PresLink for Microsoft PowerPoint® -- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Overview: What is PresLink for PowerPoint - Technical Requirments
Installation / Activation: How do I get PresLink for PowerPoint - How do I Activate PresLink for PowerPoint
Getting Started: Best Way to Get Started - Help
General: Sending Presentation to Someone Without PresLink - How PresLink Updates Linked Data - Linking Multiple Excel Files
PresLink Tools: Font Color - Import as Worksheet - Size Changes on Update - Using Old Template -
Generate TOC - Distorted Images - Save as Picture - Saving Presentation - Menu Missing
Error Messages: Updating Errors - Range Cannot be Found - Too Large - Unable to Load DLL - Multiple Instances - Word Closed
Coporate Client Issues: Slide Thumbnails - Use Firm's Standard Fonts and Colors - Section Tabs
Temporarily Disabling PresLink: Temporarily Disable PresLink
Uninstallation: How to Uninstall PresLink
Index of Resources: List of Resources
What is PresLink for PowerPoint?
PresLink for PowerPoint is document workflow and content management software for creating, formatting and updating data-intensive Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. PresLink ensures that all presentations use the most up-to-date content, charts and PowerPoint data. PresLink also cuts the time it takes to format a presentation to your custom look and feel. PresLink is used firm-wide at major investment banks and other professional services firms.
PresLink runs within Microsoft PowerPoint and appears on PowerPoint’s main menu toolbar. Each PresLink tool is available from the ‘PresLinkàTools’ menu.
Click here for more detailed information on PresLink’s features.
What are the Technical Requirements for PresLink for PowerPoint?
Machine
• IBM-compatible PC, 266 MHz or higher with a Pentium II or higher CPU
• 64 MB RAM recommended minimum. More RAM generally improves performance
• 40 MB available hard disk space (includes 14 MB of optional help files and 10 MB of temporary installation files
• Internet connectivity
Software
• PC: Windows NT 4.0 SP 3+ or Windows 98, 2000, or XP; Macintosh: Virtual Windows
• Microsoft Office 97 or higher
• Internet Explorer 5 or higher
Installation / Activation
How do I get PresLink?
Click here to download a copy of PresLink.
Then simply follow the installation prompts and voila! – PresLink’s welcome message should automatically appear the next time you open Microsoft PowerPoint along with a “PresLink” menu on PowerPoint’s main menu bar. (If you don’t see PresLink, contact our support team for assistance.)
If you encounter any problems during installation or simply want more information about the installation process, please visit our DealMaven Product Installation forum.
New users automatically receive a 60-day free trial of PresLink. The product will warn you when your free trial is about to expire.
Once the trial period is up, you’ll receive an expiration message each time you open PowerPoint or attempt to use any of PresLink’s features. To use PresLink after the trial period, you’ll need to activate your copy of the product as detailed below.
How do I activate PresLink?
If you’ve purchased PresLink for PowerPoint, please follow the DealMaven Product Activation instructions to activate the product. If you’re receiving expiration messages and wish to continue using PresLink, click here to purchase it.
If you have difficulty activating your copy of PresLink or want to know more about the activation process, please visit our DealMaven Product Activation forum. If you can’t find the answers you’re looking for there, you can also contact our support team for assistance.
Getting Started
What’s the best way to get started using PresLink?
We realize it may be daunting the first time you try and use PresLink, therefore, we’ve developed two primary resources to aid you:
- ‘PresLink -> Tools’ menu and the ‘PresLink -> Import’ menus in PowerPoint
- Reference guide: This printable PDF contains an overview of the product and instructions on how to get started with the product’s top time-saving tools. We recommend that you print it for easy desktop reference.
Where can I find in-depth help documentation and other technical support for PresLink?
You can access PresLink’s full help documentation at the bottom of the ‘PresLink’ menu in PowerPoint.
Additional assistance is available through this forum or by contacting our support team.
General
I want to send a copy of my presentation to my client. Will they need to have PresLink installed in order to view my files?
No, MS Office files that have been created with the aid of PresLink can be opened by any person using the appropriate MS Office applications. Those that do not have PresLink installed should not have any issues opening, viewing, or modifying PresLinked files.
Does PresLink update linked items in my presentation automatically when the data in the Excel file changes?
PresLink gives you full control over what items are updated and when. You can update individual items by right clicking them and selecting update or update multiple or all items from the PresLink menu by selecting the Linked Items Wizard. You can use “Select All” to select every linked item in the document or presentation or hold down the ‘Ctrl’ key and select only the items you wish and click the ‘Update’ button.
Can I send data from different Excel files to the same document or presentation?
Yes, you can send data in a variety of forms (pictures, charts, embedded worksheets, etc.) from multiple Excel files to your presentation. If you wish to edit the file path for those linked items you can open the Linked Items Wizard from the PresLink menu and click the ‘Source Path’ header to sort the file names in order to select and edit them.
I want to import Excel data to a particular place in my presentation. How can I accomplish this?
You can position your cursor in a particular place in your presentation, or you can select a shape already present in the presentation and import the Excel data you have selected. If you have selected a shape you may want to review the PresLink user settings that may affect the way that PresLink sizes the newly imported data.
PresLink Tools
When I import data from Excel into my presentation, why is the font color always black and not the font color used in Excel?
There is a PresLink user setting (on by default) that changes the font color of Excel cells to black on initial import. You can change this user setting to allow your linked items to retain their Excel font colors. To change the user setting, select “User Settings” from the PresLink menu in PowerPoint and follow the instructions below:
Select the “Import” tab, then select the “Colors” tab, now uncheck the ‘Change font color of imported Excel cells to’ checkbox (see screenshot below). Note: double clicking the color swatch to the right of the setting will allow you to select a different color from the color picker.
When I import data into my presentations it comes in as a picture that I can’t edit. Can I import the data as an embedded worksheet?
Yes, instead of choosing PresLink -> Import from Excel -> Table as Picture, choose PresLink -> Import from Excel -> Table as Excel Sheet and you will have a fully editable Excel sheet. Please note that any data which is changed in PowerPoint will not change in Excel and if you decide to update the Excel sheet, it will update with the data from Excel.
When I update some of my linked items the sizing of the item changes. How can I stop this?
Click on the PresLink menu in PowerPoint and go to “User Settings…” then go to the “Import” tab where you will find different scaling options for import and update.
Why is an older template displayed when I open PowerPoint instead of the new template?
To fix this issue you need to:
-Close PowerPoint and open MS Word
-In Word, click Tools -> Options -> File Locations Tab
-Select User Templates from the list and select User Templates from the ‘File Types’ list.
-Click the Modify button and browse to C:\Documents and Settings\(user profile folder)\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates and click the OK button (if you don’t see the “Application Data” folder then you need to enable hidden folders. Simply exit and go to any folder and select Tools -> Folder Options -> View and select ‘Show Hidden Files and Folders then click ’OK’ to exit).
-Close Word and open PowerPoint. The new template should now be displayed when opening PowerPoint.
When I run PresLink -> Tools -> Generate Table of Contents PresLink has inserted slide titles that shouldn’t be part of the table of contents. Why is this?
PresLink occasionally recognizes slides with a single text box as section tabs
To avoid having the slide recognized as a section tab, select the text box on the slide and click PresLink -> Tools- > Shape -> Properties -> Edit Properties. Click the other tab and uncheck Shape is section tab divider
Rerun PresLink -> Tools -> Generate Table of Contents
When I export Excel data as a picture, it looks distorted in PowerPoint. How can I avoid this?
By default PresLink uses a screen driver to take a picture and copy it to PowerPoint. Occasionally the screen drivers are not sufficient for this operation and the resulting pictures that PresLink copies appear skewed. Using the printer drivers should resolve the issue.
In PowerPoint the user can click PresLinl -> User Settings then click the ‘Import’ tab and check the ‘Pictures of Excel use printer view format’ box.
Use of the printer vs. screen driver for pictures can be seen more plainly via the following native MS Office steps: In Excel with data selected, hold down Shift and click Edit -> Copy Picture. Choose Printer or Screen view and paste to see what PresLink is doing programmatically.
When I choose “save as picture…” on PresLink objects in PowerPoint, the resulting JPEG comes out distorted. Why is this?
PresLink objects are usually transparent and therefore need to be saved as a file type that supports transparencies. Try saving the file as a .gif, .emf, or .png file. You can change the file type at the bottom of the ‘Save as Picture’ dialog box.
Why am I prompted to save my Excel file before exporting data to PowerPoint? And then again when trying to close Excel?
Newly created Excel files must be saved before exporting data to PowerPoint so that PresLink can store the necessary link information in the Excel source file to allow updating and editing of the exported items. Link information is stored within the Excel source file itself, so you will also be prompted to save Excel files when attempting to close Excel after exporting new data to PowerPoint.
Bear in mind that you should save both the target presentation and the Excel spreadsheet after you’ve created your links; failure to do so will result in links not being preserved.
PresLink uses range names which it defines to know which links to use in Excel spreadsheets; these names also get saved when you save the spreadsheet.
Why is my PresLink menu missing from the menu bar in Excel or PowerPoint?
Verify that PresLink has been installed on the user’s machine/profile
Check that PresLink is not a disabled item, and enable it if it is (Help -> About Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint -> Disabled Items). Once re-enabled, restart Excel/PowerPoint.
If the PresLink menu is still not displayed in Excel, follow the steps below
Close Excel and rename the file named “Excel11.xlb” (located in the C:\Documents and Settings\(your user profile folder)\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel folder. If you don’t see the “Application Data” folder then you need to enable hidden folders. Simply go to Tools -> Folder Options -> View and select ‘Show Hidden Files and Folders’ then click ’OK’ to exit. After that, restart Excel. Excel will regenerate this file the next time it is opened and the PresLink menu should now be available.
Error Messages
I attempted to update linked items in my presentation and I received an error message stating that Excel is closed, the PresLink Excel add-in is not installed properly, unable to connect, or the source application is busy. Why?
PresLink requires that Excel be open and available when updating or viewing the source documents of linked items. It does not, however, require you to open the particular Excel files to which your documents and presentations are linked. If you are editing a cell in Excel (if the cursor is blinking in the cell or formula bar) or viewing a dialog box, PresLink cannot communicate with Excel because it is busy. To successfully update a linked item, you must exit the “edit cell” mode or open dialog box in Excel by hitting the escape key before retrying your update.
If you continue to receive this error message, check your main menu bar in Excel to be sure you have a “PresLink” menu. If you do not see this menu, refer to the “Why is my PresLink menu missing from the menu bar in Excel or PowerPoint?” section of this FAQ.
If none of the above solutions are effective, PresLink may not be installed or configured correctly on the machine and a reinstallation may be necessary.
If you still have difficulties, please contact our support team for assistance.
I’m trying to edit the file path of a linked item using the Linked Items Wizard, but I receive an error message stating that the range cannot be found in the Excel file I’ve selected.
When changing or editing the file path information of a linked item it is important to know that the Excel file you select must contain PresLink link information. The easiest way to accomplish this is to save the original Excel file you used to export and link data, charts, word tables, etc. as a new version. You can then make changes to the data in the versioned Excel file and then edit the link information and point it at the most recent version of the Excel file.
When I attempt to export a large range from Excel into a presentation I get a message that states PresLink did not copy the data because the selected area is too large or Excel cannot complete this task. What does this mean?
When linking data as a picture to your documents and presentations PresLink will prompt you if you have exceeded a certain pixel limit inherent to MS Office. PresLink extends the functionality of native MS Office technology by allowing you to import large ranges to your documents or presentations as bitmap pictures. If you would like to import the large range at a lower resolution please check the PresLink user setting (under the Import tab) "OK to copy large Excel items at sub-optimal resolution".
Why am I getting an “Unable to load the file [.dll file] from the [DealMaven Product Name]” error?
This error is caused by a DLL file that is either missing or unregistered. Installation of the software was either interrupted or not done correctly. The PresLink package needs to be reinstalled to correct the issue.
If you still have difficulties, please contact our support team for assistance. If you are a corporate client, please call your help desk.
I attempted to export/update Excel data in my presentation and I received an error message stating that there may be more than one instance of Excel running. Why?
Please hit the keys CTRL - Alt – Delete, open the Task manager and click on the Processes tab. Click the Image Name Column header to sort the running processes by name. Look for more than one instance of Excel.exe.
If more than one instance is found, save all work in Excel and then end both Excel processes. Typically a second Excel.exe process is a hidden or hanging process. Once both processes are ended open Excel and attempt to run an Export or Update as before.
When I attempt to export, import, or update data in PowerPoint as a Word table, I receive the following message: “Microsoft Word is busy or closed, or there is no Word document open, or the DealMaven PresLink add-in for Word is not installed. Why is this happening?
Microsoft Word must be opened by the user when performing any PresLink operations involving embedded Word tables including: exporting/importing Excel data as a Word table, updating Word tables, editing source Excel spreadsheets.
Corporate Client Issues
In PowerPoint, when I click PresLink -> Tools -> Insert Slides it takes some time for the slide thumbnails to load.
After the new DealMaven package is installed by a user, PresLink will load the latest slide libraries from the server location setup by an administrator and generate thumbnails of the slides. This may lead to perceived slowness the first time the thumbnails are generated, but should be significantly faster on next use of Insert Slides.
Note: Each time a change is made by a PresLink administrator to the file Standard Slides.pot or other files contained in the Insert Slides category folders, slowness may be perceived as new thumbnails are generated to reflect changes.
When I open a new workbook in Excel it doesn’t use the firm’s standard font, or color palette. Why is this?
There are two items that may effect PresLink’s ability to insert the standard workbook template:
In Excel click PresLink -> User Settings -> Template tab and verify that the “For new workbook” and “For new worksheet” boxes are checked
Browse to the C:\Documents and Settings\(your user profile folder)\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLStart folder (if you don’t see the “Application Data” folder then you need to enable hidden folders. Simply go to Tools -> Folder Options -> View and select ‘Show Hidden Files and Folders’ then click ’OK’ to exit). If you find the file personal.xls you can either remove it or open it and click PresLink -> Tools -> Apply Standard Color Palette and Apply Standard Font.
PresLink -> Tools -> Generate Table of Contents is not working for me. The TOC slide is inserted, but my section tab names do not appear on the slide. What’s happening?
PresLink requires that the body textbox on the TOC slide be named TOCBody in order to place the section tab names on the slide.
An administrator will need to open the standard slides.pot file on the server. Once open, select the body text box in the TOC slide and click PresLink -> Tools -> Shape -> Manage Names. Click the Rename button to name the textbox TOCBody in the ‘First name’ field.
Users can then delete the TOC slide from their presentation and click PresLink -> Tools -> Generate Table of Contents to insert a fully functional TOC slide.
Temporarily Disabling PresLink
How do I temporarily disable PresLink?
To temporarily disable PresLink, open Windows Explorer and browse to the ‘C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\DealMaven’ folder, where USERNAME is your Windows username. (If you don’t see the “Application Data” folder then you need to enable hidden folders. Simply go to ‘Tools->Folder Options -> View’ and select ‘Show Hidden Files and Folders’ then click ’OK’ to exit. Also, if the ‘DealMaven’ folder does not exist, go ahead and create it). In this folder, right-click and select ‘New -> Text Document’ to create a new file named ‘PresLinkPPT_OFF.txt’. The next time you open Microsoft PowerPoint, PresLink will not load.
To re-enable PresLink, simply rename or delete the aforementioned file.
Uninstallation
How do I uninstall PresLink?
To PERMANENTLY uninstall PresLink:
- Close PowerPoint.
- In Windows, select ‘Start -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs’.
- Select DealMaven PresLink for PowerPoint from the list and remove the program.
Please contact our support team if you require assistance.
Index of Resources
PresLink for PowerPoint Product Page: Learn about PresLink, view demonstrations of the product’s key features and concepts, read testimonials, and purchase the product from this web page.
PresLink vs. Standard Microsoft Office Linking: See how PresLink far surpasses native Microsoft Office linking.
PresLink Sample Features: This series of animations walks through the construction and update of a sample presentation and highlights some of PresLink’s most important features.
PresLink Reference Guide: This printable PDF contains an overview of the product and instructions on how to get started with the product’s top time-saving tools. We recommend that you print it for easy desktop reference.
Product Installation Instructions: This forum post has detailed instructions on how to install all DealMaven products.
Product Activation Instructions: If you’ve purchased a subscription or a permanent license for PresLink, go to this forum to get instructions on how to activate your copy of the product and use it beyond the 60-day trial period.