Symptom

After installing Windows XP Service Pack 2, when you open a .PPS file that came as a mail attachment in Outlook Express, you may see the Open / Cancel dialog box. When you select Open, the following error may be displayed:

This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel

Whereas the same file opens fine when saved to disk, and then viewed. This happens if the Open verb is missing for that ProgID.

Resolution

> Click Start, Run and type CONTROL FOLDERS

> In the Folder Options applet that opens, select the File Types tab

> Scroll down and locate the following entry:



Click Advanced
Click the New button
Type Open in the the Action: text box
In the Application used to perform action: field, type the following exactly:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer\pptview.exe" "%1"

Uncheck the Use DDE box
Click OK, OK
Close the Folder Options dialog

For .PPT files

If the problem happens for .PPT files, then make the above changes to the following file type:

PPT (Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation)