Disappearing Audio

Nov 02, 2011

Has anyone had an issue with Presenter losing its assigned audio.  Here's what happens. I have a presentation and I import narration files using the import audio function.  The ppta file grows depending on the amount 7,000-18,000KB.  At some point and it's not entirely clear when, the ppta file drops back to 2KB.  When I open the project, the previously linked audio is gone. This has been happening for as long as I've been using Articulate.  I can't track the effect to a specific set of actions but it does seem to happen when I open a PPT file (make no changes to articulate content) and then close it again.  This has happened with numerous different files.  

Thanks,

Rob

6 Replies
Peter Anderson

Hey Robert,

Sorry about the issues. Please review the following article, which outlines reasons and solutions:

 
Also, be sure that your presentation is located on your local hard drive (your C: drive).  Working on a network drive or a USB (external) drive can cause erratic behavior, including loss of resources.
Let me know if the issue persists...
Denise Cook

I have also just lost all of my audio AGAIN, on a one hour course!  I've reviewed the published solutions and none of them worked.  I recovered all of the ppta files and they are all smaller than they should be.  This is so frustrating as it is not the first time.  Relinking and resyncing will take an entire day again.  When I google, I see hundreds of other people having the same issue with no resolution!

Justin Wilcox

Hi Denise. Sorry about the frustration and I'm sure that we can help you out. Here are some common reasons folks lose their audio:

  1. Working on a network drive. We don't recommend working on a network drive. We recommend working exclusively on your C: drive.
  2. Working in a directory path that is longer than 256 characters. This can cause many things to break in Windows. Working in a shorter path can resolve a lot of issues. Like if you put your files here C:\Articulate and publish here: C:\Articulate Publish.
  3. Doing a File -> Save as in PowerPoint to save more than one version of your presentation. While that can work, I have personally seen that cause issues. If you need to make a back up of your presentation, follow the steps in this awesome tutorial.
  4. Make sure to follow these project management tips.
  5. Never rename your PowerPoint file or its corresponding PPTA file.
  6. Working with audio can be a memory intensive activity. I would recommend closing other applications when working with audio in Studio '09.
Following these steps should help you avoid losing your audio in the future. That being said when you submit your case and let us know what it is I'll be sure to escalate it to my senior level support team who should be able to help you out.

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