Problem with Powerpoint in Zionworx

[mmatt]

Hi,

We have experienced a problem when using Powerpoint from within Zionworx 2.6.49. If we show a PP presentation and then switch back to song lyrics, the presentation screen remains black. With the previous release (2.6.42), the presentation screen would vanish completely, similiar to the "minimizing" problem described in other posts to this forum. Has anybody else come across this behaviour?

[brainier]

Did you stop the PPT presentation, or just display a song without stopping the presentation?

[mmatt]

Hi,

The presentation was stopped.

[Jonathan Hills]

Was the black or white screen button used in error from the powerpoint tab?

[ChrisClark]

If the previous suggestions don't help you resolve this could you also clarify the following:

1) Operating System, version of Office and whether running dual screen or single screen

2) Is the issue repeatable, and if so can you describe the steps to consistently reproduce it.

[mmatt]

Hi,

As far as I can recall, only the buttons on the PowerPoint tab were used while it was active.

The OS is Windows XP, I think with SP2 and OfficeXP(I'll have to check these versions) . We are operating in dual screen mode.

The problem was fairly easy to reproduce.

• Display some song lyrics
• Fade to black
• Switch to Powerpoint tab
• Load & start a presentation
• Run through to the end of the presentation and then stop it
• Switch back to the Songs tab
• Try to display some song lyrics => screen remains black

I'll post the versions as soon I've confirmed them.

Thanks for the help so far.

[ChrisClark]

Can you try those steps again - without fading the song lyrics to black before showing the PPT. The powerpoint shows on top of the song lyrics (but both are black when nothing is being shown) and so this will confirm whether the powerpoint window is actually being hidden as it should.

Can you also advise whether the preview screen is updating with anything when the song lyrics are tried to be displayed.

[brainier]

Also the last step that you wrote was not fade the song in again - just to confirm, F12 was used (or the toolbar button) to bring the lyrics back again wasn't it?

[mmatt]

As far as I can remember, the preview screen was black immediately after switching back to the songs tab, but showed the lyrics after they were faded in and out again. I'll try the suggested test and let you know what happens.

[Jonathan Hills]

This problem appears peculiar to you. Are there any windows/office updates that you need to do?

[mmatt]

I am somewhat embarassed to have to say that when I tried the suggested test this morning, I was completely unable to reproduce the problem ! I can only think that we did something differnt last week that has escaped my memory. I'll keep an eye on our system and let you know if we encounter a problem again. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[LexLuthor]

I have encountered the same problem as described in the first post but came up with a solution.

There seems to be a bug that whenever you fade to black (F10) before starting a pp presentation the screen will get stuck in this mode afterwards. At least on my computer (vista, office 2007) I can reproduce the error.

The solution is therefore to simply make sure that background and text (F12) is activated before starting a pp.

[SteveK]

I think I may be able to pin down exactly what is happening here.

When you run a powerpoint presentation, if you advance slides using space bar (or the buttons on the PPT tab) after you get to the last slide, PPT displays a black slide with the words 'end of slide show, click to exit' at the top. If you press space to advance one mor after this (or click next slide button) it seems to advnce to a further black slide, but indicates to ZW that the presentation has finished (thus only shows the start presentation button in the PPT Tab). The problem is that the PPT presentation window is still in the foreground (black) so the song lyrics are displayed, but hidden behind the black PPT display window!

To avoid getting into this state, click stop on the PPT tab whilst still displaying the black screen with the text at the top (or load up some song lyrics, as this forces the presentation to stop)
To get out of this state should you inadvertantly get there, you have to click start button on the PPT tab, to start the show again and then click stop on the PPT tab to stop it properly. This gets it out of its 'stuck state'.

To try to prevent this causing a problem for inexperienced users, tell them to click the 'loop continuously' check box before running the presentation, and you won't ever have this problem. Trouble is you need to do this for every presentation, and it is easily forgotten!

For the developers, I gues it just needs to grey out the 'next slide button' (and disable space/enter) when the first black powerpoint slide is reached and all will be fixed ?!! If you need anything else, to help identify the problem, just let me know.

[brainier]

I cannot reproduce either of the previous two posts. I am using Vista and Office 2007, ZW 2.6.49.

It does not matter what the state of the song is before I start PowerPoint, and it does not matter if I go past the screen saying end of show. When I finish PowerPoint I need to stop the presentation - but I always need to do this.

Yes, the PowerPoint presentation window is above the hymns window - so if PPT is running (even if the slides are finished,but the operator has not stopped the presentation) then I need to click Stop. I did not find that it went automatically to show the play button without me clicking Stop.

[Wayne]

I have experienced a different issue in that - having started ZW 2.6.49 - if i then go into Powerpoint on the laptop to either create or edit a .ppt the screen continually flickers.

I guess this may be down to a conflict in screen resolution ? ? but any help appreciated