Paste pictures (bitmaps) from Windows Clipboard

[Optiker]

I am runnming Office 2003, and have noticed changes i behavior from the
previous version I had used in the way I paste bitmaps into PowerPoint
slides.

I often generate images in another non-Office, non-MS program that I
capture using a screen capture utility, then paste into PowerPoint. In my
previous version of Office, I simply clicked the Paste icon on the toolbar,
or used Ctrl-V.

In the current version, when I do that, something pastes, but it is
"invisible" - that is, if I click in the general area, I get the handles of
the right size image, but there is nothing visible. If I have the Office
Clipboard open, the image I copied and want to paste is there, but pastes
as described above.

If I select Paste Special from the Edit dropdown, then select Bitmap rather
than the default Device Independent Bitmap, then it pastes properly, as a
visible image.

What it going on? Is there a way to set PowerPoint so that I can simply use
the Paste icon in the toolbar, or Crtl-V to past images? It is very
incopnvenient to have to use multiple clicks to paste the image instead of
one, or a keyboard shortcut.

Thanks!
Optiker

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

As a test, skip using the screen capture utility.

Instead, press Alt+PrtScreen to capture your screen, then switch to PPT and do
the paste using Ctrl+V

Also, be sure to start PowerPoint beforehand. Don't capture the screen and
then start PPT. That won't always work.

Let us know how this works.

 

[Optiker]

Steve...that works fine. However, I'd rather not do it that way as then I
need to crop the full-screen capture, and it takes more time to do that
accurately and repeatably than to have to use the multiple click insert
that I described in my opriginal post. Clearly, there is something
different from what I used to do since it worked in the past...question is
what and how do I fix it?

Ideas now that the test shows that itworks OK with screen capture via Print
Screen?

Thanks!
Optiker

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Steve...that works fine. However, I'd rather not do it that way as then I
need to crop the full-screen capture, and it takes more time to do that
accurately and repeatably than to have to use the multiple click insert
that I described in my opriginal post. Clearly, there is something
different from what I used to do since it worked in the past...question is
what and how do I fix it?

Ideas now that the test shows that itworks OK with screen capture via Print
Screen?

If you weren't starting PPT before doing the captures, try that, then use your
existing screen capture utility.

If that doesn't work, I'd try a different screen capture program, at least as a
test; I'd also be sure to use Edit, Paste Special and pick the format you want to
paste (JPG or PNG generally) rather than just pasting.

 

[Optiker]

Steve...After I ran your test and replied to you earlier this morning, I
started doing some work that required me to copy form one program and paste
into a PPT presentation. I did everything the same as always. I always have
PPT running with a blank presentation open when I begin that kind of work.
Anyhow, everything worked great - not a problem at all. I can't explain it,
but something changed. But, I did go into Edit-Paste Special and select
JPEG as my preferred paste. Maybe that's what was set to "device
dependent..." and somehow got changed.

Now, having selected that, does that stay as a default then? Or will I need
to reset it each time I open PPT?

In any case, it's working fine now. Thank you for your suggestions. Nice to
have it back to normal.

Optiker

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Steve...After I ran your test and replied to you earlier this morning, I
started doing some work that required me to copy form one program and paste
into a PPT presentation. I did everything the same as always. I always have
PPT running with a blank presentation open when I begin that kind of work.
Anyhow, everything worked great - not a problem at all. I can't explain it,
but something changed. But, I did go into Edit-Paste Special and select
JPEG as my preferred paste. Maybe that's what was set to "device
dependent..." and somehow got changed.

Now, having selected that, does that stay as a default then? Or will I need
to reset it each time I open PPT?

I've never noticed this being a "sticky" selection; I expect you'll need to reset it
each time.

Glad to hear it's working, though!