PowerPoint convert from MAC

[rosepetal]

Is it possible to open a .PPT file in Windows that was created on a MAC? I have found references to something called BinHex 4.0, which can be used to convert the file on a Macintosh but nothing for opening the file in the Windows version.

 

[tsurikov]

Hi rosepetal,

You shouldn't need to do any converting at all - in other words, you should be able to open the Mac PowerPoint file directly in the Windows version. Just go to File/Open... in PowerPoint, find your file, and off you go. You might change the name of the Mac file, though - in particular, add a .PPT extension. (Macs identify file types by an internal creator signature; PCs do this with the extension.) That way, you'll be able to double-click it from Windows Explorer and PowerPoint will start.

BinHex is a Mac tool to encode binary files into ASCII, kind of like uuencode for Unix. It was useful for sending files by e-mail (since you can't send a binary file directly). Now, however, almost all e-mail programs use MIME encoding. If your Mac PowerPoint file was encoded using BinHex (it would have a .hqx extension), you will need to decode it first. It's been a long time since I used a Mac (ever since they did away with the floppy drive how dare they..!), but the tool I always used to decode BinHex files was called Stuffit Expander, and at the time it was freeware.

Hope this helps!
--Michael

 

[GrayShades]

tsurikov (TechnicalUser) Jun 3, 2004
Hi rosepetal,

You shouldn't need to do any converting at all - in other words, you should be able to open the Mac PowerPoint file directly in the Windows version. Just go to File/Open... in PowerPoint, find your file, and off you go. You might change the name of the Mac file, though - in particular, add a .PPT extension. (Macs identify file types by an internal creator signature; PCs do this with the extension.) That way, you'll be able to double-click it from Windows Explorer and PowerPoint will start.

Also, you can set up Office to automatically include the file extension (*.doc, *.ppt, *.xls) when you save the file. That way you don't have to "think" about it when you are preparing to send to a Windows user.

BinHex is a Mac tool to encode binary files into ASCII, kind of like uuencode for Unix. It was useful for sending files by e-mail (since you can't send a binary file directly). Now, however, almost all e-mail programs use MIME encoding. If your Mac PowerPoint file was encoded using BinHex (it would have a .hqx extension), you will need to decode it first. It's been a long time since I used a Mac (ever since they did away with the floppy drive how dare they..!), but the tool I always used to decode BinHex files was called Stuffit Expander, and at the time it was freeware.

Be sure that your email does this correctly for attachments.

StuffIt also now gives you the option to provide Zip files for cross-platform work.

Software: XL2002 on Win2K
Humanware: Older than dirt

 

[rosepetal]

Thanks, tsurikov. I also found some references to different file conversion schemes used by different e-mail services. The file in question was e-mailed via Eudora, so I asked the client to just send it to me on a CD.