PowerPoint 2010 Hangs when trying to insert audio file

Question

I am trying to insert audio into a PowerPoint slide program.  I have done this quite often with previous versions of PowerPoint on a Dell computer, so I don't think it is user error - although I am open to the possibility - anything to get this fixed!
Details:
Lenovo T520 4239CTO, Bios: 8AET52WW, Win 7 Prof 64-bit, Microsoft Office Prof 2010, PowerPoint 2010 32-bit version 14.0.6112.5000.
When I try to insert an audio file (MP3) I see a progress bar at the bottom (PowerPoint is inserting media) but it never progresses, and I also see a pop-up frame with this msg: "Inserting media. To cancel press the ESC key."  The system hangs - I must use the Control-alt-delete to get the task manager in order to stop the application. 
I have tried turing off all Norton Internet Security - no difference.
All recommended and most optional updates have been done from Lenovo and Microsoft, using their update service.
I suspect that even though I can't find out what is causing the hang, that it might be related to security software.  The music files were downloaded from Amazon, they are MP3 format, and should theoretically be okay in a PowerPoint slide show.
I would be most grateful for any help resolving this issue, since PowerPoint is basically useless to me unless I can insert various media files. 
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Answer 1

When trying to insert the Win 7 sample music the same thing happens:
Here is event log details:
Log Name:      Application Source:        Windows Error Reporting Date:          12/12/2011 3:09:55 PM Event ID:      1001 Task Category: None Level:         Information Keywords:      Classic User:          N/A Computer:      Arleen-THINK Description: Fault bucket 2610993906, type 5 Event Name: Office12AssertTimer Response: Not available Cab Id: 0
Problem signature: P1: p1ml P2: 14.0.6029.0 P3: 3 P4: 512 P5: P6: P7: P8: P9: P10:
Attached files: C:\Users\Arleen\AppData\Local\Temp\powerpnt.exe.p1​ml512.dmp C:\Users\Arleen\AppData\Local\Temp\powerpnt.exe.p1​ml512.cvr
These files may be available here: C:\Users\Arleen\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WE​R\ReportArchive\NonCritical_p1ml_2e33eca65bd39977a​7b43b27361ac1362d71d0_19d1870a
Analysis symbol: Rechecking for solution: 0 Report Id: 658d6d2f-2516-11e1-8a82-f0def1703a71 Report Status: 0 Event Xml: <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/ev​ent">   <System>     <Provider Name="Windows Error Reporting" />     <EventID Qualifiers="0">1001</EventID>     <Level>4</Level>     <Task>0</Task>     <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>     <TimeCreated SystemTime="2011-12-12T23:09:55.000000000Z" />     <EventRecordID>14899</EventRecordID>     <Channel>Application</Channel>     <Computer>Arleen-THINK</Computer>     <Security />   </System>   <EventData>     <Data>2610993906</Data>     <Data>5</Data>     <Data>Office12AssertTimer</Data>     <Data>Not available</Data>     <Data>0</Data>     <Data>p1ml</Data>     <Data>14.0.6029.0</Data>     <Data>3</Data>     <Data>512</Data>     <Data>     </Data>     <Data>     </Data>     <Data>     </Data>     <Data>     </Data>     <Data>     </Data>     <Data>     </Data>     <Data> C:\Users\Arleen\AppData\Local\Temp\powerpnt.exe.p1​ml512.dmp C:\Users\Arleen\AppData\Local\Temp\powerpnt.exe.p1​ml512.cvr</Data>     <Data>C:\Users\Arleen\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Wind​ows\WER\ReportArchive\NonCritical_p1ml_2e33eca65bd​39977a7b43b27361ac1362d71d0_19d1870a</Data>     <Data>     </Data>     <Data>0</Data>     <Data>658d6d2f-2516-11e1-8a82-f0def1703a71</Data>     <Data>0</Data>   </EventData> </Event>
Here is error report in Windows WER file:
Version=1 EventType=Office12AssertTimer EventTime=129682049931131104 Consent=1 UploadTime=129682049931651134 ReportIdentifier=658d6d2f-2516-11e1-8a82-f0def1703​a71 WOW64=1 Response.BucketId=2610993906 Response.BucketTable=5 Response.type=4 Sig[0].Name=Problem Signature 01 Sig[0].Value=p1ml Sig[1].Name=Problem Signature 02 Sig[1].Value=14.0.6029.0 Sig[2].Name=Problem Signature 03 Sig[2].Value=3 Sig[3].Name=Problem Signature 04 Sig[3].Value=512 DynamicSig[1].Name=OS Version DynamicSig[1].Value=6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48 DynamicSig[2].Name=Locale ID DynamicSig[2].Value=1033 UI[2]=C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\office14\mso.dll Sec[0].Key=LCID Sec[0].Value=1033 Sec[1].Key=skulcid Sec[1].Value=1033 State[0].Key=Transport.DoneStage1 State[0].Value=1 FriendlyEventName=Stopped responding temporarily ConsentKey=Office12AssertTimer AppName=Microsoft PowerPoint AppPath=C:\Windows\SysWOW64\DWWIN.EXE ReportDescription=Microsoft PowerPoint had an unexpected error.  It was not critical so you were not interrupted when the problem occurred.