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How to Copy PowerPoint
Pictures and Music
Bud Smith wrote asking how to copy a photograph from a PowerPoint presentation. To do this the presentation's filename extension needs to be changed from PPS to PPT. This puts the slide show into an editing mode, where thumbnails of all images will be displayed.
Clicking a thumbnail will display its full-size view. Then it can be right-clicked to display "Save As Picture," whereupon "Picture1.jpg" will appear. Overtype the name with one you prefer, being sure to preserve the JPG extension.
Some issues to be aware of:
(1) Right-clicking the image can bring up two different menus – if you don't see "Save As Picture" continue right-clicking until you do.
(2) A basic computer rule is: Never change a filename's extension. However, changing PPS to PPT and back again is allowed.
To edit a filename, right-click it and choose Rename.
Copying Music from Powerpoint
Shortly after writing the above a lady named Judy in Clio, Michigan told me about
PowerPoint Image Extractor, which is a free program that lets you extract both images and WAV music files from a slideshow. After you download and install the program there will be a desktop icon named PowerPoint Image Extractor.
Double-click it to launch the program, whereupon a window similar to the one below will open. Click on LOAD and navigate to the PowerPoint file you wish to extract the images and music from.
If the filename has a PPS extension it will need to be changed to PPT in order for this program to work properly. After you have extracted the pictures and music you can change the extension back to PPT.
JPG Images & File Size Compression
Speaking of JPG (the de-facto file format for most photographs) it's important to be aware of the JPG "compression" options. Each time a JPG is saved (in most image-editing programs) it is normally compressed to a file size that is 80 percent of the previous save. Compressing an image to a smaller size can save disk space and accelerate its emailing speed – however, multiple saves of the same filename can reduce an image's size to where it's visual appearance is badly compromised.
Do Not Use Your Original Picture for Editing
Make a copy of your original image and use the copy for editing. Furthermore, you should give subsequent saves incremental name changes such as, say, sunset1.jpg, sunset2.jpg, etc. Better yet, use IrfanView (free image-editor from
www.irfanview.com), which lets you choose your own JPG compression ratio, including the option of saving an image at 100 percent (i.e.: no compression at all).
Before saving an image in IrfanView be sure "Show Options Dialog" is checked, whereupon "Save Quality" options will appear, displaying different compression ratios. I normally use 100%.
"Read-Only" Files
Allen Torbeck wrote that when he tried to save a PowerPoint presentation an error message said he could not because it was a "Read Only" file.
Occasionally someone wants to allow a particular file to be opened (read/viewed) but not changed in any way, so he will make the file "read only." You can do this by right-clicking the filename, choosing "Properties," and checkmarking "Read Only." Allen can follow these steps and deselect the box to reverse the read-only status.
Viewing a PowerPoint Presentation
Dorothea Oldfield wrote that her computer has PowerPoint installed but when she double-clicks a PPS filename it won't open. Well, it should, but this seems to be a weird characteristic of Windows Vista.
This can be fixed by right-clicking a PPS filename, choosing Open With>Choose Program, and double-clicking PowerPoint. Alternatively, you can launch PowerPoint and click on File>Open, and browse to the target file, whereupon it can be opened with a double-click.
Dragging Files To & From Desktop Folders
Bonnie Marona wrote that she can't drag messages from her Windows Mail Inbox to a Desktop folder because the Inbox window fills her entire screen.
If an active window fills your screen, click the "overlapping squares" button in its upper-right corner. Then grab the window's top bar and move it around to unhide other Desktop items. You can also reshape a window by grabbing any edge or corner and adjusting it accordingly.
More information on PowerPoint can be found here: PowerPoint for Beginners
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