PowerPoint connects to the internet unexpectedly

Problem

While viewing a PPT or PPS file, PowerPoint connects (or attempts to connect) to a web site when you click a link that should take you to another slide within the same presentation.

Solution

Choose File, Properties and delete any text in the "Hyperlink base:" text box. Click OK then save the presentation.

Problem

PowerPoint attempts to connect to the internet or tries to connect to unexpected sites when you open a presentation.
This may happen on some computers but not others, even with the same presentation.

Solution

When you copy/paste an image from the web, the result may be an HTML object rather than a normal image if the image is contained within a link description.

Here's a regular image:

and here's the HTML code that created it:

<img src="http://www.rdpslides.com/mvplogo.gif">

But here's an image that's actually a link to www.echosvoice.com

and the HTML that created it:

<a href="http://www.echosvoice.com/" target="_YouLooked">
<img src="http://www.rdpslides.com/mvplogo.gif" border="0"></a>

You can copy and paste the first image and get a normal result in PowerPoint.

If you copy and paste the second image, it will trigger an attempt to contact the internet, though only in some circumstances. We don't know what the specifics are yet.