Summary: PPS files are PowerPoint presentations and you'll need a compatible viewer to view them. You may also need to create or repair the PPS file association.
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Since installing Windows XP SP2, I have been unable to open .pps files. Short of downloading Open Office which carries a .pps access, is there any other way of regaining this access? |
PPS files are created by Microsoft Office PowerPoint. PPS files are a common distribution form for PowerPoint presentations and slide shows.
Since you indicated that SP2 broke this, I'll assume that this was working at some point.
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The first question is, do you have PowerPoint? If so, running Microsoft Office's Setup and selecting Repair should do it. If you have the PowerPoint viewer installed, then it may also have a repair option on its Setup. Either can be accessed through Control Panel, Add/Remove programs.
If you have neither of those, you can certainly download Microsoft's free PowerPoint Viewer.
And finally, if you have PowerPoint or its viewer installed, you may only need to re-assign the "pps" association. This article: How do I make something other than "Picture and FAX Viewer" the default for viewing pictures? discusses the steps to associate a ".jpg" file with a graphics program. Use the same steps to associate ".pps" with PowerPoint or with the PowerPoint Viewer.
Related:
PPS files still don't work even after I created an association - what do I do? PPS files seem to cause many people problems. We'll look at how to go about configuring your system to view PPS files.
How do I make something other than "Picture and FAX Viewer" the default for viewing pictures? Windows Picture and FAX Viewer is the default application for viewing images under Windows. But there are many other programs out there as well.
How do I get Word documents on the web to show up in Word, rather than my browser? By default Word and other documents are displayed within IE rather than in an instance of the application. It's an easy setting to change, once found.
Article C2244 - December 22, 2004
I recently bought a new computer, with Windows Vista and although I have MS Powerpoint 2003 and 2007 I cannot play any .pps files. What am I missing? Please reply
17-Mar-2009
Am helping a friend configure new Vista laptop. Downloaded and installed PP Viewer after receiving error message trying to open a .pps attachment to e-mail. Created association. Still doesn't work. Answers here seem only to address XP, not Vista.
Posted by: Don Taber at March 31, 2009 8:10 AMI used to have power point and had to redo my computer, now everytime I download power point it don't work....I had a site from iowa state university that had it and that 1 worked for me and now can't find that either...I use it in outlook express ty
Posted by: John Heare at April 22, 2009 9:11 PMFor those of you who have Open Office, it opens .pps files with no problem (simpress.exe)! No reason to install the Powerpoint viewer....:-)...
Janet
Posted by: Janet Berg at April 29, 2009 2:42 PMUsing Vista. Have Office 2003 and PP Viewer 2007 installed and updated. I get my emails via Outlook Express. It's not opening any .pps file. I have to first save the attachment, and then Powerpoint viewer 2007 will open it from the folder where it's been downloaded to. But will not open directly from Out Express. Just weird. Will try Open Office, as suggested above.
Posted by: George at May 21, 2009 8:28 AMSave the .ppt or .pps file to the Desktop. Point to the icon for the powerpt.pps file. Right click and choose open with . . . Power point Viewer. When Power Point Viewer is not on the list, we must Browse for pptview.exe. At the bottom of the Dialogue screen is a request for the file name. Copy and paste the full path to the file name, pptview.exe:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\PPTVIEW.EXE"
check [/] Always use this program to open a pps or ppt file
Posted by: Bill Richardson at May 25, 2009 6:08 PMDownload PowerPoint Viewer 2007
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=048DC840-14E1-467D-8DCA-19D2A8FD7485&displaylang=en
On XP pro the main Power Point Viewer Program will be saved here:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\PPTVIEW.EXE"
Posted by: Bill Richardson at May 25, 2009 6:12 PMI recently bought a computer with Vista Home Premium 32 bit with SP2.I have installed MS power point viewer 2003 and 2007.Cannot open .PPS files in my e-mail [windows mail].When I try to open I get the following messages: The selected file has an extension[.pps]that is not recognized by windows.When I hit retry button the following message appears: Windows Media Player cannot play file.The player might not support codec that was used to compress this file.I do not have MS Office.All I want to do is to be able to open >PPS files in my e-mail.
Posted by: Ed Ryan at June 24, 2009 7:29 AMCan you help???
Hi,I have downloaded powerpoint viewer several times. If .pps file is saved to my docs then it can be viewed. will not open from outlook express. Having to save and double click are too many extra steps. Can you please assist?
Posted by: Chuck stankich at June 27, 2009 10:26 PMHi Leo, I forgot to mention with previous comment that I have XP SP3 installed.
Posted by: chuck stankich at June 27, 2009 10:29 PM