FAQ


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MySlideShow - Frequently Asked Questions

Upgrade to v3

Q.	How can I upgrade from v2.x to v3?
A.	v3 installs into a separate folder. You don't need to uninstall v2.x and can use both versions together on the same computer. v3 requires a new registration code. v2.x customers can purchase upgrades from this page.
Q.	Can I open my v2.x .ss projects in MySlideShow v3?
A.	In the File \| Open window, select "SlideShow projects v2.x" in the "Files of type" dropdown list. MySlideShow v3 will keep the original .ss project file unchanged and save the project with the new .ssx extension.

Slide Settings

If I select some options in the Settings window, the program changes them for all my slides. How can I change the settings for individual slides?

Note: this question is for MySlideShow v2. MySlideShow v3 doesn't have the global settings as v2. Each slide always has its own individual settings. You can open the Slide Settings window from the Slide List | Details view | Settings column or by the slide right-click popup menu.

By default all slides use the default or global settings which you can change by the Settings button or the SlideShow | Settings menu. However you can change ("override") the settings for individual slides. Select a slide (or a group) and use the SlideShow | Slide Settings menu. For such slides the program displays a small mark in the first column of the slide list.

Slide and Music Synchronization

When I burn an autorun CD or a video CD/DVD from my slide show project and play it or another computer or DVD player, the synchronization of the slides and music that I had in the preview mode is breaking. What can I do to synchronize slides with music?

Note: this question is for MySlideShow v2. MySlideShow v3 always synchronizes slides with the Sync Playlist (the Sound button or the SlideShow | Sync Playlist menu). The Timeline Editor is now accessible from the Timeline tab of the Slide List.

Use the "Synchronize slides with audio" options in the Settings window | General tab. MySlideShow Gold contains the Timeline Editor where you can allocate slides on the timeline of the background playlist. Place all your music files in the background playlist (the Sound button or the SlideShow | Sound menu). Remove them from the slide-specific playlists (the Sound column of the slide list) because MySlideShow plays the background and slide-specific playlists simultaneously. The Timeline Editor allows you to move slides on the timeline of the background playlist and synchronize groups of slides with different music tracks (parts of the playlist). The program saves slide transition points. You'll get the same synchronization in the preview mode and in output slide show .exe files, video files and discs.

Music Files

Q.	How can I add my iTunes music?
A.	MySlideShow can play audio files only in MP3, WMA and OGG formats. You can convert your audio files in MP4 or AAC formats by iTunes directly to MP3 format only if the music files are not protected. iTunes doesn't convert protected or licensed music files. You can try to burn an Audio CD from a playlist. Select iTunes' Edit \| Preferences menu and then select the Burning tab. Select Disc Format >> Audio CD. Click OK. Then select a playlist and click on the Burn Disc icon at the top-right corner of the main window. Then you can convert your audio CD back to MP3 or WMA files in several ways: 1. You can open the Audio CD in iTunes, right-click on a track and use the "Convert Selection to MP3" menu. 2. You can use Windows Media Player to convert the Audio CD tracks to WMA format. Clear the "Copy protect music" checkbox in Media Player's Tools \| Options menu >> Copy Music or Rip Music tab. 3. You can use some CD conversion utilities to convert the tracks to MP3 format. There're plenty of them on the web.
Q.	If I try to play WMA files I purchased in online music stores, MySlideShow displays "Cannot play licensed or DRM protected media files". What can I do?
A.	MySlideShow really can't play licensed or protected WMA files. You can try to burn an audio CD from your protected WMA files by Windows Media Player >> "Copy to CD or Device" tab (only if their license allows you to do this). Then try to convert audio CD tracks back to WMA files by Windows Media Player >> "Copy from CD" or "Rip" tab. Don't forget to clear the "Copy protect music" option in Media Player's Tools \| Options window >> "Copy Music" or "Rip Music" tab. Also you can use some other audio CD conversion utility (ripper/grabber) to create MP3 files from the audio CD. MP3 files are not protected.

Video Clips

How can I insert a video clip to my slide show?

You can place a video clip in AVI, MPEG-1 or WMV format on a slide. WMV format is recommended.

Insert a blank slide by the SlideShow | Insert Blank Slide menu. Select the slide and use the SlideShow | Slide Editor menu or the same item from the right-click popup menu to open the Slide Editor window. Select the VideoBox icon on the toolbar and click on the slide area to place a VideoBox control on the slide. Then use the VideoFilePath option in the Properties window and select a video clip. Remember the video clip duration that the program displays in the Properties window. Click OK to close the Slide Editor window. Set the slide duration equal to the video clip duration.

CD/DVD burning

I want to burn my slide show to a CD/DVD.

You can create an autorun CD or DVD for PC/Windows computers or a video CD or DVD for DVD players.

1. Autorun CD/DVD

Use the Tools | Executable menu to create an output .exe file from your slide show project. By default, the program saves output slide shows in subfolders of "My Documents\My SlideShows\Shows" folder. Open the subfolder (click Explore after the process) and burn Autorun.inf and <YourProjectName>.exe files to a CD or DVD using your CD/DVD burning software.

If you have Windows XP + ServicePack2, the program can also directly burn an autorun CD, but not a autorun DVD (the Tools | Autorun CD menu). The program uses the same build-in Windows CD burning engine as Windows Explorer. Some CD/DVD burning software blocks this engine (MySlideShow doesn't display any CD recorders). In this case just create an output slide show by the Tools | Executable menu and use your CD/DVD burning software.

2. Video CD/DVD

Use the Tools | Video CD/DVD menu. Sometimes home DVD players can't read hi-speed DVD-R/RW+R/RW discs, you can try to change the media (for example: DVD-R >> DVD-RW) and use low-speed discs. Use a rewritable DVD-RW or DVD+RW disc for tests, not to waste DVD-Rs or DVD+Rs.

If you want to burn a video DVD with a menu, use our DVD Album utility (it's free). It allows you to import several DVD .mpg video files created by MySlideShow's Tools | Video menu.

User Interface

Q.	Hidden Panels. I can't add new pictures to my slide show project. The folders pane and file list are hidden.
A.	Just select the View menu \| Folders and/or Files items or the corresponding toolbar buttons to make them visible.
Q.	Slide Moving. The arrow buttons move only one slide. How can I move several selected slides in the slide list?
A.	You can drag&drop selected slides inside the slide list. Also you can copy the selected slides to the clipboard (right-click on a selected slide and select the Copy item), then remove them from the slide list (click the Remove button, press Del or Shift+Del), right-click on a slide before which you want to insert the slides from the clipboard and select the Paste menu item.

Miscellaneous

Q.	Disappeared images. When I play my slide show, the program can't find my slide images! Help! When I move a slide show project (.ss file) to another computer and open it there by MySlideShow, the program doesn't display slide thumbnails and can't find slide image files when I play the slide show.
A.	MySlideShow's project files contain links to (full paths of) your image and audio files located on the hard drive. If you move or delete your slide images, or rename one of the subfolders in the path saved in the project file, the program won't be able to your source image files. The same happens when you move a slide show project file to another computer. MySlideShow expects to find your files in the place where they were when you added them to the project. If all slide images of this project are located in the same subfolder, select the slides in the slide list (Ctrl+A or the SlideShow \| Select All menu), use the SlideShow \| Slide Folder menu and select the new location (folder) of your slide images. The program will re-build the paths in the project.
Q.	Title slides. I want to insert a title slide and chapter slides into my project. What can I do?
A.	Use the SlideShow \| Insert Blank Slide menu. Place your text in the slide caption. To change the caption position, use the individual Slide Setting (right-click on the slide and select the Slide Settings menu). Please read about the individual slide settings above. Also you can use MySlideShow Gold's Slide Editor (the SlideShow \| Slide Editor menu or the same item from the right-click popup menu) to place additional text boxes and small images on your slides.
Q.	Image file names in slide captions. Can you automatically have the file names shown with the photos?
A.	Select all slides in your project (Ctrl+A or the SlideShow \| Select All menu), use the SlideShow \| Slide Caption menu (or the same item from the right-click popup menu) and enter {SlideInfo: FileNameWoExt} or {SlideInfo: FileName}. Then click OK. The program will set this caption for all your slides. When you play the slide show, the program will display the slide file names. You can read more in the Help file > Using MySlideShow > Slide Information topic.

Registration codes

Q.	I haven't received my registration code.
A.	We send registration codes within 12 hours after the order (normally faster). The incorrect anti-SPAM filters at e-mail servers (especially: hotmail, msn, AOL) is the main reason that you don't receive e-mails from us. Please inspect the SPAM folder at your e-mail box and contact us (possibly from another e-mail account). We always ask to confirm if you received our e-mail with the registration code.
Q.	My registration code doesn't work. Help!
A.	All registration codes we send do work. Please be sure that you installed the latest version and the correct edition of the program. MySlideShow (Standard edition) does not accept registration codes for MySlideShow Gold and vice-versa. Select the code text in the e-mail window, copy to the clipboard (Ctrl+C or the Edit \| Copy menu) and then paste to the program code edit box (there's the Paste button).