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If you have multiple versions of PowerPoint installed, you might find that when you double-click on a PPT or PPTX file, it opens in a version of PowerPoint that's different from the one you want it to open!

Now you can reinstall all your versions of PowerPoint (and Microsoft Office) again in the sequence you want -- and that might take a few hours, or you might do a few registry tweaks -- and that's not for the faint of heart, or even if you are scared of the registry!

So it was a great thing that one of our readers decided to share this DOS batch file with us that makes the whole process painless. Having said that, do this at your own risk -- and if you are comfortable!

Damian McDonald is the founder of Visual Newmedia which has over 15 years’ experience in developing communication solutions for a number of leading global brands.

Here is the code you need to paste in your batch file -- just replace this line:

set PathStart=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE

to reflect the name of the partition where your copy of Microsoft Office is installed -- for example, if you installed to the D drive, the above line would change to:

set PathStart=D:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE

OK -- here is the batch file:

REM **********************************************

REM Version 1.1 Date: 29/11/09
REM By Damian McDonald
REM www.visualpresenter.com.au
REM Registers the required Version of PowerPoint if it exists.

set PathStart=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE
set PathEnd=\powerpnt.exe
set DirNum=11
set Version=2003
@echo Off

:Start
CLS
ECHO. Select the Version of PowerPoint to register.
ECHO.
ECHO 1. PowerPoint2003
ECHO 2. PowerPoint2007
ECHO 3. PowerPoint2010
ECHO.

set choice=
set /p choice=Enter your selection or Q to Quit.
if not '%choice%'=='' set choice=%choice:~0,1%
if '%choice%'=='1' goto 1
if '%choice%'=='2' goto 2
if '%choice%'=='3' goto 3
if '%choice%'=='q' goto end
ECHO "%choice%" is not valid please try again
pause
Goto Start

:1
CLS
ECHO.
set DirNum=11
set Version=2003
IF NOT EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" ECHO PowerPoint %Version% does not appear to be loaded.
IF NOT EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" pause
IF EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" ECHO Registering PowerPoint %Version%.
IF EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" /regserver
Goto End

:2
CLS
ECHO.
set DirNum=12
set Version=2007
IF NOT EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" ECHO PowerPoint %Version% does not appear to be loaded.
IF NOT EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" pause
IF EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" ECHO Registering PowerPoint %Version%.
IF EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" /regserver
Goto End

:3
CLS
ECHO.
set DirNum=14
set Version=2010
IF NOT EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" ECHO PowerPoint %Version% does not appear to be loaded.
IF NOT EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" pause
IF EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" ECHO Registering PowerPoint %Version%.
IF EXIST "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" "%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%" /regserver
Goto End

:End
@echo on

REM **********************************************

Thanks Damian!

Labels: multiple_versions, powerpoint, programming

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This article is not about creating your own macros or scripts to automate PowerPoint. However, if you just want to run any macros or scripts that a friend shares, or you just got it from a book or newsgroup, then you are on the right page.

Follow these steps to get started:

1. Make sure you have a script ready -- you can download some scripts here...
   
   
2. Open an existing presentation, or create a new one in PowerPoint. Then press Alt+F11 to access the Microsoft Visual Basic interface that you can see in Figure 1.
   
   
   Figure 1: The Visual Basic interface
   
   
3. Choose Insert | Module, as shown in Figure 2.
   
   
   Figure 2: Insert a module
   
   
4. This open a new module window on the right side of the interface, copy your script here, and paste it (see Figure 3).
   
   
   Figure 3: The pasted script
   
   
5. Now you need to run this script as a macro from within PowerPoint. To do that, first exit the Visual Basic interface by choosing File | Close and Return to PowerPoint.
   
   
6. Now the steps you take differ depending upon which version of PowerPoint you are using.
   
   PowerPoint 2007 users will need to enable the Developer tab on the Ribbon if it is not already visible. To do that, choose Office Button | PowerPoint Options, and select the Popular tab on the left. Then check the option that says Show Developer tab in the Ribbon.
   
   Once you have done that, select the Developer tab of the Ribbon, and click Macro to bring up the Macro dialog box that you can see in Figure 4. Select the script you want to run, and click the Run button.
   
   
   Figure 4: The Macro dialog box
   
   Versions before PowerPoint 2007: Choose Tools | Macros | Macro to bring up the same dialog box that you saw in Figure 4. Then select the script you want to run, and click the Run button.

Remember, some scripts may do nothing at all unless you have something selected on the slide before you run them!

Tip from Steve Rindsberg: You can store many, many macros/scripts/routines in a single PowerPoint file and as long as you have it open along with any other files, you can access the macros as described.

See Also: Create an Add-in with toolbars that run macros (PPT FAQ by Steve Rindsberg)

Labels: macro, powerpoint, programming, vba

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