Unable to import PowerPoint 2019 to Captivate 2019

[peter.gregory@solpad.com]

I've had no luck in importing even a single file or slide from PowerPoint 2019 to Captivate 2019. I've been unable to find any advice that works. Does this feature actually exist?

When I've tried today to import, I get one of these three outcomes every time:

1: Unable to import Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. The file may be damaged.

2: Unable to open Microsoft Powerpoint...for editing. Check file permissions

3: Cannot import the selected file Refer to the documentation to ensure you have installed the correct version of Microsoft office. 

Even the most basic file like a blank presentation with the work 'Hi' as the only content doesn't work.

[RodWard]

Have you tried saving the file as a PPT and then importing that into Captivate?

[peter.gregory@solpad.com]

That allows me to import but no matter which preset size I select it chops off half the slide, so I can't say it works.

Someone at Adobe support checked out my situation and determined the problem with importing pptx files would be solved if I installed office locally. Unfortunately my PC won't let me do that so I'm unable to verify

[RodWard]

I cannot say that I have ever really seen Captivate import PPTX files.  Having seen the good folks at Adobe Support say some weird things over the years, I'd be somewhat doubtful that even if you did reinstall MS Office that everything would work the way you want.

But out of curiosity, if you do not have Office installed locally on your PC, am I correct in assuming that you are using some kind of dumb terminal installation in a corporate environment?  Could you give more details about the exact nature of your installation?

[peter.gregory@solpad.com]

I'm not sure how I was getting my office suite remotely but I've since fixed that part of the issue and was able to install Office locally. 

Unfortuntely this has made no difference. When I attempt to import, I still get the 'file may be damaged' error every time.

I think I'm going to cut bait and give up on Captivate. I've spent a few days just trying to get into the blocks with no success whatsoever. I have too many deliverables to sacrifice any more time with this deeply flawed tool. From what I have found, Adobe really needs to drop any claim that Captivate can turn pptx files into e-learning. Thanks for your help Rod. I'm moving on...

[RodWard]

As I said above, the good people at Adobe Support often say things that don't turn out to be true.

However, branding an app that is successfully used by thousands of people around the world as "deeply flawed' is also making an inaccurate statement.

If you want to ditch Captivate and miss out on everything that it can do, that's your choice.  However, if you had just paused for a moment and used PowerPoint to convert your PPTX into an older version PPT file, then you might have found that it would now successfully import fine into Captivate.

Your call.

[simpledot]

I have the same issue. I've created and released about 100 hours of training using PPT and Captivate over the last several years. In every case, I start with PPT and import it into Captivate. I know alot of people have issues with this. I don't. I have my workarounds but it always works flawlessly ... until now.

I get the "damaged file" message from Captivate when I import the PPTX file. This includes opening ANY of the past projects I have released and attempting to reimport the PPTX files that are currently working in the Captivate file. 

If I save the PPTX as PPT (office 2003) then, Yes i can import it. But the file is lacking many features that are in PPTX, and for reasons unknown to me the PPT animation no longer play. 

I think Captivate doesn't work with a release of Office since Feb 2020. But I also reverted my Office build to December 2019 and I have the same result. Again, none of this troubleshooting really matters. As I've said, I can't open any Captivate File that I have created in Captivate 2019 and succesfully import any .pptx file, even those that are currently imported and working in the Captivate file.

[simpledot]

Update ... I uninstalled and reinstalled Office 365. It works again. 

There's misinformation on many forums that Captivate doesn't support .pptx files. this is not true. it does.

[Tom_H_ODonnell]

Do you think that the MS Office 365 uninstall and reinstall put in some new patches that fixed the Powerpoint File damaged error?  I only have one version of MS 0365 at work and am not confident that solution will work for me

[daniecardona]

I have a MAC and I am unable to import PPTX or PPT into Captivate ... sort of. Any PPT or PPTX file I choose, only imports the first 3 slides. No matter which PPT or PPTX file I choose, it only imports the first 3 slides - kind of if the other slides were nonexistent. Does anyone know why? Or does anyone know how to fix this?!