Why won't Word let me insert a picture?

Because you didn’t take it out for dinner first…

Are you using Word 2007?

Les I sent this off to my IT Geek husband to look at. Can you give more details about what version of Microsoft you use?

Try exiting the document, open it back up, then try inserting your pic again.

It’s not 2007. It’s whatever the “good” one is, 2003? Sorry, my brain isn’t remembering what year that was. I forgot to brush my teeth this morning, so this doesn’t surprise me…

@erichw1504 – Tried it. Nothing. I’ve also restarted my computer.

In Word 2003, try this first:
To change the wrapping style of the picture or object, follow these steps:

1. Click to select the picture or object.
2. On the Format menu, click Picture (or Object or AutoShape).
3. On the Position tab, click to select In line with text, and then click OK.

If that doesn’t do it, try these steps:
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the View tab, click to select the Drawings check box, and then click OK.

Let us know results. Also, Office 2007 is awesome, in my opinion. Just a big change.

Michael

New thingie: If I open the picture I want to insert into my photo editing software, and save it as a new file, it inserts into Word fine…

Oh, Microsoft. You are losing badly to Linux…

Also, dear, ‘IT Geek’ husband is getting a little old. :) But, thanks for sending these my way.

Michael

@mdreinders – Tried both of those and nothing happened. Thanks, “IT Geek”. ;-)

I know 2007 isn’t bad… I just was too lazy to get used to something completely different..

@mdreinders Bite me ;)

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the View tab, click to clear the Picture placeholders check box, and then click OK.

@mdreinders – Yep, that box is unchecked.

@Les,

Damn.

Let me fire up VMWare, start up Windwos XP, install Word 2003, and see if I can duplicate your issue. Standby for 10–15 minutes… :)

Michael

@mdreinders – Thanks, you’re my hero.

@Les He hasn’t shared w/you that he wanted to be a meteorologist…so you are his, too ;)

Microsoft Word is one of the most helpful word processing programs out there…. and I hate it!. I remember the good ole days where you could format a document by yourself without some computer telling you where things are supposed to be. Of course, you can do that with Word too after you figure out how to turn off all those annoying “helpful” features.

I miss white text on a blue background word processing.

@NaturalMineralWater – I hear that. This was the life I chose, though. And seeing as I’m two days away from the most important day of my life thus far, I have to stick with Word for just a little longer…

@Les Well I wish you luck defending your thesis. Congrats for getting to that point!

On the View menu, are you in Print Layout view, or another view?

Also, are you inserting the picture by ‘Copy -> Paste,’ or Insert -> Picture -> From File…?

Michael

Michael,
I’m in Print Layout and I’m doing the Insert -> Picture -> From File.
This is also happening in PowerPoint, just as an aside.

Try to reduce or turn off hardware acceleration in your display
driver by clicking on Start | Control Panel | Display | Settings | Advanced and its under TroubleShooting.

If that doesn’t do it, I would use the workaround to copy it from another program, and paste into Word that way. Not too much extra work, IMO.

Michael

Thanks,
That didn’t seem to work, either. You’re right. I’ll just use the round about way, as that seems to be working. Tis strange, but thanks for all the ideas.

Are you sure the images you’re trying to insert are .jpg? I’ve had that problem before with trying to insert screen shots taken on a Mac that were in .tiff format by default. Do the .jpg images have a .jpg file extension? If not, Word and PowerPoint may not recognize them.

@OnaBoat Yup. They’re jpg. Just a few days ago, they inserted with no problems. This just developed today.

@Les – good luck with your thesis!!

@Cupcake – Thanks!