Using AnySaver with Microsoft PowerPoint

Two Important Notes

Important: Use the DOS-style 8.3 naming convention

MYPRES.PPS is a valid file name to use with AnySaver (because the file name is 7 characters long), while MYPRESENTATION.EXE is not (because the file name is 14 characters long).

Also, please make sure that the names of any directories that your files are in are also 8 characters or less in length.

Important: Tell Your Users How to Terminate

PowerPoint does not have an option that causes a presentation to terminate if the user moves the mouse or presses a key other than the Esc key. Because of this, the only way the user can terminate a PowerPoint presentation run as a screen saver is to hit the Esc key. You may want to let your users know this by putting some text such as "Press Esc to Terminate" on each slide in your screen saver.

PowerPoint Release Specific Notes

PowerPoint 97 and 2000

1. When you create your PowerPoint presentation, specify the "Loop Continuously Until Esc" option in the Slide Show / Set Up Show dialog. This ensures that your presentation will remain in a loop after it reaches the last slide.
   
   
2. Do a "Pack and Go" on your presentation. If the Pack and Go wizard gives you an option to include the PowerPoint viewer, be sure to include it.
   
   
3. Double click on Pngsetup.exe to unzip the files that "Pack and Go" created.
   
   
4. Go to the Windows Control Panel and locate the Screen Saver settings. Specify AnySaver as your screen saver. Click the Settings button. The Setup dialog box will be displayed. In the field labeled "Now Running as your Screen Saver" specify:
   
   c:\path\ppview32.exe c:\path\playlist.lst
   
   where "c:\path" is the drive letter and directory in which you installed the "Pack and Go" files.

PowerPoint 95

I believe the instructions for PowerPoint 95 are the same as the above for PowerPoint97 but since I do not have a copy of PowerPoint 95, I cannot test this. If anyone out there could confirm this or let me know any differences, please email me at David at dgolds.com. (Use "@" instead of the word "at" in my e-mail address.) and I'll update this site accordingly.

PowerPoint Version 4

1. When you create your PowerPoint presentation, save it as a .PPS (not a .PPT) file.
   
   
2. Go to the Windows Control Panel and locate the Screen Saver settings. Specify AnySaver as your screen saver. Click the Settings button. The Setup dialog box will be displayed. In the field labeled "Now Running as your Screen Saver" specify:
   
   c:\path\pptview.exe c:\path\filename.pps
   
   where "c:\path\filename.PPS" is the drive letter, directory, and filename of your PowerPoint presentation.