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RED X instead of graphics

Problem

You open a PowerPoint presentation and find that some or all of your graphics have been replaced with a large red X icon or a blank rectangle with a small red x icon in the upper left corner.

Solution

The red X is PowerPoint's way of telling you "I can't display this graphic". Unfortunately, it doesn't tell you why.

Microsoft has been able to identify and fix some causes of Red-X graphics, but the problem still occurs. You may be able to help solve it once and for all. Microsoft needs:

  1. Presentations that display Red-X instead of graphics
  2. The original graphics files (separate from the PPT file) that show up as Red-Xs in PPT
  3. A detailed list of the steps needed to reproduce the problem, starting with a presentation in which the graphics appear correctly and ending with one in which they appear as Red Xs

For the information and files to be useful, you must be able to reproduce the problem on demand. If you can do this, please let us hear from you on the PowerPoint newsgroup.

How do I join the PowerPoint newsgroup?

If you're got a case of Red-X-itis, here are some things to check:

There's also Rich Weil's explanation, which seems as likely as any of the others:


I'm pretty sure the problem is Martians that have invaded my laptop, and they are apparently copulating, or whatever it is Martians do, and the red X is their version of our NC-17 movie rating. Essentially they don't want me looking, but clicking on the X and opening and closing the data sheet multiple times makes their ride bumpy and they stop. I am satisfied with this explanation for the moment, but if anyone has any brainier ideas about what's going on, I'd appreciate hearing about it.

The Red-X problem is one of the most intractible ones we've seen in PowerPoint - there's no reliable solution for it, because so far there's been no reliable way to deliberately provoke the problem. Until you can provoke it, you can't figure out what's caused it, and until you know the cause, you can't fix it.

If you know of any reproducible way to provoke Red-X, PLEASE visit the newsgroup and let your fellow PowerPointers in on the secret.
The MVPs will make sure the info gets passed along to the right people at Microsoft. There are thousands of people out there just waiting to be eternally grateful to you. This is worth LOTs of karmic bonus miles, folks.

But in the meanwhile, practice safe computing and keep the Martians annoyed.

And have a giggle here. Hover your mouse over the RedExed graphic.

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RED X instead of graphics
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00064.htm
Last update 09 September, 2006
Created: