Word 2003 SP3 fails to import EMF

[Udo]

We have a lot of workstations with german Word 2003 SP3. They work fine.
But with some english version Word 2003 we find that EMF files can't be
imported any longer since we introduced Office Servicepack3 (english):
If we drag and drop EMF files the Word document displays 'Error! Not a valid
embedded object.'
If we try to insert graphic by dialog the 'Convert File' Dialog opens. After
selecting 'Windows Enhanced Metafile' an error popup displays 'An error
occured while importing this file. <path>'.
Even deinstallation of Word and hereafter installation of Word 2003 SP2 does
not result in a trouble free Word setup.

WMF files still work fine.
Anybody here who observed something similar

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Udo,

Are you using Insert=>Picture From File to insert the graphic? (too much 'overhead' comes with inserting as an object).

In Tools=>Options=>General turn on the 'confirm conversions at open' before inserting the graphic to see if Word is recognizing the
EMF format correctly.

I'm assuming that the Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared folders for the German and English editions accessed by these
users are different?

===========
We have a lot of workstations with german Word 2003 SP3. They work fine.
But with some english version Word 2003 we find that EMF files can't be
imported any longer since we introduced Office Servicepack3 (english):
If we drag and drop EMF files the Word document displays 'Error! Not a valid
embedded object.'
If we try to insert graphic by dialog the 'Convert File' Dialog opens. After
selecting 'Windows Enhanced Metafile' an error popup displays 'An error
occured while importing this file. <path>'.
Even deinstallation of Word and hereafter installation of Word 2003 SP2 does
not result in a trouble free Word setup.

WMF files still work fine.
Anybody here who observed something similar<<
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Udo]

Hi Bob,
thanks for your interest in this problem, alas your hints yet did not result
in a troubleshooting:
1. YES, one attemt to import an EMF is to use 'Insert-Picture-From File'.
With EMF file on the troubling SP3 systems this always opens the 'Convert
File' dialog, independant from the Options setting that you mentioned. And
hereafter the Error popup displays ''An error occured while importing this
file. <path>'.
2. You are right that this seems to be a problem of a shared component since
all Office Tools (I tried PowerPoint and Excel) have the same trouble.
3. But the problem looks like not to arise from the mentioned Shared
directory. I replaced the whole directoy ' Program Files\Common
Files\Microsoft Shared\Office11' with the contents of a system with
Office2003 SP2 where EMF import works fine. Yet it didn't help. The SP3
system still results in that error.
4. I now deinstalled SP3 from Office 2003. (Rollback to SP2) but the error
persists! Seems as if the SP3 rollback is not complete!
5. Definitely the problem arose from something in the SP3
6. I tried very different EMFs: complex grouped drawings, simple lines,
bitmaps converted to emf. All failed.

Udo

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Udo,

Replacing a set of DLLs (i.e. mismatched versions) by copying between two different patched levels of Office will likely cause a few
additional headaches and the 'rollback'/restore point wouldn't necessarily fix that

What is the source/program creator of the EMF files that you're working with and do you have the same issues with WMF files through
Insert=>Picture ?

============
Hi Bob,
thanks for your interest in this problem, alas your hints yet did not result
in a troubleshooting:
1. YES, one attemt to import an EMF is to use 'Insert-Picture-From File'.
With EMF file on the troubling SP3 systems this always opens the 'Convert
File' dialog, independant from the Options setting that you mentioned. And
hereafter the Error popup displays ''An error occured while importing this
file. <path>'.
2. You are right that this seems to be a problem of a shared component since
all Office Tools (I tried PowerPoint and Excel) have the same trouble.
3. But the problem looks like not to arise from the mentioned Shared
directory. I replaced the whole directoy ' Program Files\Common
Files\Microsoft Shared\Office11' with the contents of a system with
Office2003 SP2 where EMF import works fine. Yet it didn't help. The SP3
system still results in that error.
4. I now deinstalled SP3 from Office 2003. (Rollback to SP2) but the error
persists! Seems as if the SP3 rollback is not complete!
5. Definitely the problem arose from something in the SP3
6. I tried very different EMFs: complex grouped drawings, simple lines,
bitmaps converted to emf. All failed.

Udo >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Udo]

Hi Bob,

sorry, I'm afraid I expressed unclear:

I did NOT try to rollback from SP3 to SP2 by copying DLLs manually.
Instead we completely deinstalled MS-Office and re-installed with SP2.
Then we tested the EMF capability. The so restored SP2 setup fails like the
SP3 setup.
Then I copied the DLLs from a fresh SP2 to the restored SP2. This did not
fix the problem.

I tried EMFs from four very different creators: IrfanView (bitmap),
PaintShopPro (two lines) and two very different programs from our own
enterprise (both drawings quite a lot of different objects and groups).
WMFs make no problem at all.

Udo