PPT (Microsoft PowerPoint Binary Presentation)
PPT is the legacy binary presentation format used by PowerPoint 97-2003. It stores slides, graphics, and transitions in a proprietary compound binary file. PPT files are still encountered in older archives but have been replaced by PPTX for modern workflows.
MIME Type
application/vnd.ms-powerpoint
Type
Binary
Compression
Lossless
Advantages
- + Compatible with PowerPoint 97-2003 installations
- + Supports embedded OLE objects and legacy VBA macros
- + Well-supported by conversion tools for migration to PPTX
Disadvantages
- − Larger file sizes than PPTX
- − Proprietary binary format with limited third-party support
- − Does not support modern Office features like SmartArt or 3D models
When to Use .PPT
Use PPT only when sharing with users on PowerPoint 2003 or earlier; convert to PPTX for modern compatibility and smaller files.
Technical Details
PPT files use the OLE2 compound binary format with proprietary record types for slides, text, shapes, and animations. The binary structure makes direct editing and parsing significantly more complex than PPTX.
History
The PPT binary format was developed for PowerPoint's early versions and reached maturity with PowerPoint 97. It dominated the presentation market for over a decade before the Open XML transition.
Convert from .PPT
Convert to .PPT
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