# Need URGENT help with Powerpoint! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-help-with-powerpoint/181040 "2003-06-11T04:26:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-help-with-powerpoint/181040/1 "2003-06-11T04:26:40Z")
Ok, Im trying to find out if there is ANY way to pull slides out of a powerpoint presentation thats been corrupted. I have tried to open it in various programs, and followed the instructions from the Microsoft Knowledge base re the error message that I get. The problem, the presentation was saved to floppy, it has gotten corrupted now powerpoint does not recognize it. (the exact error response is “Powerpoint can’t open the type of file represented by (file name)” As I said I have tried EVERYTHING I came across in the knowledge base, and Im left with basically re doing it all. So does ANYONE know of any way to pull slides out of a presentation? (so that I dont have to do ALL the work over again) thanks ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-help-with-powerpoint/181040/2 "2003-06-11T04:59:25Z")
I dug through a .ppt looking for ascii text, and I did find most of the text there, but you’ll need some munging tools (as found on unix) to get it out, and then it’s more work to build new slides. I have no idea how to get images out, I suspect it’s not likely you can do it. Same with formatting information. ---
**Author:** ![rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-help-with-powerpoint/181040/3 "2003-06-11T05:12:37Z")
dont know Unix, or even what munging tools are. I tried opening it in word (like I said, I tried everything) and it spouted a whole lot of giberish (with some recognizable words here and there) but that was all. ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-help-with-powerpoint/181040/4 "2003-06-11T05:36:20Z")
The words that are recognizable should include the text you typed in Power Point…It could be spread out a good deal though. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-help-with-powerpoint/181040/5 "2003-06-11T05:49:11Z")
[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=repair+corrupted+powerpoint+files&spell=1](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=repair+corrupted+powerpoint+files&spell=1) This one has a free trial : > **[DIY Data Recovery Software | Ontrack](https://www.ontrack.com/en-us/data-recovery/software)** > > Data recovery software for quickly recovering your data. Choose Ontrack® EasyRecovery™ DIY software to recover your photos, videos and business data. This one costs a bomb ($499!): [http://www.gtpcc.org/gtpcc/easyrecoverypro.htm](http://www.gtpcc.org/gtpcc/easyrecoverypro.htm) This one gives you a working demo that will actually recover a file: [http://www.officerecovery.com/powerpoint/index.htm](http://www.officerecovery.com/powerpoint/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-help-with-powerpoint/181040/6 "2003-06-11T06:06:33Z")
**rabbit** wrote > [@](#): > > dont know Unix, or even what munging tools are. If you mail it to me, I’ll mail you back all the text in it. Bear in mind it’ll just be that, a bunch of text. But it’ll be a heck of a lot easier to use that to recreate it then just your memory. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-help-with-powerpoint/181040/7 "2003-06-11T07:46:30Z")
Depending on how “URGENT” it is, you got 15 more mins to mail it to me if you want it back tonight. A Doper’s gotta sleep, man. ---
**Author:** ![rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-help-with-powerpoint/181040/8 "2003-06-11T20:50:28Z")
thanks Bill. I found a program that did what you described, and used it. I managed to recover about half the slides using one of the programs xash posted. Damn this was hell. Still had to wing most of it. _sigh_ Really appreciate the help though.