DOCUMENT:Q136973 11-JUN-2002 [powerpt] TITLE :PPT7: Sorry, PowerPoint Could Not Start or Locate 'PPT Tools' PRODUCT :Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows PROD/VER:WINDOWS:7.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbsetup kbdtakbbuglist ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe. SYMPTOMS ======== When you try to start the AutoContent Wizard, you may get the following error message: Sorry, PowerPoint could not start or locate 'PPT Tools.' You should run Setup and reinstall. You may also experience other symptoms such as: - The Quick Preview will not run. - There is no Interactive Settings command on the Tools menu. CAUSE ===== These problems may occur as a result of one or both of the following situations: - If your computer has multiple user profiles, only the profile that is in use when you ran Setup will run correctly. If you log in as someone else who has a profile on your computer, you may experience these problems. For example, if you log on to Windows NT version 3.51 as a user, Help may not run. But, if you log on to Windows NT as the administrator, Help does run. In this case, the Pptools.ppa file is not registered for the user account, but it is registered for the administrator account because PowerPoint was installed while you were logged on as administrator. - The Registry information for PowerPoint is incorrect or has become corrupted. In this case, all users of your machine will receive the error. RESOLUTION ========== Method 1: Update to PowerPoint 97 --------------------------------- PowerPoint 97 no longer writes these registry keys to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch. The keys are now written to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE branch, this branch of the registry is available to all users of the computer. Method 2: Use the /y switch to re-register PowerPoint ----------------------------------------------------- 1. Log on to your computer using the user profile that exhibits the problems. 2. Insert PowerPoint Disk 1 in drive A or B, or insert the PowerPoint compact disc in the CD-ROM drive. 3. Click the Windows Start button, and then click Run. 4. In the Open box, type the following, and then click OK: ":setup /y" (without the quotation marks) Setup will run but will not copy any files to your hard disk. It will simply update the registry. Method 3: Re-register PowerPoint -------------------------------- WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). If Method 2 for registering the program does not work, use this method to export keys related to PowerPoint, and then re-register the program. 1. Click the Windows Start button, and then click Run. 2. In the Open box, type the following, and then click OK: "regedit" (without the quotation marks) 3. Select the following registry key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.ppt 4. On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File. 5. In the Save Registry File dialog box, type a file name for the registry key, and then click Save. When you return to the Registry Editor, the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.ppt key is still selected. 6. On the Edit menu, click Delete. When you receive a message box asking you if you want to delete this registry key, click Yes. 7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for the .pot, .pwz, and .pps keys. 8. Start PowerPoint to reregister it. MORE INFORMATION ================ In Windows NT, separate user profiles are defined for each person that logs onto the computer. If Setup was run while you were logged on to a different profile, such as the Administrator profile, the registration information is stored with that profile instead of your profile. Separate registration information is stored for each profile, so if you log on using a different profile than the one you used when you installed the program, some components may not be accessible. Because PowerPoint stores most of its features and settings in the registry, all other users who log on to the computer are prevented from accessing those features. If the registry is corrupt or if the PowerPoint entries are invalid, the registry settings are inaccessible to PowerPoint, regardless of who is logged on. STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows. REFERENCES ========== For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q128957 Optional Components Unavailable When User Profiles Are Enabled Additional query words: ppt7 ppt95 broken missing gone demo startup play lost function choice choose NT ppttools pptools1 ====================================================================== Keywords : kbsetup kbdta kbbuglist Technology : kbPowerPtSearch kbPowerPt95 kbZNotKeyword2 kbPowerPt95Search Version : WINDOWS:7.0 Hardware : x86 Issue type : kbbug Solution Type : kbfix ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2002.