Older versions of PowerPoint Viewer (e.g. 97) do install the OPEN
command.

What happened is that the PowerPoint people decided to do away with the
OPEN action in the Viewer and reserve OPEN for the full PowerPoint to
edit PPS files. This would allow both to be installed and the user to
select either. Similar trends occurred in other products such as
Acrobat and multimedia viewers where OPEN is reserved for editing
programs and actions such as SHOW, PLAY or DISPLAY reserved for viewers.

In the meantime, security changes in XP SP 2 changed OE to use only the
OPEN action rather than the default action. A case of the left hand not
knowing what the right hand is doing.

But the bottom line is something on your PC not allowing the file
associations to be changed or stick for PPS files. Numerous other
people have had the PPS viewer issue and used the either the PPSFIX
program or manually updated the file associations successfully.

You may need to do so internal tracking to identity what is updating the
registry or if it even gets updated, such as using process monitor
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys...ssmonitor.mspx

--

Mike - http://pages.prodigy.net/michael_santovec/techhelp.htm


"Frank" wrote in message
...
I cannot open a .pps file extension to an email in OE6. I followed the
instructions on the MS web page. I completely uninstalled the viewer,
loaded down a new copy of pps viewer 2003, and installed it. When I
run
PPSFIX I get "Invalid root in reg key
HKCR\powerpointviewer.slideshow.11\shell\open\comm and". When I try
to
manually add an OPEN command to the reg, it seems to go ok but then it
reverts back to only a PRINT and SHOW command. When I try to change
the
SHOW to an OPEN, it just changes back. I DO have administrative
authority
and I have tried to change it in Safe Mode but it allways changes
back.
PPS files on my hard drive open just fine, but not in OE. Why did the
Powerpoint install NOT add an OPEN command?? Why can't MS fix this???
Any ideas what
I can do to make it work?? Frank