rtf files load BLANK into Word 2002

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Kent V. Busse, J.D. - 18 Aug 2006 20:26 GMT

Some of my files are screen shots I pasted into WordPad and saved as .RTF
files. On the old computer (slow Windows XP Pro, Word 2002, 384 Mb RAM)
double-clicking these files opens them immediately in Word 2002 with the
images showing and scrollable.

On my new computer (fast Windows XP Home, Word 2002, 2.5 Gb RAM)
double-clicking on the SAME FILES opens a completely blank page. If I click
on the blank page, that OUTLINES the edges of the image I can't see. The
image pops in (appears) INSTANTLY if I DRAG A WINDOW BORDER. Scrolling
either wipes off the part of the image that scrolls off screen, or
completely blanks the screen again until I drag a border.

This happens independent of "confirm conversion at open" setting. I'm
hoping there is some setting that will cure this, i.e., instruct Word to
DISPLAY images. If I open WordPad on the NEW computer and use "file open"
on these files, the image displays instantly as it should. It seems sad
that the WINDOWS DEFAULT PROGRAM should be so vastly inferior to WordPad.

Reply to this Message

Peter Jamieson - 18 Aug 2006 21:00 GMT

Frankly, when you post a message here, you get replies from volunteers, not
Microsoft. Since you have a new system, for an incident like this I suggest
you log a support incident on the microsoft website (e.g. start at
http://www.microsoft.com) unless of course your support is spposed to be
provided by your PC manufacturer.

Here are a few comments:
a. Word is not the "WINDOWS DEFAULT PROGRAM" for displaying .rtf files.
Windows does not (in theory) know anything about Word. I would guess that
your PC was provided with a version of Works Suite that uses Word 2002 as
its Word processor, in which case, Word will have been set up as the default
program for opening RTF files. if you had Windows without Works Suite, Word
2002 etc, Windows would probably still try to open your rtf file using
Wordpad.
b. you may still be able to /choose/ to open your file using Wordpad -
eithe ron a one-off basis, or by changing the "File Association" for .rtf
files. For example, if your file is called myfile.rtf, you could right-click
on it in Windows Explorer, choose "Open With", then "Wordpad". If you don't
see those options don't spend more than a few seconds wondering why not...
If you want to associate .rf with Wordpad rather than Word, that can be done
via Windows|Explorer|Tools|Folder Options|File Types, but I'm not going to
attempt the details here.
c. It is possible that some settings in Word may affect what happens when
it tries to open a .rtf file and display graphics files. For example, make
sure that Word Tools|Options|View|Picture Placeholders is not checked (I
doubt if it will be, but maybe you could have a look around other nearby
options).

If it isn't any of those things, I'm probably not the right person to ask
(or reply).

Peter Jamieson

> Some of my files are screen shots I pasted into WordPad and saved as .RTF
> files. On the old computer (slow Windows XP Pro, Word 2002, 384 Mb RAM)
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> on these files, the image displays instantly as it should. It seems sad
> that the WINDOWS DEFAULT PROGRAM should be so vastly inferior to WordPad.

Reply to this Message

Kent V. Busse, J.D. - 19 Aug 2006 02:09 GMT

I really do appreciate the volunteer help. People like you take MUCH more
real, personal interest than do the PC manufacturers. (Gateway DID go to
great length, half a dozen emails, to help work out a Windows problem.
Since I bought WORD with a DIFFERENT computer seven years ago, I'm not
entitled to ask Gateway about THIS problem.)

a) and b) Yes, I am aware of the file associations. The right-click is
very easy, and the Windows Explorer file associations are really easy to
change. That runs away from the problem without solving it.

c) Yes, this is DEFINITELY A WORD SETTINGS PROBLEM. I had already studied
that "Options - View" page very carefully. The old computer had a checkmark
on "bookmarks." When I set the new computer identically, it still had the
display problem, namely: until I move a window border ever so slightly,
there is NO display of the picture image.

Some of the replies in these newsgroups can be even more useful than
Microsoft's official admissions. Let's hope someone will have cured this
problem before. Meanwhile, I appreciate YOUR help VERY MUCH. You have been
kind enough to share.

Should I post the question in a different newsgroup?

> Frankly, when you post a message here, you get replies from volunteers,
> not Microsoft. Since you have a new system, for an incident like this I
[quoted text clipped - 48 lines]
>> on these files, the image displays instantly as it should. It seems sad
>> that the WINDOWS DEFAULT PROGRAM should be so vastly inferior to WordPad.

Reply to this Message

Herb Tyson [MVP] - 19 Aug 2006 03:38 GMT

Given your symptoms--moving the picture slightly makes it appear, then
disappear--it sounds like a display issue, rather than a settings issue.

Just to rule the rtf issue out... what happens if you save the file in Word
2002 format, close it, then reopen it. Do you still have the same behavior?

Signature

Herb Tyson MS MVP
http://www.herbtyson.com
Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along.

>I really do appreciate the volunteer help. People like you take MUCH more
> real, personal interest than do the PC manufacturers. (Gateway DID go to
[quoted text clipped - 81 lines]
>>> that the WINDOWS DEFAULT PROGRAM should be so vastly inferior to
>>> WordPad.

Reply to this Message

Kent V. Busse, J.D. - 19 Aug 2006 22:54 GMT

RIGHT ON TARGET!

I saved as WORD (.DOC) file while the screen display was blank (pre-moving
border) and after the picture appeared (post-moving border). The file size
went down from 4.7 Mb to 234 Kb. The behavior was exactly the SAME. I
closed ALL files, then opened the pre- and post- .DOC versions. The screen
is totally blank until the move. Using the scroll bar thumb or up-down
arrows on the scroll bar also makes the image DISAPPEAR. Yes, it is a
TERRIBLE display problem! (but is there a SETTING that governs DISPLAY?<g>)

I discovered in my receipt pile that there is a driver CD for my monitor. I
installed that, but this display problem is unchanged. Next I added some
TEXT after the picture, thinking there may be a problem if the only content
of the file is an imported graphic. That did not help. The picture still
disappears at every attempt to scroll, and getting to the text is a pain.
ALSO: after every positioning change, there is a LONG WAIT--several
seconds--until the mouse pointer becomes active again (such as to move the
window border) even in the small .DOC version of the file.

> Given your symptoms--moving the picture slightly makes it appear, then
> disappear--it sounds like a display issue, rather than a settings issue.
[quoted text clipped - 98 lines]
>>>> that the WINDOWS DEFAULT PROGRAM should be so vastly inferior to
>>>> WordPad.

Reply to this Message

Herb Tyson [MVP] - 20 Aug 2006 04:19 GMT

I would try looking on the web site for the company that makes your display
adapter. See if they have an updated driver.

If not, some things I would try:

1. Try changing to a different resolution. Perhaps there's something you
could live with that doesn't exhibit the problem.

2. Try changing your video acceleration settings.

3. Try a different zoom level in Word. Sometimes, changing only 1 or 2 % can
make a difference.

In the end, it might be a "ya gotta live with it" problem.

Signature

Herb Tyson MS MVP
http://www.herbtyson.com
Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along.

> RIGHT ON TARGET!
>
[quoted text clipped - 127 lines]
>>>>> that the WINDOWS DEFAULT PROGRAM should be so vastly inferior to
>>>>> WordPad.

Reply to this Message

Kent V. Busse, J.D. - 21 Aug 2006 03:23 GMT

VICTORY! THANK YOU! VERY CLEAR ANSWER!

A) I checked for the internet driver before posting this last request--no
improvement.
1) Resolution made no difference
2) Acceleration worked
3) Zoom made no difference.

At first I was really upset because WordPad opens the .RTF files fine. The
problem was all in Word. AFTER YOUR MESSAGE I had to look up (on the web)
how to set video accelerators. It turns out that I'm on step 3 of 6 (one
ABOVE "basic"). "Accelerator" was a misnomer--when there were problems,
there were long pauses during the aborted loading. By slowing down the
accelerator, I've got good, smooth behavior loading AND scrolling.

THANK YOU FOR GETTING IT RIGHT! I'm quite happy now.

>I would try looking on the web site for the company that makes your display
>adapter. See if they have an updated driver.
[quoted text clipped - 155 lines]
>>>>>> that the WINDOWS DEFAULT PROGRAM should be so vastly inferior to
>>>>>> WordPad.

Reply to this Message