Corrupted file message when opening files in PowerPoint 2003
Note May 10, 2011: Since this was written, MS has published an automatic update that fixes the problem described here. Look through the information below to acquaint yourself with the problem, but understand that the simplest "fix" is now to apply the May 2011 updates, which will automatically include the hotfix described below. If you prefer to apply the hotfix manually, you can use the instructions below.
[Earlier Note: This originally appeared under a different title immediately after this problem became known; it became a sort of mini-blog covering the problem, workarounds and eventually fixes. For the terminally curious, the original stuff's still way down the page. What you see immediately below is PowerPoint MVP Echo Swinford's description of the current situation. Problem. Where to find the hotfix for it. How to install the hotfix. Elegant.]
Security update 2464588, released mid-April, causes issues opening files in PowerPoint 2003.
When you open a PPT file in PowerPoint 2003, you may see error messages similar to this one:
PowerPoint was unable to display some of the text, images, or objects on slides in the file, "filename", because they have become corrupted. Affected slides have been replaced by blank slides in the presentation and it not possible to recover the lost information. To ensure that the file can be opened in previous versions of PowerPoint, use the Save As command (File menu) and save the file with either the same or a new name.
(Click View and request hotfix downloads at the top of the page and see installation instructions at the end of this post.)
The hotfix for PPT 2002 users is here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2543242
If you are having trouble with files you worked on before installing this hotfix (missing backgrounds, files hanging, etc.), you can try these workarounds:
1. Use Insert Slides From File
- Open PPT 2003 to a new, blank presentation
- Click Insert | Slides from Files
- Navigate to your problem presentation and click Insert All
- Close the Insert Slides dialog
- Save the presentation with a new name
2. Many users have also reported that saving the file in PPT 2007 or 2010 allows them to work on the files without issue in PPT 2003.
3. Others have reported that unchecking "Check spelling as you type" in Tools | Options | Spelling in PPT 2003 allows them to work on the files without issue.
Note: If you saved a presentation after receiving the error listed above, this hotfix (KB2543241) isn't going to get your data back -- that content was removed when you saved and cannot be recovered. This hotfix just prevents this from happening in future.
Hotfix installation instructions
- Click the link in the email you received and click Save to save the hotfix to your harddrive.
- Double-click the file you downloaded. (431548_ENU_i386_zip.exe )
- You'll be prompted to select the folder where you want to unzip the files to. Put it somewhere you can find! Don't be afraid to type another folder name there; Windows will create that file for you. For example, I was prompted to save to a drive on my server, but I instead typed C:\hotfix\ and let Windows create that "hotfix" folder on my C drive to unzip the files in. Or you can click the button with three dots on it to navigate to a place to unzip the files.
- Next you'll be prompted for a password. Input the password from the email.
- You'll get a prompt saying all files were unzipped. But wait, there's more! YOU ARE NOT FINISHED YET!
- Navigate to the folder where you unzipped the files (C:\hotfix\) and double-click the file office2003-KB2543241-ENU.exe
- You'll be prompted again where to place the extracted files. You can use the same folder as before. (C:\hotfix\). But wait, there's still more. YOU ARE STILL NOT FINISHED YET!
- Go to the folder where you extracted the 2nd set of files and double-click the file POWERPNT.msp and let it install.
- Now you have finally finished installing the hotfix.
That's the end of Echo's Essay. A sensible person will stop reading here.
And as promised, the whole ugly history
After applying the recently released KB2464588 update, PowerPoint may be unable to open existing files, insert images or may display other problems. The problems can be so severe as to render PowerPoint unusable.
Microsoft is aware of the problem and has announced that they hope to have a fix available by Monday, April 25. To be perfectly clear, that's "hope" not "promise". Better to have a well-tested fix later than to get one immediately, only to find that it causes more problems.
April 25, 2011: Hotfix available
Microsoft has a hotfix that's intended to correct the problems that the KB2464588 updated causes. You'll find more information about the hotfix and a download link here:
Description of the PowerPoint 2003 hotfix package
Note that if you've opened and saved files AFTER the security update but BEFORE applying the hotfix, the files will still be corrupted. Alyson reported on Microsoft Answers that thes files became usable again after round tripping them through PowerPoint 2007 or PowerPoint 2010.
Here's the original post from Adrian Pa of Microsoft that describes the fix.
If you can't install the hotfis, uninstall the update
- In Windows XP, use Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs to remove the update.
- In Vista/Windows 7, use Control Panel | Programs and Features to remove the update.
MS11-022: Description of the security update for PowerPoint 2003: April 12, 2011 is the Microsoft page that includes removal instructions.
And prevent it from getting re-installed
Once you've uninstalled it, you'll want to hide it so it doesn't keep returning from the dead.
- Vista/Windows 7: Click Start then in the search box, type Update and click Windows Update in the list of results.
Windows XP: Click Start, click All Programs, then click Windows Update near the top of the program list. - When Windows Update opens, either:
Click the link that tells you important updates are available if you have important updates to hide OR
Click the link that tells you optional updates are available if you have optional updates to hide. - Select any update that you want to hide, right-click it, and then click Hide update. Do this for each update you want to hide.
- Click OK.
There's a discussion about how to remove KB2464588 going on at Experts Exchange. Scroll way down to where they hide the good stuff.
One of the suggestions there is to use this command line to remove the update:
%windir%\System32\msiexec.exe /package {OfficeGuid} /uninstall
{AB0D3DA9-FC93-4F57-ADE2-B6669749B25E} /QN /L*V %temp%
\Remove_KB2464588.log
That should all go on one line; we've broken it up here for legibility.
Replace {Office GUID} with your Office 2003 product code.
Here's another set of removal instructions that also explains how to find the product code.
What if you don't want to (or can't) remove the update?
First, before deciding that it's dangerous to remove the update, consider whether it's really likely to expose you to that much danger. How long have you used PowerPoint without any problems prior to this update? Will your usage patterns (and hence your risk) change THAT much after you uninstall the update? Will uninstalling it expose you to THAT much extra risk? It seems improbable. And compared with the known problem ... no risk here ... of being unable to do your work in PowerPoint at all, it seems a small chance to take. But you (or your IT people) have to make that choice.
So. If you don't remove the update, Microsoft support dude and blogger Aaron Rhykus has some suggestions to help work around the problem
Where can I follow news about this problem?
We'll keep this page updated as we learn more, but if you want to go straight to the source, April 2011 Office Security Update Release will have the most current information.