PNG files not displayed

[Casey]

Help!

I have a problem where PNG files I insert into Publisher aren't correctly
displayed. The image place-holder is visible, but no image. Other graphics
file-types are fine, but not PNG's. Another user with identical hardware and
software can view the same PNG's without problems. I've tried resintalling
Office and service packs with no success. However, when printing the
publication, the PNG graphics are produced with no problems.

I'm running Office 2003 sp 1.

Thanks in advance!

Casey.

 

[Ed Bennett]

I have a problem where PNG files I insert into Publisher aren't
correctly displayed. The image place-holder is visible, but no image.
Other graphics file-types are fine, but not PNG's. Another user with
identical hardware and software can view the same PNG's without
problems.

This might be a problem with your video driver.

By going to Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > Troubleshoot, and
dragging the Hardware Acceleration slider down three notches, you will be
able to disable Publisher from making the calls on the video driver that
can cause this problem.

If this does fix your problem, it means that the problem does indeed lie
with the video driver. You can leave your computer running at this lower
hardware acceleration, but it may cause problems with other programs. It is
a better solution to try and find a driver update for your graphics card.
Normally, the latest drivers from the video card manufacturer will do the
trick, but ATI tend to be slower in perfecting their drivers, so some newer
ATI cards to not yet have drivers available that do not exhibit this
behaviour.

 

[Casey]

Thanks for you help Ed, you were spot-on!

Seems odd though - the problem viewing the PNG's only occurred in Publisher
docs (other Office apps were fine as was Paint Shop Pro). Also, viewing the
inserted PNG's in Pub' Graphics Manager was fine! And the PNG's could be
displayed by resizing the Pub' application window. Are you listening MS?

Kind Regards,

Casey.

 

[Ed Bennett]

Seems odd though - the problem viewing the PNG's only occurred in
Publisher docs (other Office apps were fine as was Paint Shop Pro).
Also, viewing the inserted PNG's in Pub' Graphics Manager was fine!
And the PNG's could be displayed by resizing the Pub' application
window. Are you listening MS?

Publisher uses different driver mechanisms to display graphics compared to
other Office programs and programs from other manufacturers. As these are
used less often, they tend to take longer to mature in the drivers.

Resizing the window caused Publisher to redraw the screen, causing the call
to be reissued (or a different one to be made), causing the video driver to
do its job properly and draw the image properly.

Glad to hear that we fixed your problem Thanks for the update!

 

[Mike Koewler]

Ed,

To revisit this ongoing problem:compared to other Office programs and programs from other manufacturers. <<

Why? If Quark, Illy, Corel, even other Office apps use driver mechanisms
that work, why doesn't Pub? It would decrease the number of problems
reported enormously.

Mike

 

[Ed Bennett]

Why? If Quark, Illy, Corel, even other Office apps use driver
mechanisms that work, why doesn't Pub? It would decrease the number
of problems reported enormously.

Hell if I know!

Probably for the same reason that Publisher is using legacy Win16 APIs to
access printer information.