Chapter 1, the default file saving format results in a file that can be opened in PowerPoint 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003, and the PowerPoint 97-2003 & 95 format extends that to PowerPoint 95 as well.
However, just because the file will open in an older version does not necessarily mean that the older version will support all the features in the presentation. Table A-1 summarizes the feature losses when opening in various older versions.
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Feature
|
Issues
|
|---|---|
|
PowerPoint 2000 and Below:
|
|
|
Password protection
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Presentations with passwords do not open. The user receives an error message: "PowerPoint can't open the type of file represented by <filename>.ppt"
|
|
Multiple masters
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Editing and resaving may result in loss of all but the first master of a certain type (for example, only one Slide Master, one Title Master, and so on)
|
|
Animation effects
|
Any unsupported effects are either converted to a supported effect or not used
|
|
Picture rotation
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Windows metafiles do not appear rotated. Bitmaps change to the nearest 90-degree rotation
|
|
Transparency on a solid fill
|
May appear less smooth |
|
Transparency on a fill effect or line
|
Cannot add transparency to a fill effect or line using the Transparency tool
|
|
Contrast and brightness adjustments on picture fills
|
Adjustments do not appear on some images
|
|
Fill rotates with shape
|
Fills do not appear rotated
|
|
Anti-aliasing
|
Not supported; text and graphics appear less smooth
|
|
Comments
|
Not visible or editable
|
|
Diagrams
|
Converted to groups of shapes
|
|
PowerPoint 97 and Below:
|
|
|
Native tables
|
Converted to a group of shapes
|
|
Voice narration
|
Sound played with Windows Media Player as a WAV file. Not recognized as narration, and not synchronized to audio
|
|
Automatic numbered list
|
Appears as bulleted list
|
|
Picture bullets
|
Appear as regular bullets
|
|
Animated GIFs
|
First frame appears as a static image
|
|
PowerPoint 95:
|
|
|
Animated chart elements
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Appear as static chart objects that can be edited in Microsoft Graph
|
|
Custom shows
|
Slides appear in presentation, but Custom Show feature doesn't function
|
|
Native format movies and sounds
|
Converted to Windows Media Player objects
|
|
Diagrams
|
Converted to Windows Metafiles (WMF)
|
|
Play options for CD tracking and movie looping
|
Ignored
|
|
Document collaboration
|
Tracking and merging changes not supported
|
|
3-D effects
|
Converted to pictures
|
|
AutoShapes
|
Converted to freeform shape or picture
|
|
Connectors
|
Converted to freeform lines; automatic connecting behavior lost |
|
Curves
|
Approximated with connected straight line segments
|
|
Transparency on a gradient fill
|
Appears as a transparent fill without a gradient
|
|
Joins and endcaps of lines
|
Appear as mitered joins on AutoShapes and round joins and endcaps on freeform shapes
|
|
Linked or embedded objects
|
Brightness, contrast, and color transformation settings are lost
|
|
WordArt drawing objects
|
Converted to picture objects
|
|
Picture fills
|
Converted to picture objects
|
|
Picture fills on shapes
|
Converted to picture objects with solid fill in which last foreground color is applied to object
|
|
Shadows, engraved
|
Appears as embossed shadow effect
|
|
Shadows, perspective
|
Converted to shapes or pictures and grouped with shape casting the shadow
|
|
Shapes or arcs with attached text
|
Converted to freeform shapes, arcs, or text boxes
|
|
Thick compound lines
|
Converted to picture objects
|
|
Hyperlinks that combine Play Sound with other Action settings
|
Play Sound settings are lost
|
|
Hyperlinks embedded within an object
|
Hyperlinks are lost
|
|
Action settings embedded in an object
|
Action settings are lost
|
|
Send a copy of a slide in e-mail as the body of the message
|
Message header information (recipient list, message options) is lost
|
|
Embedded fonts
|
Not supported
|
|
Embedded Excel charts
|
Not supported
|
|
Microsoft Graph charts
|
Editable only if the Convert Charts When Saving As Previous Version checkbox was selected when saving
|
|
Macros
|
Not supported
|
|
Unicode characters
|
Not supported
|