Old PPT files from a previous job or an archive. The recipient wants a PDF and you don't have PowerPoint installed.
PPT vs PPTX
PPT is PowerPoint's binary format used from 1997 to 2003. PPTX is the XML-based format from PowerPoint 2007 onward. Both still open in modern PowerPoint; both convert to PDF identically.
No quality difference in the PDF output — the conversion handles both formats the same way.
Convert without PowerPoint
Flint's PowerPoint to PDF accepts PPT files directly. No PowerPoint installation needed. Drop the file in, download the PDF.
Useful for old PPT archives, or when the only copy of a deck is in the older format.
Watch for old features
Old PPT files sometimes use legacy elements: WordArt, ancient SmartArt predecessors, embedded Excel charts via OLE. Modern conversion handles them, but rendering may differ slightly from how PowerPoint originally displayed them.
For critical decks (pitch decks, board materials), do a test conversion and review the output before relying on it.
Macros and animations
Old PPT files can carry VBA macros (which won't survive — PDFs don't carry code). Animations and transitions also don't transfer; PDFs are static.
For static archival of decks, this is fine. For interactive use, keep the source PPT and convert only when distributing the final flat version.
FAQ
Will animations survive?
No — PDFs are static. Animations are visual-only in PowerPoint and don't carry over.
Should I upgrade PPT to PPTX first?
Not necessary for conversion. Upgrade if you'll edit further in PowerPoint — PPTX has better features.
Quality difference vs PPTX?
None for the PDF output. Both source formats produce equivalent PDFs.
What about Keynote .key files?
Different format — use Keynote-to-PDF specifically. Or export Keynote to PPTX first, then convert.
Old format, new PDF. Convert your PPT to PDF without installing PowerPoint.