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To open a Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 presentation in an earlier version of PowerPoint, you can use the earlier binary (binary: A file that contains encoded information that is interpreted according to the application that created it. In general, a binary file can be edited only by the application in which it was created.) file format (.ppt) or the new Extensible Markup Language (XML) (Extensible Markup Language (XML): A condensed form of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) that enables developers to create customized tags that offer flexibility in organizing and presenting information.)-based file format (.pptx). For more information about the differences between the two file formats, see File formats that are supported in PowerPoint 2007.

• Save your Office PowerPoint 2007 presentation in PowerPoint 97-2003 format

• Download and install updates and converters for earlier versions of PowerPoint

Save your Office PowerPoint 2007 presentation in PowerPoint 97-2003 format

To ensure that you can open your Office PowerPoint 2007 presentation (.pptx) in an earlier version of PowerPoint, you can save a copy of it that is compatible with PowerPoint 97-2003.

 Important   To prevent SmartArt graphics and objects (object: A table, chart, graphic, equation, or other form of information. Objects created in one application, for example spreadsheets, and linked or embedded in another application are OLE objects.) in your presentation from being converted to bitmap (bitmap: A picture made from a series of small dots, much like a piece of graph paper with certain squares filled in to form shapes and lines. When stored as files, bitmaps usually have the extension .bmp.) pictures, save a copy of your Office PowerPoint 2007 presentation, and then save the copy as a PowerPoint 97-2003 file. PowerPoint 97-2003 does not recognize the new SmartArt graphics and visual objects that are available in Office PowerPoint 2007, and will convert them to bitmaps to maintain their appearance. You cannot change certain aspects of bitmaps, such as line width, fill color, and other Office PowerPoint 2007 specific properties.

1. In Office PowerPoint 2007, open the presentation that you want to save as a PowerPoint 97-2003 file.
2. Click the Microsoft Office Button button, point to the arrow next to Save As, and then click PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation.

   The Save As dialog box appears.

3. In the File name box, enter a name for your presentation, or do nothing to accept the suggested file name.
4. In the Save in list, select the location that you want to save your presentation to, or do nothing to accept the suggested location.
5. Click Save.

   The file is saved as a PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation (.ppt) file that you can open in PowerPoint 97 through 2003.

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Download and install updates and converters for earlier versions of PowerPoint

To open, edit, and save your Office PowerPoint 2007 presentation in an earlier version of PowerPoint without first saving it in the earlier version's file format, you can download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.

 Important   The 2007 Microsoft Office system supports converters for Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 programs, and the converters support Microsoft Windows 2000 and later.

• On the computer that has a version of PowerPoint earlier than Office PowerPoint 2007 installed, do one of the following:
  • Download and install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats from the Microsoft Office Downloads and Updates Web site.

    After you install the updates and converters, all Office PowerPoint 2007 presentations that you open are automatically converted so that you can edit and save them. Features and formatting that are specific to Office PowerPoint 2007 may not appear in an earlier version of PowerPoint, but are available if you save and then re-open the presentation in Office PowerPoint 2007. For more information about features and formatting that may not appear, see Features that change or are lost when you open a PowerPoint 2007 presentation in an earlier version of PowerPoint.

  • Open your Office PowerPoint 2007 presentation. If you have not yet downloaded and installed the Compatibility Pack, you will be presented with instructions about how to do so.

     Important   PowerPoint 97-2003 does not recognize the new SmartArt graphics and visual objects (object: A table, chart, graphic, equation, or other form of information. Objects created in one application, for example spreadsheets, and linked or embedded in another application are OLE objects.) that are available in Office PowerPoint 2007, and will convert them to bitmaps (bitmap: A picture made from a series of small dots, much like a piece of graph paper with certain squares filled in to form shapes and lines. When stored as files, bitmaps usually have the extension .bmp.) to maintain their appearance. You cannot change certain aspects of bitmaps, such as line width, fill color, and other Office PowerPoint 2007 specific properties.

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