Strange Power Point (pptxs) problem...

[DR M]

A friend of mine, called me to ask my help about a strange problem she has with the Power Point. It's really a very strange problem, and I will try to explain it as more as I can.

1. The problem is occured only when she uses a specific school's computer. Windows 10, Office 365, teacher's account.
2. The problem: She prepares a Power Point presentation at home, or on another school computer, which works fine when she uses the slides show mode. When she tries to show the same presentation using that specific computer (slide show), the pictures (or anything else) do not appear as they should be. Instead, there is only a part of a picture, diagonically cut. And there is more. This diagonical conceivable "line" is used as a symmetry axe, and the same part of the visible picture is reflected on this axe.
3. She uninstalled Office and installed it again, but the problem remains.

I'm not sure if I described well the problem, but it seems really a problem.

Anyone had such a problem before? Any ideas?

[Corrine]

Is her home computer and the other school computers also Windows 10?  What different versions of Microsoft Office besides that specific computer with Office 365?

[DR M]

Is her home computer and the other school computers also Windows 10?  What different versions of Microsoft Office besides that specific computer with Office 365?

Yes, all computers are running Windows 10.

I recall that other school's computers have Office 2016. BUT:

Even when she prepares from scratch a new presentation on that computer, the slide show is in the same mess again. It took some time to realize what happens to the slide (reflection on a diagonical axe of a picture's part).

[Digerati]

I've been an avid user of MS Office long MS bundled those products into one packages and called it MS Office. That said, one of my goals in life - what's left of it anyway - is to avoid paying a recurring annual fee for it. So I don't and hopefully never will use Office 365.

With Office 2016 products, you can easily do a "Repair" through Control Panel > Programs and Features, then highlight the entry for Office, and click on "Change". From there, you get prompted to run a "Repair". With Office 2016, I have the option to run a local repair, or on-line. Either way, the process with check all the Office products and if any problems detected, attempt to repair them - without destroying any user files.

Hopefully with Office 365, there is a similar option.

That said, school districts typically have IT support people on staff. Since that computer is a school asset, IMO, they are the ones who should be fixing this, ESPECIALLY now since your friend can demonstrate "at will" there is a problem with Office 365 on that computer.

[DR M]

Digerati,

I agree with you about using programs with an annual fee, and of course I don't mean antivirus products.

The particular case has to do with the agreement between Microsoft and public schools, so that every teacher and every student have a free account to Office 365. So no subscription here, but the product of course is the same. I think there is an option for repairing it, but as I said she uninstalled and reinstalled it.

As for the IT support people in staff... In primary schools, there is indeed one teacher, with no any qualification on IT, who takes a teaching period a week "off" to take care of any computer problem occurs. I had this responsibility two years ago, and every time I had no lesson, someone wanted me to check why the computer did not open, or had no internet. I was going to find out that the cable was not connected or the power switch was off... So, you can understand what is happening...

The teacher she asked for my help, described the problem to the principle, and if the problem persists, they will try to find another computer, throwing that one away.  ???

[Digerati]

and of course I don't mean antivirus products.

Well, I do for those too - but they are nearly impossible to avoid. Fortunately - I have "lifetime" licenses for the one I use.

... So, you can understand what is happening...

I have done such support in the past - but of course, it depends on the size of the school district and the budgets of the IT departments. And yes, I am aware of the agreements between Microsoft and schools. But this is not just Microsoft being nice. This is like drug dealers giving out free samples - they want you to get hooked on their product so you will buy it in the future. MS used to provide some limited tech support there too.

Check out https://support.office.com/en-us/education and note at the bottom there is a Get support option.

[DR M]

Check out https://support.office.com/en-us/education and note at the bottom there is a Get support option.

I tried to get support, but then I thought that they could ask me to do things on the computer on which I have no access. I will tell my friend about this option, if she wants to try it, although I don't think she will do so. The strange is that I tried many key words in Google to find something similar, but found nothing at all. Also, I wonder why re-installation didn't fix the issue.

[Digerati]

Another good reason to have an IT person physically (and officially) go look at that machine.

[DR M]

Another good reason to have an IT person physically (and officially) go look at that machine.

Unfortunately not such a thing in Primary Schools here. My friend will be lucky if they replace her class' computer soon.

[plodr]

school districts typically have IT support people on staff

Maybe in your state but not in all school districts in our state.

My husband and I drive by the high school where we taught. There is a digital sign on the gym. That sign has been broken for years. It shows the current date but it shows Daylight Savings Time year round because no one knows how to fix the sign.

When computers were dumped in our classroom, we perhaps got a few hours of training. That was it. Teachers were expected to figure out problems on their own. Thank goodness that was before widespread internet usage.

[Digerati]

Maybe in your state but not in all school districts in our state.

Well, of course it depends on the school district and tax base in that district/county. Most school districts are cash strapped.

My point is, that is still a school asset. Unless this friend is authorized to dink with this computer, I would advise caution before potentially being held responsible for damaging it further.

Also, I was not suggesting there will be a dedicated, and properly trained IT support person in each school. There may not even be an IT support person who is an actual employee of the school district. But there likely is a someone private contractor (local PC shop) who does provide support. 

You cannot compare what was years ago - even a couple years ago - to today. And for sure, a sign on the gym could hardly be considered a priority, or an essential asset for educational purposes. If like the sign we put up outside my old high school (we were the first graduating class), it was initially purchased in the first place with money raised through fund raisers, bake sales, and donations - not with tax payer money or with any obligation for tax payers to maintain it.

[DR M]

I will ask for a picture just to show you what is happening.

[Digerati]

I understand what is happening. Sorry, so a screen shot will not do me any good towards helping you. As I noted before, I don't use Office 365 so the only thing I could offer is the repair option I mentioned earlier - and we don't know if it was tried. And if others had any suggestions, I am sure they would have chimed in by now. Sorry.

[winchester73]

My guess is a video driver problem, either an old one or a setting within PowerPoint ...

First, I'd try looking to see if there is a newer video driver available from the computer manufacturer.

Then go into PowerPoint, File>Options>Advanced ... go to the Display section, and tick the box for Disable Slide Show hardware graphics acceleration and OK your way out.

That may solve the diagonal "mirror" image problem.

[Digerati]

Certainly worth trying but I would think if a video driver issue, it would affect other applications besides just PowerPoint.