unviewable attachments

[shankle]

I have had this problem for a long time. Some messages with attachments in E-Mail
give the following message:
    "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing
    this action. Create an association in the folder option control
    panel."

   EX: I have Power Point Viewer and the message in question uses Power
        Point. When I look in the Folder Option of the Control Panel  an
        entry for Power Point is there (pps). But I am unable to view
        the attachment.

Using Window XP Pro, Outlook Express

Thanks for any help.
JPS

[Draakie]

Hi Shankle,

Three Ideas in NO Order of preference :

1. Try removing the association from Folder options. Restart system and then re-associate.
2. Repair install XP ( and thus Outlook Express).
3. Try the PowerPoint Viewer from MS http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=428d5727-43ab-4f24-90b7-a94784af71a4&displaylang=en to see if the problem persists. [ as you did'nt mention if it was the Microsoft freebee Viewer ]

[Abstract Idea] - The original ".pps" might have been made using MS Office 2007 - and the viewer is'nt compatible ??? ::)

Hope this helps.
Draakie

[shankle]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Removed the PPS from the Folder Options, rebooted and reentered - same problem.
I'm not sure how I got PP - its been to long.
Will try the one you suggested.
JPS

[shankle]

I uninstalled "Microsoft Power Point Viewer" thru control panel/ add/remove and downloaded
another from the address you provided.
Checked again in "folder oprions" and the pps reference was there.
I think this is the free version from Microsoft with their stated restrictions.

Still the same problem.
Thanks
JPS

[MichaelW]

I thought in recent versions of OE, opening attachments is disabled by default.

[sinsi]

This can happen to a few types of attachments. What I have to do is save the attachment and then open it.

[Tedd]

Are you sure it really is a powerpoint file?
It's been 'detected' as powerpoint because the filename ends with .ppt but that doesn't say much for the contents.
If you've got a hex-editor, try opening it with that and see if it looks like a real ppt file, if you don't you can try the same by dropping it into notepad (assuming it doesn't crash.)

[shankle]

Thanks Guys for your suggestions.

Problem is now solved.
I saved the file to a folder and then clicked on it and Power Point opened it.
File extension was pps.
jps