Powerpoint 2010 converted all slides with equations to pictures - how to convert back?

1

Due to a compatibility issue of some sort when saving the file to .ppt, PowerPoint 2010 converted all slides containing an equation to a picture of the text frame containing the equation. This text field can no longer be edited.

The strange thing is that I could edit the fields and save the file while working in one session of Powerpoint. But after I had closed the application and re-opened the same file, all option for editing were gone.

Is there a way to convert the pictures back to editable text fields and equations? I am okay with working in .pptx format; it was simply a mistake saving them to ppt.

It is a very strange picture / field. I cannot seem to select and move it. This is how it looks: enter image description here

tomka

Posted 2019-10-23T18:28:14.693

Reputation: 397

Answers

2

Probably not: if they are now images, the equations have been lost. You can verify this by opening the .ppt file in a text editor -- If you can see the math as text, then you can salvage that data, otherwise, it's just a "screenshot" of the data.

There's no reason to assume a .pptx file would do better, since the primary difference is that the newer format uses compression. You'd need to experiment to find out if .pptx slides with equations are editable.

Perhaps the issue is that Microsoft Office's Equation Editor has been removed due to security issues. There is a commercial tool, MathType, that could edit data saved from the old Equation Editor. Another option is to use free LibreOffice Impress for presentations, which can save in its native format, and as .ppt or .pptx files, because the LibreOffice suite includes its own Math editor. Be sure to save the Math data separately before inserting into Impress, so you can always go back to the equations. The Math editor is shown below. LibreOffice Math editor

DrMoishe Pippik

Posted 2019-10-23T18:28:14.693

Reputation: 13 291

There are lots of reasons to assume a .pptx file would do better. – harrymc – 2019-10-23T18:56:49.060

@harrymc And those would be? – Steve Rindsberg – 2019-10-25T14:19:13.427

There actually is a reason a PPTX would be better: if you're working in a version of PPT whose native format is PPTX, you might use features that aren't supported in earlier versions. When you save the file as a PPT, you're essentially targeting an earlier version and its capabilities; PPT tries to maintain visual integrity even in versions that don't support the feature, so it converts such things to pictures. That may be what you're seeing. But it also tries to preserve the original feature's data so opening in a version that supports PPTX may fix the problem. – Steve Rindsberg – 2019-10-30T16:21:05.237

(adding a bit to the above) While it converts newer features into pictures for the older version to display, PPT can embed information into the PPT that allows it to restore the feature when you open the file in a version that supports the feature. – Steve Rindsberg – 2019-11-01T15:16:47.320

Asked: 2019-10-23T18:28:14.693

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Active: 2019-10-23T18:54:17.587