Old trouble with embedded images

I'm having trouble embedding bmp images in a database. Field is OLE
bound, display set to zoom, contents, but when I go to Insert Object,
from file, all I get is a miniscule icon of that image with its file
name under it.
I read relevant articles on this group and they all state it's a
matter of an undefined OLE server program for that type of file.
So I went and checked. BMP files open with Paint, so it should be OK
right? What is the problem? Should I check something in references or
somewhere else in Access?

TIA,
Nash

Re: Old trouble with embedded images

Did a bit more digging in MS Knowledge Base and found it:
It's not enough to simply change ownership of file type in Windows
Explorer, you have to completely remove that file type from the list
of registered file types, and then you have to uninstall and re-
install the server application, in this case Paint...
Pain in the...

Anyway, for future reference, article ID is 177587 or

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=177587

Cheers,
Nash

Re: Old trouble with embedded images

"Nash" wrote

> Did a bit more digging in MS Knowledge Base and found it:
> It's not enough to simply change ownership of file type in Windows
> Explorer, you have to completely remove that file type from the list
> of registered file types, and then you have to uninstall and re-
> install the server application, in this case Paint...
> Pain in the...
>
> Anyway, for future reference, article ID is 177587 or
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=177587

That's good to know... however, if your users have Office Pro or standalone
Word installed,
with the graphics filters, you may be able to avoid the problem of
reinstalling anything.

The sample imaging databases at http://accdevel.tripod.com illustrate three
approaches to handling images in Access, and the download includes an
article discussing considerations in choosing an approach. Two of the
approaches do not use OLE Objects and, thus, avoid the database bloat, and
some other problems, associated with images in OLE Objects.

If you are printing the images in reports, to avoid memory leakage, you
should also see MVP Stephen Lebans' http://www.lebans.com/printfailures.htm.
PrintFailure.zip is an Access97 MDB containing a report that fails during
the Access formatting process prior to being spooled to the Printer Driver.
This MDB also contains code showing how to convert the contents of the Image
control to a Bitmap file prior to printing. This helps alleviate the "Out of
Memory" error that can popup when printing image intensive reports.

And, Stephen has an ActiveX control available that works in cases where the
graphics filters are not available -- and works better, I've heard, than the
OLE Object and OLE Controls.

Please note that there are other approaches, e.g.,
Application.FollowHyperlink, but those, like OLE and Bound OLE Frames (which
from the symptoms you describe, are what you were / are using) still leave
you "at the mercy of the imaging software registered for the filetype").

Finally, Access 2007 has enhancements that, reputedly, eliminate the
database bloat long associated with OLE Objects and Bound OLE Frames. But,
it still leaves you relying on the software registered for the image type,
which may not be as "cooperative" as we'd like in creating our display. It
also has the capability of having a variable number of Attachments to a
Record, which may be helpful. But, as I have not done much with it yet, I
certainly wouldn't suggest you rush out and replace an earlier version --
not until the first Service Pack, at least.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP