PPT: Error Editing PowerPoint File Type in Windows Explorer

When you use Windows Explorer to view the settings for the following file types

• Microsoft PowerPoint Addin
• Microsoft PowerPoint Animation
• Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
• Microsoft PowerPoint SlideShow
• Microsoft PowerPoint Template
• Microsoft PowerPoint Wizard

you receive the following error message: This error occurs when you click OK to exit the "Editing Action for Type" dialog box.

NOTE: To locate the "Editing Action for Type" dialog box, in Windows Explorer, click Options on the View menu, and click the File Types tab. In the Registered File Types list, click Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation, and then click Edit.

This error occurs because PowerPoint was installed in a folder with a long file name and the path to the executable file was not enclosed in quotation marks (") when the program was registered.

To work around this problem, use either of the following methods:

Method 1. Cancel the Error Message

When you receive the error message, click Cancel rather than OK.

Method 2. Enclose the Path in Quotation Marks Use the following procedure to add the quotation marks to the Open action for the Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation file type. The procedure for correcting the other actions for the other file types is similar.

1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, and then click Windows Explorer.
2. On the View menu, click Options, and then click the File Types tab.
3. In the Registered File Types list, click Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation.
4. Click Edit.
5. In the Actions list, click Open. Click Edit.
6. In the "Application Used to Perform Action" box change this:

         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\PowerPnt.exe "%1"
   						

   to this:

         "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\PowerPnt.exe" "%1".
   						

7. Click OK.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows. This problem was corrected in Microsoft PowerPoint 97 SR-1.