Problems saving to offline folder

I've been experiencing the following problem: When I try to save a
presentation to an offline folder, PowerPoint starts to save the file and
then it hangs forever. The file it creates is usually ~5kb in size. I can
not terminate the process and usually what I have to do is to turn off the
computer. This only occurs saving to an offline folder when the laptop is
disconnected from the network. I can successfully save a presentation loaded
from an offline folder to a local one (to 'My Documents' for example), but
the moment I try to save to the same offline folder the file came from, it
hangs. This problem does not occur whenever I'm working online. I have
tried both PowerPoint2000 and 2002 with the same results. Has anybody else
experienced this?

I was hoping someone else would have tackled this so I wouldn't have to show
my stupidity, but since they haven't, here goes...

I don't quite understand what you mean here by "offline folder." Are you
trying to save the file to a folder on a network when you're not connected
to the network?

You said that your file hangs when you try to save to an offline folder when
you're disconnected from the network.

But you also said you can load a presentation from an offline folder (does
that mean you're connected to the network and you open a presentation from
the network, or are you somehow opening a file from a network folder when
you're not connected to the network?) but that you can only save it to your
local harddrive (is that when you're disconnected from the network?) -- that
the file hangs if you try to save it to the offline folder where it came
from (are you disconnected then?).

I guess what we need here is step-by-step info on what you're opening, when
you're connected/disconnected, and when you're saving
(connected/disconnected).

If I'm not totally off in my assumption that you're doing this --
Connect to network
Open PPT file from network folder
Disconnect from network
Save PPT file

At this point, PPT file hangs if you try to "save" (which tries to save to
the original network folder) or "save as" to the network folder. PPT file
saves if you "save as" to your harddrive.

-- then the problem is that the network folder you're trying to save to
isn't available because you're disconnected from the network. So you have to
save to your harddrive and then move the file to the network the next time
you're connected. That's pretty much the way networks work.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

"JuanR" wrote in message
...
I've been experiencing the following problem: When I try to save a
presentation to an offline folder, PowerPoint starts to save the file and
then it hangs forever. The file it creates is usually ~5kb in size. I
can
not terminate the process and usually what I have to do is to turn off the
computer. This only occurs saving to an offline folder when the laptop is
disconnected from the network. I can successfully save a presentation
loaded
from an offline folder to a local one (to 'My Documents' for example), but
the moment I try to save to the same offline folder the file came from, it
hangs. This problem does not occur whenever I'm working online. I have
tried both PowerPoint2000 and 2002 with the same results. Has anybody
else
experienced this?

Echo S,
Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry I did not make myself clear in my previous
post so I'll try to explain the problem a little better:

Windows has an offline facility that allows you to access files/folders that
are are physically located on a remote server even if you are not connected
to the network. In order to make a file/folder available offline, you would
right-click on the file/folder and choose "Make available offline". Behind
the scenes, Windows copies the file to a hidden folder in your computer. The
great thing about offline files is that if you change the file while working
offline, the next time you go online (i.e. connect to the network), it will
synchronize that file with the remote version. This is great for people who
use a laptop at the office (docked) and then take it home every day. When
you are working offline, you can access all resources which you have made
available offline just as if you were working on the network. So, for
example, if you were accessing a folder in a remote server:
\\myServer\myShare\myFolder and you made 'myFolder' available offline, at
home you could type \\myServer\myShare\myFolder in the explorer address bar
and it would take you there, just as if you were on the network. Really, the
file is coming from that hidden folder that I was telling you earlier.
Anyway, very long explanation but hopefully clarifies my problem which I now
re-describe:
Say you had a file 'myPresentation.ppt' sitting in
\\myServer\myShare\myFolder and, as above, this folder was made available
offline. When the laptop is not connected to the network (working offline),
I can open 'myPresentation.ppt'. If I try to save the file, though,
PowerPoint hangs forever (it just starts to save the file but it never
finishes...). This problem does not occur in other Office apps such as Word
or Excel. So the workaround is (like you pointed out) to save the file to a
local folder and then, when you are online, copy that file to
'\\myServer\myShare\myFolder' but then you are doing *manual synchronization*
which is really annoying if you work with a bunch of files and you have to
remember where all those files came from.

Sorry for the long explanation but I hope it made my problem easier to
understand.

JuanR


"Echo S" wrote:

I was hoping someone else would have tackled this so I wouldn't have to show
my stupidity, but since they haven't, here goes...

I don't quite understand what you mean here by "offline folder." Are you
trying to save the file to a folder on a network when you're not connected
to the network?

You said that your file hangs when you try to save to an offline folder when
you're disconnected from the network.

But you also said you can load a presentation from an offline folder (does
that mean you're connected to the network and you open a presentation from
the network, or are you somehow opening a file from a network folder when
you're not connected to the network?) but that you can only save it to your
local harddrive (is that when you're disconnected from the network?) -- that
the file hangs if you try to save it to the offline folder where it came
from (are you disconnected then?).

I guess what we need here is step-by-step info on what you're opening, when
you're connected/disconnected, and when you're saving
(connected/disconnected).

If I'm not totally off in my assumption that you're doing this --
Connect to network
Open PPT file from network folder
Disconnect from network
Save PPT file

At this point, PPT file hangs if you try to "save" (which tries to save to
the original network folder) or "save as" to the network folder. PPT file
saves if you "save as" to your harddrive.

-- then the problem is that the network folder you're trying to save to
isn't available because you're disconnected from the network. So you have to
save to your harddrive and then move the file to the network the next time
you're connected. That's pretty much the way networks work.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

"JuanR" wrote in message
...
I've been experiencing the following problem: When I try to save a
presentation to an offline folder, PowerPoint starts to save the file and
then it hangs forever. The file it creates is usually ~5kb in size. I
can
not terminate the process and usually what I have to do is to turn off the
computer. This only occurs saving to an offline folder when the laptop is
disconnected from the network. I can successfully save a presentation
loaded
from an offline folder to a local one (to 'My Documents' for example), but
the moment I try to save to the same offline folder the file came from, it
hangs. This problem does not occur whenever I'm working online. I have
tried both PowerPoint2000 and 2002 with the same results. Has anybody
else
experienced this?

Ahhh, got it! Thank you for that explanation, Juan. I've not had occasion to
use Windows offline folders, so I couldn't quite figure out what you were up
to!

That said, I can't answer the question as to why PPT hangs when trying to
save the file to the offline folder when you're disconnected. I agree that
having to save to your "regular" harddrive then move the file pretty much
defeats the entire purpose of working with offline folders in general.

Hopefully someone else will be able to chime in with thoughts or solutions,
though, now that we better understand what you're doing.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

"JuanR" wrote in message
...
Echo S,
Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry I did not make myself clear in my
previous
post so I'll try to explain the problem a little better:

Windows has an offline facility that allows you to access files/folders
that
are are physically located on a remote server even if you are not
connected
to the network. In order to make a file/folder available offline, you
would
right-click on the file/folder and choose "Make available offline".
Behind
the scenes, Windows copies the file to a hidden folder in your computer.
The
great thing about offline files is that if you change the file while
working
offline, the next time you go online (i.e. connect to the network), it
will
synchronize that file with the remote version. This is great for people
who
use a laptop at the office (docked) and then take it home every day. When
you are working offline, you can access all resources which you have made
available offline just as if you were working on the network. So, for
example, if you were accessing a folder in a remote server:
\\myServer\myShare\myFolder and you made 'myFolder' available offline, at
home you could type \\myServer\myShare\myFolder in the explorer address
bar
and it would take you there, just as if you were on the network. Really,
the
file is coming from that hidden folder that I was telling you earlier.
Anyway, very long explanation but hopefully clarifies my problem which I
now
re-describe:
Say you had a file 'myPresentation.ppt' sitting in
\\myServer\myShare\myFolder and, as above, this folder was made available
offline. When the laptop is not connected to the network (working
offline),
I can open 'myPresentation.ppt'. If I try to save the file, though,
PowerPoint hangs forever (it just starts to save the file but it never
finishes...). This problem does not occur in other Office apps such as
Word
or Excel. So the workaround is (like you pointed out) to save the file to
a
local folder and then, when you are online, copy that file to
'\\myServer\myShare\myFolder' but then you are doing *manual
synchronization*
which is really annoying if you work with a bunch of files and you have to
remember where all those files came from.

Sorry for the long explanation but I hope it made my problem easier to
understand.

JuanR


"Echo S" wrote:

I was hoping someone else would have tackled this so I wouldn't have to
show
my stupidity, but since they haven't, here goes...

I don't quite understand what you mean here by "offline folder." Are you
trying to save the file to a folder on a network when you're not
connected
to the network?

You said that your file hangs when you try to save to an offline folder
when
you're disconnected from the network.

But you also said you can load a presentation from an offline folder
(does
that mean you're connected to the network and you open a presentation
from
the network, or are you somehow opening a file from a network folder
when
you're not connected to the network?) but that you can only save it to
your
local harddrive (is that when you're disconnected from the network?) --
that
the file hangs if you try to save it to the offline folder where it came
from (are you disconnected then?).

I guess what we need here is step-by-step info on what you're opening,
when
you're connected/disconnected, and when you're saving
(connected/disconnected).

If I'm not totally off in my assumption that you're doing this --
Connect to network
Open PPT file from network folder
Disconnect from network
Save PPT file

At this point, PPT file hangs if you try to "save" (which tries to save
to
the original network folder) or "save as" to the network folder. PPT
file
saves if you "save as" to your harddrive.

-- then the problem is that the network folder you're trying to save to
isn't available because you're disconnected from the network. So you
have to
save to your harddrive and then move the file to the network the next
time
you're connected. That's pretty much the way networks work.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

"JuanR" wrote in message
...
I've been experiencing the following problem: When I try to save a
presentation to an offline folder, PowerPoint starts to save the file
and
then it hangs forever. The file it creates is usually ~5kb in size.
I
can
not terminate the process and usually what I have to do is to turn off
the
computer. This only occurs saving to an offline folder when the
laptop is
disconnected from the network. I can successfully save a presentation
loaded
from an offline folder to a local one (to 'My Documents' for example),
but
the moment I try to save to the same offline folder the file came
from, it
hangs. This problem does not occur whenever I'm working online. I
have
tried both PowerPoint2000 and 2002 with the same results. Has anybody
else
experienced this?

Hi Juan,

I don't have any idea why offline folders would confuse PPT either, and like
Echo, I don't use them.

As a possible workaround until you find a fix, you might want to try one of the
various directory synchronization utilities out there to keep your PPT files in
a local folder synched with those on a network folder. Not ideal but it'd save
the trouble of copying manually to and from the offline folder.

I've been pleased with an app called Directory Toolkit from Funduc Software.
I use it mostly in the GUI mode but if I remember right, you can do almost
everything from command lines as well, so it could be run from a few batch
files automatically.

-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

Have you made sure you have all the "service packs" installed for both windows and office ?

TAJ

Hi,

Please do try Taj's suggestion. I frequently used offline folders (Win2K &
O2K) without any problems with any files (including PPT). One other
question, is it this specific PPT file or all PPT files? What happens if you
create a new PPT file?

Glenna

"TAJ Simmons" wrote:

Have you made sure you have all the "service packs" installed for both windows and office ?

TAJ