file path in INCLUDEPICTURE field

[Kathy W.]

Last week my department's Word files and associated
graphics were moved to a new larger server. This has had
an odd effect on linked graphics (INCLUDEPICTURE field
code), and we're trying to find a root cause. I'm looking
for a technical or "internals" explanation here.

Software version: Word 2000
Graphics formats: Standalone files created with 3rd-party
graphics s/w
OS version: Windows 2000
Old server: Windows NT
New server: Windows 2000

We store Word source files on the server in various
folders, and store graphics in one common folder, not with
the Word files. We all map the graphics location to our S:
drive.
-* On the OLD server, our S: drives were mapped to pl-
xxxxxxx-nt\pi_graphics.
-* On the NEW server, our S: drives are mapped to uspl-
xxxxxxx\PSES\ProdInfo\GRAPHICS.

The problem we'd like to solve involves the field codes
that Word 2000 is creating when we insert a graphic (link
only).
-* On the OLD server, the field code looks like this upon
adding a new graphic:
{ INCLUDEPICTURE "S:\\productname\\6698.wmf" \*
MERGEFORMAT \d }

-* On the NEW server, the field code looks like this when
a graphic is added:
{
INCLUDEPICTURE "..\\..\\..\\GRAPHICS\\Sourcend\\6698.WMF"
\* MERGEFORMAT }

If the document is closed then reopened, the graphic from
the new server is "missing" (the red 'X' problem). (Well,
sure. The file path is incomplete!)

Sure, we can manually correct the file path and refresh
the field code, and it works, even after closing and
reopening the file. But having a workaround isn't the
point. My question is --> Why is Word acting differently
from server to server??

The only thing I can possibly think of is the length (# of
levels) in the file path. Is there some undocumented limit
to the number of nodes than can be in an INCLUDEPICTURE
file path? Seems unlikely, but that is the only (obvious)
difference in the drive mapping. Especially because I can
add graphics from old vs. new locations at will, and the
file path is consistently one format or the other based on
the server.

There are no knowledge base articles that help. We've also
tried setting the DontUseUNC registry key on my PC with no
effect.

Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks for taking the time to
read this posting.

(Cross-posted this message on the drawing & graphics
group)

 

[macropod]

Hi Kathy,

I suspect that your problem is caused by the drivename and
path on the new server not being exactly the same as on
the old one. INCLUDEPICTURE fields (and others like
INCLUDETEXT and RD) use absolute path addressing, even if
the picture is in the same folder as the document.

If you press Ctrl-A followed by Shift-F9 to display the
INCLUDEPICTURE fields, you could use Search/Replace to do
a simple update. For anything complex, check out:
http://www.wopr.com/cgi-bin/w3t/showthreaded.pl?
Number=261488
(all one line), where you can download a Word file
containing a utility macro for handling a wide range of
path updating scenarios.

Cheers
PS: Remove NO.SPAM from the above before replying.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Kathy,

What is the file path for the document in the scenario you
describe below, relative to the path being generated by the
new server? Contrary to what "macropod" has written, Word
2000 and later versions will try to generate relative paths
in relation to the document's path (the current drive path
Word is working with).

I also note that the example with the "new server" does NOT
contain the \d switch, which means the graphic information
would be stored with the document.

Last week my department's Word files and associated
graphics were moved to a new larger server. This has had
an odd effect on linked graphics (INCLUDEPICTURE field
code), and we're trying to find a root cause. I'm looking
for a technical or "internals" explanation here.

Software version: Word 2000
Graphics formats: Standalone files created with 3rd-party
graphics s/w
OS version: Windows 2000
Old server: Windows NT
New server: Windows 2000

We store Word source files on the server in various
folders, and store graphics in one common folder, not with
the Word files. We all map the graphics location to our S:
drive.
-* On the OLD server, our S: drives were mapped to pl-
xxxxxxx-nt\pi_graphics.
-* On the NEW server, our S: drives are mapped to uspl-
xxxxxxx\PSES\ProdInfo\GRAPHICS.

The problem we'd like to solve involves the field codes
that Word 2000 is creating when we insert a graphic (link
only).
-* On the OLD server, the field code looks like this upon
adding a new graphic:
{ INCLUDEPICTURE "S:\\productname\\6698.wmf" \*
MERGEFORMAT \d }

-* On the NEW server, the field code looks like this when
a graphic is added:
{
INCLUDEPICTURE "..\\..\\..\\GRAPHICS\\Sourcend\\6698.WMF"
\* MERGEFORMAT }

If the document is closed then reopened, the graphic from
the new server is "missing" (the red 'X' problem). (Well,
sure. The file path is incomplete!)

Sure, we can manually correct the file path and refresh
the field code, and it works, even after closing and
reopening the file. But having a workaround isn't the
point. My question is --> Why is Word acting differently
from server to server??

The only thing I can possibly think of is the length (# of
levels) in the file path. Is there some undocumented limit
to the number of nodes than can be in an INCLUDEPICTURE
file path? Seems unlikely, but that is the only (obvious)
difference in the drive mapping. Especially because I can
add graphics from old vs. new locations at will, and the
file path is consistently one format or the other based on
the server.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep
30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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