to provide powerful, easy-to-use online assistance. Included are the following: - The new Answer Wizard, which gives you assistance based on your plain English description of the issue.

- Help Contents, which provides descriptive, layered assistance for developing your PowerPoint presentation.

- A comprehensive Index, where you will find virtually every keyword you will ever need.

- ToolTips, which help you easily discover what any toolbar button does.

- Tip Of The Day messages, which appear every time you start PowerPoint, if you choose. These messages give you pointers and inform you of tools or options you may not have known about before.

- Ghosted Tips, which are used for commands that can't be carried out in all views and actually &quot;take over&quot; your mouse pointer and menus to show how you would perform a specific task.   Q. What issues should I be aware of regarding the new Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer? A. When you use the Viewer that ships with Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95 to show a PowerPoint file that contains special effects (including anything other than building object area text or slide transitions), you will not see those special effects appear in the slide show. This functionality is by design. The PowerPoint for Windows 95 Viewer is virtually the same viewer that shipped with PowerPoint version 4.0 for Windows. (The only changes made thus far are cosmetic in nature.) Therefore, the functionality of the Viewer does not include any special effects that do not exist in PowerPoint 4.0. All of your special effects will be intact if you play the presentation through PowerPoint for Windows 95 itself. Also, a new version of the PowerPoint Viewer that supports the special effects native to PowerPoint for Windows 95 is scheduled for release in late 1995.   Q. How does black and white view work? A. By choosing Black And White from the View menu, you can preview how your color presentation prints to a black-and-white printer. NOTE: The “pure black and white” printing option is not available in Microsoft PowerPoint for Window 95. To print a color presentation in pure black and white only, you must be in black and white view. </li>  How can I ensure optimum performance in Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95?</li></ol>

A. Verify that Virtual Memory is turned on by doing the following: 1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click the System icon.

2. Click the Performance tab, and click Virtual Memory. Select &quot;Let Windows manage my virtual memory settings (recommended).&quot;

3. Click OK.

This will prevent possible sluggish operation and low-memory- related error messages. </li>  Q. Can I still use .lst files with Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95? A. The Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer still supports .lst files, but PowerPoint for Windows 95 itself does not. To work around this limitation, we suggest that you write a batch file that contains the fully qualified path to the PowerPoint for Windows 95 program file followed by a space and -i and then followed by the fully qualified path to the presentations that you want to link together followed by a space and -s. See examples below: c:\OfficeDir\PPtDir\powerpnt.exe -i <insert.lst> -s <savename.ppt>

c:\OfficeDir\PPtDir\powerpnt.exe -i show.lst -s trade.ppt </li>  Q. AutoClipart is an excellent tool for adding topic-related clip art to my presentation. Can I customize the list of words it uses to search for clip art? A. Unfortunately not. This is not a feature of the AutoClipart tool. </li></ol>

Interoperability

  Q. How does Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95 support greater interoperability between Microsoft Windows-based programs? A. Microsoft PowerPoint now allows you to work more effectively with other programs, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, in addition to Microsoft Windows 95. The following are five examples: - PowerPoint's multiple toolbars are consistent with those in Microsoft Word for Windows 95 and Microsoft Excel for Windows 95.

- PowerPoint, Word, and Microsoft Excel share many dialog boxes, so you don't have to &quot;shift gears&quot; when you switch between programs.

- You now draw objects in PowerPoint the same way as you draw them in Word and Microsoft Excel.

- The mouse and keyboard commands in PowerPoint are, in many cases, the same as those in Word and Microsoft Excel.

- You can use Word and Microsoft Excel tables in PowerPoint slides. </li>  Q. Do Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95 files retain all of their special effects when you save them in PowerPoint 4.0 format? A. No. Microsoft PowerPoint version 4.0 does not support all of the features in PowerPoint for Windows 95. If you save a PowerPoint for Window 95 file in PowerPoint 4.0 format, you will see the following changes: - Automatic fills become the PowerPoint 4.0 default fill color.

- Shaded fills become shaded in one color, with the gradient going in the opposite direction.

- Anything with a textured fill is matched to whatever shaded fills exist in the object. If no shaded fills exist, the object is filled with the default fill color.

- Automatic line fills become the PowerPoint 4.0 default line color.

- Any defaults for new effects are ignored.

- Vertical text flow on anchored text becomes text rotated to degrees. </li></ol>

Technical Support

  Q. Where can I receive technical support for Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95? A. There are many easy ways to obtain technical support information for Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95. Among them are the following: - Use Microsoft PowerPoint online Help.

- In the U.S. and Canada, call the Microsoft FastTips line to get automated answers to common technical questions. To access FastTips, call (800) 936-4100 and listen to the recorded messages or order fax copies of the information.

- Access the Microsoft Download Service (MSDL) by modem. The MSDL provides sample programs, device drivers, patches, software updates, and programming aids. In the United States, call (206) 936-6735. In Canada, call (905) 507-3022. (1200, 2400, 9600 or 14,400 baud; no parity; 8 data bits; 1 stop bit.)

- Access MSN, The Microsoft Network, Microsoft's own online service, which provides the Microsoft Knowledge Base, the Microsoft Software Library, and Microsoft forums for all Microsoft products.

- Access the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Microsoft Software Library on the Internet. The Microsoft World Wide Web site is located at http://www.microsoft.com/support. The Microsoft Gopher site is located at gopher.microsoft.com. The Microsoft FTP site is located at ftp.microsoft.com and can be accessed by anonymous logon.

- Call Microsoft Product Support Services, which is open between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. PowerPoint for Windows 95 support can be reached in the United States at (206) 635-7145 and in Canada at (905) 568- 3503. After-hours paid support is available at (900) 555- 2000 in the United States only, or by credit card at (800) 936-5700 in the United States or (800) 668-7975 in Canada. </li></ol>

TO OBTAIN THIS FASTTIP You can find WT1217.EXE, a self-extracting file, on the following services:


 * Microsoft’s World Wide Web Site on the Internet On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon. Click Knowledge Base, and select the product. Enter kbfile WT1217.EXE, and click GO! Open the article, and click the button to download the file.
 * Internet (anonymous FTP) ftp ftp.microsoft.com Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder. Get WT1217.EXE

To download WT1217.EXE to your computer click.


 * Microsoft Download Service (MSDL) Dial (206) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL Download WT1217.EXE

For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q119591 TITLE : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services


 * You can have this FastTip mailed or faxed to you from the automated Microsoft FastTips Technical Library, which you can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (800) 936-4100. NOTE: The FastTips Technical Library is available only to customers within the U.S. and Canada.
 * If you are unable to access the sources listed above, you can have this FastTip mailed or faxed to you by calling Microsoft Product Support Services Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Pacific time. If you are outside the United States, contact the Microsoft subsidiary for your area. To locate your subsidiary, call the Microsoft International Sales Information Center at (206) 936-8661.

KBCategory: kbusage kbinterop kbfasttip kbfile KBSubcategory: Additional reference words: 7.00 ppt95 kbpriority1

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1996.