Reinstate export handouts to Microsoft Word
In older versions of PPT (prior to Windows 10, PPT2013 and prior) the function Export Handouts to Microsoft Word worked beautifully. Not so much since these latest upgrades. PPT sends an error message that simply isn't fix-able. "PPT cannot write to Word". The 'HELP' isn't helpful (technicians do not understand the issue and have no reasonable suggestions to overcome it). "Community" offers many suggestions, none of which overcome this. Very frustrating to lose this capability.
Pam Proctor
shared this idea
57 comments
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Anonymous
commented
The problem with exporting of large files by breaking up the slides is that Slide # restarts. Therefore, you have to go back and renumber everything, which is time consuming.
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Anon Y. Mous
commented
All I want is to be able to have my slides AND notes in the same document, i.e., a document different than PPT, but apparently, that is too much to ask of MS. Why would someone not want that feature? Dear MS, you don't have to make the slides in the .doc so complicated--just transfer the text and images. That's all I want. I want the text of my slides and the text of my notes together, but I can't get that. If I copy all the text, the slide text isn't captured. If I go into the slide, the notes aren't captured.
As someone below mentioned, you've known about this at least a year and still haven't fixed it. I'd love a class-action lawsuit, but what would that get me? A letter in the mail saying I'll get five dollars since everybody in the world gets a piece. Will it encourage MS to make their programs work? Probably not. They can afford the lawsuits - they have a monopoly. Apple's too expensive and quite frankly suffers from the same problem: they spend all their time developing features that 0.01% of its uses will ever touch instead of making an easy-to-use basic functionality tool work. They don't care.
If open-source material were reliable, I'd used that instead of either Apple or MS, and if Apple were more affordable and more widely-used, I'd switch to that, ... but all in all, using computers has become way too expensive and way too much a waste of time since the basic things you want don't work or you can't figure out where they are since the "Help" features are totally useless. -
Anonymous
commented
PPT exports only 2/3 of the PPT to Word. When I save the 92 page Word doc to a flash drive and plug it in to a different computer, the Word doc becomes blank.
So frustrated with Office 365. -
Bob Brady
commented
Please fix the problems with this functionality. It is almost useless now. I keep getting the error "ppt can't write to word" and it is incredibly frustrating as it used to work fine.
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Calin Andrews
commented
This issue is widespread and confirmed present on multiple computers. Confirmed it's present with both 32-bit and 64-bit installations of Office 365. The issue is also present regardless of PPT or PPTX file formats.
Confirmed that this issue will occur somewhat regularly even with a brand new PowerPoint file that has nothing but a few blank slides.
Error "PowerPoint cannot write to Word".
It's most definitely NOT a memory or other resource issue. -
Anonymous
commented
This is one of the most frustrating things I've ever encountered...a feature that so many people need and try to use, but is completely unfunctional. Perhaps Microsoft simply doesn't have any programmers bright enough to fix the problem. Maybe it's time for a class auction lawsuit, since we've all paid for this and it hasn't been delivered. Any laywers out there want to help us with this?
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jai Luster
commented
When do you plan to fix this problem? I see that many people have written in and Microsoft has not fixed the bug yet. I use windows 10. I am using an office 2019 version of powerpoint. and have office 2019 version of Microsoft word
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CB
commented
How could you (MS) release something so potentially useful and so badly engineered? It's like the 90's all over again. Sorry for the attitude but memory issues... This isn't finished software. Let me know if you need a repro. (From a former MS FTE).
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David Carpenter
commented
Memory has nothing to do with it. Gaming computer with four small data can't create handouts. Others are saying the same on forums
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Anonymous
commented
Please fix the problems with this functionality. It is almost useless now. I keep getting the error "ppt can't write to word" and it is incredibly frustrating as it used to work fine - granted that was a while ago. I just never had time to contact you about it until now. Just got off the phone with the helpdesk who basically said "sorry. no good workarounds." Not good. This is a very important feature that doesn't work. Please fix!!
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Anonymous
commented
I experience the same issue. After latest upgrade handout creation sometimes stops before any slide is written to Word.
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E Travis
commented
I have been dealing with this problem for many years!. Why can't Microsoft fix this once and for all. It is an essential feature for those of us using powerpoint to create courseware.
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Anonymous
commented
Agree. The loss of this function is a huge drawback. Please fix this issue. Q? Why is memory an issue with Office 365 but not Office 2013 desktop? I don't want to restart my computer multiple times or split my presentation into smaller chunks to export to handouts and then have to merge them in word. This suggested work around is not reasonable when Instructional Designers have been able to do this quickly and efficiently in earlier versions of Office. Please escalate this issue. Thank you.
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Anonymous
commented
This feature is important to me and I've tried all the fixes. People have been complaining and asking for years and it is still unworkable. Have 2019 version and STILL unworkable. Please, what needs to be done so you can fix it?
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Lisa
commented
Agree 100% that this feature is an integral part of creating and delivering a Powerpoint presentation and should be corrected!
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Anonymous
commented
This was such a useful feature for us instructional designers. Please add it to Mac version of Office 365.
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Meredith Reitman
commented
Worked great until today - tried all the solutions and nothing is helping.
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Nancy R Warfield
commented
Microsoft, please reinstate export handouts to Word. If it ain't broke, don't eliminate it!
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handout with notes...major fail.
commented
exporting handouts is key for me, particularly because of the ability to include notes under or next to slides so that I can then also print multiple slides per page with the notes. Thing is whenever I want to export to handout with notes it fails...without blank lines it works, but I dont need lines...i need the notes. Please find a fix for this or incorporate a way to print the notes version right from pptx that also allows multiple slides per page!
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John Cook
commented
Same problem as mentioned by a number of other users.
Unable to transfer ppt into student handouts.
Very frustrating. Bought new laptop with Windows 10 not expecting this to be a problem.
The pop up answer not helpful at all
