Weekly Computer Tip # 111
13 May 2005

Pack your presentation to use on another computer (Microsoft PowerPoint)

I know, I know, there was no tip last Saturday and this one is a day early (I was working in Kuala Lumpur last week and I'm off to Houston tomorrow morning) so apologies for those of you who schedule in time to test the tip (you do, don't you? ;-) ... hope you used the extra time wisely.

This week's tip is about Microsoft PowerPoint. For some organisations, presentations are essential communication tools. But have you ever travelled somewhere with your PowerPoint presentation, only to find the computer you are using for the presentation doesn't have PowerPoint installed? Or perhaps you want to send a presentation to somebody who doesn't want to buy a PowerPoint license in order to view your presentation?

Well, the good news is you can use PowerPoint 2000's Pack And Go Wizard to create a presentation that will run using the PowerPoint Viewer. (If you are using Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 you need to look for the enhanced and renamed Package for CD feature.)

Here's how:

1. Open the presentation you want to pack.
2. Choose the File, Pack and Go command.
3. Follow the instructions in the Pack and Go Wizard, making sure to select:
4. Include linked files if you created any links to supporting files.
5. Embed TrueType fonts if you have used any unusual fonts.
6. Viewer for Windows 95 or NT.
7. Click on the Finish button.
8. Click OK.

You will now have two files, named pngsetup.exe and pres0.ppz. These files are either on the first disk of however many were needed, or you will find them on your chosen location such as your desktop, in which case you need to copy them on, for instance, a floppy or USB (memory) stick.

Here's how to unpack the presentation and view it on another computer:

1. Insert the floppy disk or USB stick containing your pres0.ppz and pngsetup.exe files.
2. Double click on the pngsetup.exe file.
3. Click OK to extract the presentation to the C: drive (or select a different location).
4. If necessary, click Yes to overwrite existing files with the same name.
5. Click Yes to start the slide show.
6. Breath, relax and do your presentation. Speaking of which ...

Did you know that research shows that the Number One Fear amongst adults is public speaking? Number two is death. So for a lot of us the fear of standing in front of a crowd comes above the fear of dying. If that's you, you'll probably never fully rid yourself of all the "butterflies" in your stomach, but you can get them to fly in formation. ;-)

Until next week.

PS I’m committed to sharing the best of what I know with others so please don’t keep me a secret. If you enjoyed today’s tip, please forward it to anyone you feel may benefit. Alternatively, feel free to reprint it (with full copyright and subscription information) in your newsletters and message boards.

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