[PPT plugin error] PPT file created with PowerPoint 2007 is not currently supported

[Matt]

Hello, I'm receiving this error with several PowerPoints in Zoom 6.0 that I'm trying to index. They all have the .ppt extension.

Is there anything I can do to correct it? I will also send a couple of examples to info@wrensoft.com

-Matt

[dev008]

Yeah I had this problem as well.
It is a known bug - read it in the faqs somewhere - here it is:
http://www.wrensoft.com/zoom/support...s.html#ppt2007

[David]

Yes the FAQ above covers the issue.
Microsoft changed the old PPT file format in Office 2007 (as well adding the new PPTX format), but didn't document the change.

[Ronv]

I am having the same issue with version 6.0 build 1013.
I tried rebuilding the .ppt file with Office 2003 using the .jpg from the original and copying the contents from three text boxes in the original to new text boxes but still get the same error message about 2007 not supported.
Any ideas how to get around the problem?

[David]

I would suspect the file is still in the 2007 format. Maybe you are still indexing the old file and not the new one, e.g. a cached copy. Are you indexing on offline mode or spider mode? Can you E-mail us the old and new PPT files.

Also 6.0.1019 is the current release, but I don't think it will effect this issue.

[randall]

I would suspect the file is still in the 2007 format. Maybe you are still indexing the old file and not the new one, e.g. a cached copy. Are you indexing on offline mode or spider mode? Can you E-mail us the old and new PPT files.

Also 6.0.1019 is the current release, but I don't think it will effect this issue.

I am seeing this issue "PPT file created with PowerPoint 2007 is not currently supported", and I think the Java Apache POI can be a second option if the error pops up. I think it should a second option because not everyone may have Java loaded on their computer.

I created a test.ppt on a PowerPoint that could be be parse with the latest plugin, I was able to parse using Apache POI.

Here is an example of how to parse test.ppt using the windows cmd line:

java -cp poi-3.7-beta3-20100924.jar;poi-contrib-3.7-beta3-20100924.jar;poi-ooxml-3.7-beta3-20100924.jar;poi-ooxml-schemas-3.7-beta3-20100924.jar;poi-scratchpad-3.7-beta3-20100924.jar;lib\commons-logging-1.1.jar;lib\junit-3.8.1.jar;lib\log4j-1.2.13.jar;ooxml-lib\dom4j-1.6.1.jar;ooxml-lib\geronimo-stax-api_1.0_spec-1.0.jar;ooxml-lib\xmlbeans-2.3.0.jar org.apache.poi.hslf.extractor.PowerPointExtractor -note test.ppt

Please let me know if you have questions,

r

[Ray]

Thanks for the info. We'll keep this in mind for the future should we get in a position to address this.

One of the things we are considering for V7 is allowing the user to specify their own plugins, so they can call any external tool to process a file pre-indexing. That would allow you to use Java Apache POI as described.

[randall]

Or if one could customize the current plugin with BAT or VBS file, to handle the logic for onError.

I am working on a project that uses your tool, and I would like to get some type of fix implemented.

Are the plugins open source, or how does are the priorities set to get changes done?

I am willing to help out on this plugin if that is possible.

[Ray]

In the current version (V6), plugin support is restricted to what is available on our plugins page.

If you urgently need this addressed, you could contact us regarding custom development and we can add support for user specified plugins and make this available to you on a mutually agreed schedule.

[Guy Zumpetta]

Work-around for indexing PPSX and PPTX files

I had the same problem for PowerPoints created in MS Office 2003 but saved under 2007. I had been working with a large collection of PPS files that had been through 2007 for editing. I was able to work around as follows:

1. Renamed copies of the PPS files to PPT.
2. Opened and resaved the PPTs in Open Office Impress. Sounds time consuming, but I did a couple hundred PPTs in an hour or two.
3. Set up Zoom 6/Indexing Options to rewrite the URL containing .PPT to .PPS, then indexed the PPTs.
4. Put the original PPS files on the website.

This procedure can be modified if you're working with PPSX or PPTS, but obviously gets more drawn out.

By the way, the PPS format was chosen for web compatibility with users who still use Office 2003. That's another story by itself.

[randall]

Ray,

I sent out an email.

I will let you know what I hear back.

Thank you,

r