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General discussion

"Windows cannot open this file" question

May 15, 2005 7:21AM PDT

What is the procedure for dealing with this message when trying to dowload a file?

In this case, the file has a .pps extension, but I'm trying to get a handle on how to deal with the message in general, not just with a .pps file.

If I choose the "Select the program from a list" option, I presume that I just have to have prior knowledge which of the programs on the list will handle a .pps (or other) file? If so, what is a good way to find out this information?

If I choose the "Use the Web service to find the appropriate program" option, I get taken to a site that is supposed to help me know what program to use. In the case of the .pps file, that program had me go to a Windows .pps site that did not readily show what program to use, although I guess the information might have been there somewhere. I guess I don't have a question here but only a wonder if there is not a better way of finding the right program.

Also, I wanted to be able to copy the "Window cannot open this file" page or its contents into this post. Is there a way I could have done this?

Thanks, grandpaw

Discussion is locked

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This is normally a Power Point Slide Show file
May 15, 2005 7:29AM PDT

and can only be viewed with Power Point in MS Office....although you may be able to view it with OpenOffice (not sure about that one). MS offers free downloadable viewers for a number of their Office products, but Power Point isn't one of them.

If somebody sent it to you via email, they will have to convert it to something else at their end and resend it so you can view it.

TONI

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Re: "Windows cannot open this file" question
May 15, 2005 7:53AM PDT

grandpaw, For those .pps files tou can download a Free Powerpoint Viewer from Microsoft at the links below. They both work with Windows XP also. Take your pick.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=428d5727-43ab-4f24-90b7-a94784af71a4&displaylang=en

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7C404E8E-5513-46C4-AA4F-058A84A37DF1&displaylang=EN

As far as other file extensions the link below is excellent and when you type in the File Extension and click "Go" it will give you an idea as to which program can run the extension.

http://filext.com/

Tufenuf

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If I had bothered to look
May 15, 2005 9:20PM PDT

a little bit further, I would have realized that Project is the Office Product that has no viewer available, and not Power Point. Thanks for the catch.......and for being more thorough than I was at that moment.

TONI

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Thanks to Tufenut and Toni
May 19, 2005 11:24AM PDT

I wondered if anyone would post a reply. Then I realized that I needed to subscribe to the thread in order to know about that. A mistake I try to make about every second or third time I post a question.