Powerpoint Files Not Opening

The company I work for has developed it's own on-line training modules using powerpoint and then converting them to swf files. The problem is that it was done by a single individual who has since left the company. I've now been asked to upgrade some of the content as it contains out-of-date information and have found the powerpoint files but are not able to open them.When I try to open the files, I get a message saying that Powerpoint is converting the file which either stays at 0% or it opens as a blank page. I have also tried opening them in OpenOffice Impress and that opens the files as blank pages. I've also opened them in a hex editor and that shows that all the hex codes are "20".When the person that designed them was working for the company, we had Office 2003 installed but now have Office 2010. I'm not sure whether the different Office versions are an issue and/or whether he has somehow encrypted the powerpoint files. The person who designed them is uncontactable. I have attached one of the files here.Does anyone have any suggestions?

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Answer #1: Posted by augustinemorris17 on August 26th, 2015 1:03 PM

This answer was accepted by the poster of the original question.

augustinemorris17

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August 24th, 2015

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If it were me, I would try this next:

1. search the entire shared drive for *.ppt; you don't need access to the entire network; you only need access that mirrors that of the employee who created/saved this data. you will probably get a bunch of useless results, but you will also rule out that the PPTs are no longer on the network. 2. explore the option of a data restore from archived backup tape; if possible, go as far back as when the person was still employed and working on this particular project. tapes this old might be stored offsite; check with your IT manager for those details.

As a fallback you can still try to recover files using PowerPoint Repair Kit might be able to recover with it. If you need here is the link. Good luck!

Answer #2: Posted by zzed41 on August 25th, 2015 9:56 AM

zzed41

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December 12th, 2014

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Hi! You will need a converter to convert the .swf files back to .ppt so they can be opened by Microsoft PPT. You can use this online converter in this LINK. A Google search with the keyword "convert .swf to .ppt" will also offer alternatives.