Register the Default Version of PowerPoint

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If you have multiple versions of PowerPoint installed, you might find that when you double-click on a PPT or PPTX file, it opens in a version of PowerPoint that’s different from the one you want it to open!

Now you can reinstall all your versions of PowerPoint (and Microsoft Office) again in the sequence you want — and that might take a few hours, or you might do a few registry tweaks — and that’s not for the faint of heart, or even if you are scared of the registry!

So it was a great thing that one of our readers decided to share this DOS batch file with us that makes the whole process painless. Having said that, do this at your own risk — and if you are comfortable!

Damian McDonald is the founder of Visual Newmedia which has over 15 years’ experience in developing communication solutions for a number of leading global brands.

Here is the code you need to paste in your batch file — just replace this line:

set PathStart=C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOFFICE

to reflect the name of the partition where your copy of Microsoft Office is installed — for example, if you installed to the D drive, the above line would change to:

set PathStart=D:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOFFICE

OK — here is the batch file:

REM **********************************************

REM Version 1.1 Date: 29/11/09
REM By Damian McDonald
REM www.visualpresenter.com.au
REM Registers the required Version of PowerPoint if it exists.

set PathStart=C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOFFICE
set PathEnd=powerpnt.exe
set DirNum=11
set Version=2003
@echo Off

:Start
CLS
ECHO. Select the Version of PowerPoint to register.
ECHO.
ECHO 1. PowerPoint2003
ECHO 2. PowerPoint2007
ECHO 3. PowerPoint2010
ECHO.

set choice=
set /p choice=Enter your selection or Q to Quit.
if not ‘%choice%’==” set choice=%choice:~0,1%
if ‘%choice%’==’1’ goto 1
if ‘%choice%’==’2’ goto 2
if ‘%choice%’==’3’ goto 3
if ‘%choice%’==’q’ goto end
ECHO “%choice%” is not valid please try again
pause
Goto Start

:1
CLS
ECHO.
set DirNum=11
set Version=2003
IF NOT EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” ECHO PowerPoint %Version% does not appear to be loaded.
IF NOT EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” pause
IF EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” ECHO Registering PowerPoint %Version%.
IF EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” /regserver
Goto End

:2
CLS
ECHO.
set DirNum=12
set Version=2007
IF NOT EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” ECHO PowerPoint %Version% does not appear to be loaded.
IF NOT EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” pause
IF EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” ECHO Registering PowerPoint %Version%.
IF EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” /regserver
Goto End

:3
CLS
ECHO.
set DirNum=14
set Version=2010
IF NOT EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” ECHO PowerPoint %Version% does not appear to be loaded.
IF NOT EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” pause
IF EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” ECHO Registering PowerPoint %Version%.
IF EXIST “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” “%PathStart%%DirNum%%PathEnd%” /regserver
Goto End

:End
@echo on

REM **********************************************

Thanks Damian!