WD2000: Part 2: Troubleshooting Failure to Import Graphics Images

This article is part 2 of a series of two Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that present a systematic approach to eliminating error messages in Microsoft Word 2000 running under Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 when you try to import graphics files into a Microsoft Word document.

Continue troubleshooting graphics image import failure errors with the following steps, after you have completed part 1 of this series of articles.

Troubleshooting Graphics Image Import Failure (continued)

By this point, the graphics image import failure appears difficult to solve, and a different approach to troubleshooting may be needed. The rest of this article discusses a troubleshooting method in which you start Word with the "/a" switch and then start Windows in Safe Mode. If this does not solve the graphics image import problem, the problem may be related to a bad installation of Word. If this solves the graphics image import problem, you will be presented with a few more ideas for solutions.

Starting Word As Cleanly As Possible

In this procedure, you start Word with the /a switch. This starts Word in the most basic environment possible.

To do this, do the following steps:

1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start and click Run.
2. Click Browse.
3. Locate the folder where the Winword.exe file is located.
   
   NOTE: The default location is as follows:
   
   C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office
4. Click to select the Winword.exe file and click Open.
5. Click into the Open box and press END on the keyboard to move the insertion point AFTER the closing quotes surrounding the path and file name.
6. Type a space followed by "/a" (without the quotation marks), so that the command line looks like the following example:
   
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\WinWord.exe" /a
7. Click OK.

If the problem still occurs, follow the steps in the "Starting Word with Windows In Safe Mode" section later in this article.

If the problem does not occur, do the following:

1. Quit Microsoft Word.
2. Using the Windows Explorer, locate the following folder:
   
   C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Startup
   
   NOTE: The Startup folder on your system may be located in a different location.
3. Move any files contained in the Startup folder to your Windows Desktop.
4. Start Microsoft Word and try to import your graphics file again. If you can import the file, then one of the files that was in the Startup folder (now on your Windows Desktop) is the cause of the failure.

If these steps do not correct the problem, continue troubleshooting by following the steps in the next section of this article, "Starting Word with Windows in Safe Mode."

Starting Word with Windows in Safe Mode

Safe Mode starts Windows 95/98 in the simplest way possible. It bypasses many drivers and supporting files that could cause problems if they are damaged.

For additional information about how to start Windows in Safe Mode, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Now start Microsoft Windows in Safe Mode and try to import your graphics file:

1. Start Windows in Safe Mode.
2. Start Word as you would normally (without using the /a switch) and try to reproduce the problem.

If the problem still occurs, continue troubleshooting by following the steps in the next section of this article.

If the problem does not occur, you have determined that something within the Windows environment (or something that is loading when Windows starts) is causing the problem. For more help in determining what is causing this problem, please see the "Microsoft Support Options" section of this article.

Repairing Microsoft Word or Microsoft Office

If the graphics import failure still occurs, it is likely that Word or Office files have become damaged. This section guides you through a process of removing and reinstalling Word or Office to achieve the cleanest possible reinstallation.

The easiest way to correct a Word or Office installation is to run a Repair Office (or Repair Word). Although this is very fast and frequently corrects the problem, there are situations in which it does not correct the problem, and a more complete removal and reinstallation may be necessary.

To perform a repair of Word or Office, do the following steps:

1. Quit all Microsoft Office applications.
2. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
4. Click the Office or stand-alone version of Word you have installed, and click Add/Remove.
   
   For example, click to select Microsoft Word 2000, Microsoft Office 2000 Standard, Microsoft Office 2000 Premium, or Microsoft Office 2000 Professional.
5. After you enter the Setup program, click Repair Office (or Repair Word).

The Setup program checks the installed files and replaces or installs any files from an earlier version that are the wrong size, damaged, or missing. After the Setup is complete, restart Word normally (without using the /a switch), and try to reproduce the problem.

If the problem is corrected, you may have identified the problem as being a damaged file. If Word fails to work correctly, continue troubleshooting using the steps in the "Removing Word or Office" section of this article.

Removing Microsoft Word or Microsoft Office

This procedure guides you through the steps for removing as much of Word or Office as possible. After the removal, you install Word or Office again.

CAUTION: This procedure can result in data loss. Before performing the steps in the remainder of this article, you should back up any user files that may be important. This includes custom templates, documents, and the Normal.dot file.

Use the Setup program to remove as many files as possible. To use Setup to remove Word or Office, follow these steps:

1. Quit all Microsoft Office applications.
2. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
3. Double-click Add/Remove programs.
4. Click the Office or stand-alone version of Word you have installed and click Add/Remove.
   
   For example, click to select Microsoft Word 2000, Microsoft Office 2000 Standard, Microsoft Office 2000 Premium, or Microsoft Office 2000 Professional.
5. From the Setup program, click Remove All, and then click Yes to confirm the removal.
6. You are asked whether you want to remove shared components. Click Remove All.
7. After Setup is completed, you are prompted to restart Windows.

Cleaning the System

NOTE: Verify that you have backed up your documents, templates, and the Normal.dot file before you proceed with these steps.

1. Run Eraser 2000. The Office 2000 File and Registry Eraser Utility is designed to be run only after you run the Setup program for Office 2000 and click Remove Office. This utility also removes all of the remaining registry entries installed by Office.
   For additional information about download instructions for Eraser 2000, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   239938  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/239938/EN-US/ ) OFF2000: Utility to Completely Remove Remaining Office Files
2. Delete the Microsoft Office installation folders using the following steps:
   
   1. Right-click Start and then click Explore.
   2. Navigate to and select the following folder:
      
      C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\
   3. On the File menu, click Delete.
   4. When you are asked to confirm the folder delete, click Yes.
   5. Navigate to and select the following folder:
      
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\
   6. On the File menu, click Delete.
   7. When you are asked to confirm the folder delete, click Yes.
   8. On the File menu, click Close to quit the Windows Explorer.
3. NOTE: Disk Cleanup is only available in Microsoft Windows 98.
   
   On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.
   
   For additional information about Disk Cleanup, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   
   186099  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186099/EN-US/ ) Description of the Disk Cleanup Tool in Windows 98
4. NOTE: Be sure to quit all Windows applications before proceeding with these steps.
   
   1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Find and then click Files or Folders.
   2. In the Named box, type ~*.*
      
      IMPORTANT: Be sure you have typed the tilde character (~) as the first character. Failure to do this may result in deletion of all files on your system.
   3. Change the Look in box to your C:\ drive.
   4. Click Find Now.
   5. After Find has completed the search, click Select All on the Edit menu.
   6. On the File menu, click Delete.
   7. Click Yes to confirm the deletion of the files.
   8. Repeat steps a-g, using "*.tmp" (without the quotation marks) in the Named box of step 2.
5. To check your hard disk for errors, run the ScanDisk utility. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click ScanDisk.
   For additional information about ScanDisk, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   186365  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186365/EN-US/ ) Description of ScanDisk for Windows (Scandskw.exe) in Windows 98
6. To defragment the files and free space on your hard disk drive, run the Disk Defragmenter utility. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
   For additional information about Disk Defragmenter, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   186171  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186171/EN-US/ ) Description of the Disk Defragmenter Tool in Windows 98
7. On the Windows Start menu, click Shut Down.
8. In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Restart and then click OK.

Reinstalling Microsoft Word or Microsoft Office

At this point, all traces of Word or Office have been removed from the computer and the system is optimized. You can now run the Word or Office Setup from the original location to install the programs.

After Setup is complete, start Word as you normally start it (without using the /a switch), and try to reproduce the problem.

If the problem is corrected, you may have identified the problem as being a damaged file.

Microsoft Support Options

If you cannot resolve this issue, several support options are available to assist you.

Quickly Find Answers Yourself Online

Use Microsoft Online Support to search the Microsoft Knowledge Base and other technical resources for fast, accurate answers. You can also customize the site to control your search.

To begin your search, browse to the following Web site:

Microsoft Product Support

Contact a Microsoft Product Support professional to assist you with troubleshooting problems.

For more information about obtaining help with troubleshooting Microsoft Windows, click Help Topics on the Help menu in Windows Explorer. On the Contents tab, double-click to open the Troubleshooting book. Then double-click to open the Contact Microsoft Technical Support book to view your support options.

For more information about obtaining help with troubleshooting Microsoft Word, click About Microsoft word on the Help menu, and then click Tech Support.

Microsoft Solution Providers

Microsoft Solution Providers are independent organizations that have teamed with Microsoft to use technology to solve business problems for companies of all sizes and industries.

To locate a Microsoft Solution Provider in your area in the U.S. and Canada, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. If you are outside the United States, contact your local subsidiary. To locate your subsidiary, see the Microsoft World Wide Offices Web site at: