Xibo

Multiple powerpoints files open once Xibo display starts

Asked by Ron Gault

Running Xibo 1.2.2, Windows 7 and Office 2010. Once a client starts the Xibo display, Powerpoint will open up multiple files of the ppt file over top of the display. This happens at random times on various clients. I have performed all of the tasks outlined in the manual and also applied the MicroOffice fix. This has been a continual problem since I begin using Xibo. Any help would be appreciated.

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Dan Garner
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Dan Garner (dangarner) said : 		#1

Can you try with a PPT containing a simple slide of text only? I wonder if something embedded in one of your slides is taking over.

Other than that - I am not sure... all Xibo is doing in this case is opening the PPT in and embedded IE7. If you try and do this manually in IE7 do you get the same problem?

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Ron Gault (rgault) said : 		#2

It is such a random occurence that I don't think it's one slide. In fact I have 2 clients that it never happens on and I'm using the same PPT. All clients have been cloned from the same image and all clients have all of the suggested modifications. I have not yet been able to determine a pattern of when it occurs, at this point it seems to be totally random. The client will begin the display and be working just fine and at some time in the future when I check the display powerpoint will be running and several PPT files will be open.

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Best Dan Garner (dangarner) said : 		#3

We are drawing a bit of a blank answering this question... the main problem being that we have very little control over the PowerPoint process once we have handed it over to the webbrowser.

There is a PowerPoint Viewer branch in development (although slowly) that might provide better support. There was also support in previous versions of the application that killed errant PowerPoint processes as it detected them - but this was removed as it was a little severe.

Perhaps try checking out the answer from Shahid in the following question: https://answers.launchpad.net/xibo/+question/159735

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Ron Gault (rgault) said : 		#4

I've continued to work on this problem and I think I've got it down to only one client. I have 5-6 other clients that are working sucessfully so I'm going to have to assume that I have a problem with that one client and will mark this problem as being solved.
Thanks for your input...

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Dan Garner (dangarner) said : 		#5

If you do narrow the problem with that client down... it would be great if
you could give us feedback

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Shahid (smalik-albion) said : 		#6

I know this is old, but I just started experiencing this myself lately with a few Win7/PPT07 clients. What I think is happening is ppt is not exiting cleanly when you have multiple ppt's scheduled to run. (might even happen with a single) When ppt is exited and is opened for the next slideshow, it may not have cleanly exited and will automatically try to open the last saved file. (ie, autorecover)

Also, if the duration of the slideshow is short (I had one that was going 40 seconds), make sure the Xibo display duration is set at an appropriately higher number so you're not rapidly opening and closing PPT. (in the example above, I set the display duration to 400sec instead)

The last thing to check is if your clients are config'd to "expire layouts while playing". Sometimes that causes strange behavior with PPT.

I just made the config changes to my clients today so I'll report back if those 2 changes made a difference.

Shahid

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Wouter (swartw) said : 		#7

I've been struggling with the issue for a while with some ppt files never displaying the issue. I decided to add the same Powerpoint file twice in the same layout so Xibo plays the same presentation twice and this seems to have solved my issue for now.

I can only conclude that Xibo tries to open the single presentation too soon after closing Powerpoint and then runs into file locking issues as the browser gives an error that it can't navigate to the file when the error occurs.

I suppose Xibo sses the 2 identical files as 2 separate files when playing them.

Wouter