How can I get the hundreds of PPTs already uploaded on our Moodle sites to open? We are using Moodle 1.8. This will cause a huge problem with professors.
You can zip them and upload the zip file. After uploading you can unpack them in the file folder. Be carefull with the upload limit for files.
An other option - but only for admins - is FTP upload in the course folder.
Just an other solution will be our Moodalis system as repository system. You can use the university network and link from there into courses. You can find a presentation here: http://dialoge.net/dok/Moodalis.htm. Please contact me directly for further questions.
Ralf Hilgenstock
German Moodle Partner
An other option - but only for admins - is FTP upload in the course folder.
Just an other solution will be our Moodalis system as repository system. You can use the university network and link from there into courses. You can find a presentation here: http://dialoge.net/dok/Moodalis.htm. Please contact me directly for further questions.
Ralf Hilgenstock
German Moodle Partner
What are you having trouble with? Are the powerpoints not opening due to a change in Moodle, a change in Powerpoint, or a change in Internet Explorer?
I haven't seen any change in 1.8 that would cause Powerpoint files to not open, but changes in Windows Vista and 'upgrades' to Internet Explorer might cause new issues (for instance Explorer 7 has alarming new messages about downloading files, these can be turned off for particular sites, this needs to be done on the user's computer, though).
If the above are the sort of problems you might be having, the Resources forum might be a good place to look for solutions.
I haven't seen any change in 1.8 that would cause Powerpoint files to not open, but changes in Windows Vista and 'upgrades' to Internet Explorer might cause new issues (for instance Explorer 7 has alarming new messages about downloading files, these can be turned off for particular sites, this needs to be done on the user's computer, though).
If the above are the sort of problems you might be having, the Resources forum might be a good place to look for solutions.
PPTs will not display in Moodle 1.8
Moodle and MS Office compatibility
We installed MS Office 07
ppts would not display in Moodle 1.6.1 (a blank page appeared)
When we updated to Moodle 1.8, ppts will not display (a blank page appeared)
It will allow me to save the ppt to my desktop and open it.
It will not allow me to upload
ppsx (ppt) and display
docx (Word) and display
A ppt will display on the login page (ppt for instruction)
It will not display on a course site
http://courses.dordt.edu/course/view.php?id=26
I am using IE.
I logged into the library laptop (it does not have the MS Office 07)
It does have Moodle 1.8
ppts opened up and displayed
The laptop allows me to:
Upload pps x and docx
Thanks for any help that you can give me.
Moodle passes files off to the web browser for loading/rendering, and in the case of MS Office files, the web browser looks for Office (on the user's machine itself) or a plug-in to load the files.
Web Office 2007, Microsoft created new file formats (docx, etc.) that can't be opened by older version of Office unless all your end users install a compatibility plug-in. If your files are in docx and/or pptx, then your users will either need to upgrade Office, or install the compatibility plug-in.
Also, check the settings on the machines that are not opening the files, it may be that the update to Office 2007 also updated the web browser and perhaps other operating system settings. This page has some more information about setting how to set the open file controls for Office files:
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/sharing/OpenDocInIE.html
If the computers were also updated to Internet Explorer 7 (in most cases they this would be done when installing Office 2007) they may have had their security settings reset to defaults, these settings may need to be reset to allow opening of files from the web, uploading files, etc. Moodle itself doesn't block uploading of docx, pptx files (though your server admins may need to reset the mime settings if they are only allowing uploads of certain file types).
Web Office 2007, Microsoft created new file formats (docx, etc.) that can't be opened by older version of Office unless all your end users install a compatibility plug-in. If your files are in docx and/or pptx, then your users will either need to upgrade Office, or install the compatibility plug-in.
Also, check the settings on the machines that are not opening the files, it may be that the update to Office 2007 also updated the web browser and perhaps other operating system settings. This page has some more information about setting how to set the open file controls for Office files:
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/sharing/OpenDocInIE.html
If the computers were also updated to Internet Explorer 7 (in most cases they this would be done when installing Office 2007) they may have had their security settings reset to defaults, these settings may need to be reset to allow opening of files from the web, uploading files, etc. Moodle itself doesn't block uploading of docx, pptx files (though your server admins may need to reset the mime settings if they are only allowing uploads of certain file types).
if your files are in a different moodle version, then surely you can backup and save the backup file and uploaded to the new Moodle and restore it.
Otherwise there should not be a problem loading Powerpoint files... as Michael Penney said it could be a fault within the computer. Try other computers or install a java plugins..
We had a problem with a student being unable to open a power point presentation made with Office 2000 on her Vista/Office 2007. Choosing open on the download page resulted in one blank slide.
But fortunately saving to the desktop and opening the file worked.
Thanks for point out the compatibility plugin.
Tim
Hi folks
Adding the following:
'pptx' => array ('type'=>'application/vnd.ms-powerpoint', 'icon'=>'powerpoint.gif'),
to the function get_mimetypes_array()in /lib/filelib.php may help with PowerPoint 2007 issues. See this thread and the bug tracker entry : http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9940 for more details.
Adding the following:
'pptx' => array ('type'=>'application/vnd.ms-powerpoint', 'icon'=>'powerpoint.gif'),
to the function get_mimetypes_array()in /lib/filelib.php may help with PowerPoint 2007 issues. See this thread and the bug tracker entry : http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-9940 for more details.