PPT97: Slide Show Hangs Playing QuickTime Movies on Windows NT

If you run a PowerPoint 97 slide show on a computer running Windows NT, version 4.0, the slide show may stop responding when you try to play an inserted QuickTime movie.

NOTE: The movie may play correctly in Slide view.

This symptom occurs if you have installed Apple QuickTime for Windows 95/NT, version 2.1.2, on your Windows NT computer.

Method 1: Remove QuickTime for Windows 95/NT and Install ActiveMovie

NOTE: By using this work around, some programs, such as games or video editing program that require QuickTime for Windows, may no longer work correctly.

1. Restart your computer to make sure that none of the QuickTime files are in memory.
2. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to QuickTime for Windows, and then click Uninstall QuickTime.
3. Follow the instructions on your screen.

If you still experience the behavior described in the "Symptoms" section of this article, install ActiveMovie by following these steps:

1. Insert the PowerPoint 97 or Office 97 compact disc in the CD-ROM drive.
2. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs and then click Windows NT Explorer.
3. Open the \ValuePack\Amovie folder on the compact disc.
4. Double-click the Amovie.exe file to install Microsoft ActiveMovie.

Method 2: Insert the QuickTime Movie as a MoviePlayer Object

1. Open the presentation and go to a slide that contains a QuickTime movie.
2. Select the QuickTime movie object and then press DELETE.
3. On the Insert menu, click Object.
4. From the list of available object types, click QuickTime Movie. The Apple MoviePlayer will start.
5. On the File menu in MoviePlayer, click Open.
6. In the Open dialog box, click the file you want to insert and then click Open.
7. On the Edit menu, click Embedding Options. Select the options you want to make about how the movie should play back. Click OK.
8. On the File menu, click Close and Return to <Presentation Name>.
9. Click Yes to update the movie.

This movie object will play correctly from the PowerPoint slide show as long as the computer it is playing on has QuickTime for Windows 95/NT installed on it.

NOTE: MoviePlayer movie objects don't play in-place. When you play the QuickTime movie, it will play in its own window.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

QuickTime is manufactured by Apple Computer, inc., a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability.