Problem with WordPad all of a sudden.

[THEO]

For years I've been taking .jpgs and pasting them in WordPad
documents and thought it was a great thing to be able to do it.
I've done hundreds of documents like that and never had any
problems. But now all of a sudden they don't show the pictures or
even the text anymore, but instead it's just a bunch of symbols
like y's with dots over them and rectangular blocks, etc... Can
anyone explain what happened and how to make it work the way it
did before?

 

[Mike Easter]

posted to a.c.h.p-h only

THEO@TO. wrote:
Newsgroups: alt.computer, alt.computer.workshop,
alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Subject: Problem with WordPad all of a sudden.

Crossposting recklessly to multiple groups is counterproductive. It
will cause less people to read your message because many knowledgeable
and helpful readers filter out all such crosspostings.

In the future when you are going to start a message question, first
research similar issues to your question using googlegroups. Often that
will give you the answer you seek, and it will also show you the one
best group to ask your question. Then post the question to one
appropriate group only.

 

[JD]

For years I've been taking .jpgs and pasting them in WordPad
documents and thought it was a great thing to be able to do it.
I've done hundreds of documents like that and never had any
problems. But now all of a sudden they don't show the pictures or
even the text anymore, but instead it's just a bunch of symbols
like y's with dots over them and rectangular blocks, etc... Can
anyone explain what happened and how to make it work the way it
did before?

I'm not a big fan of wordpad cant say I use it much but it sound's like
the strange letters and symbols you are seeing are the CODE of the JPG
file, the only thing I can think of is that if it is saving it as .txt
file; then a .txt file can only contain text, make sure you are saving
as .rtf or .doc.

Theres a Free Word processor package out there called OpenOfice.org,
which can read and write to Microsoft files as well as many others
including PDF if you write a lot of text you might be better off with
this instead.

JD

 

[- Bobb -]

New antivirus software ? Change security level on IE ( browser) ?
I ran into that with Outlook - showed me a small icon rather than image.
Changed security from high to moderate and then showed picture as it used
to.
( "preview" is considered a security issue)

BTW, I use paint to do what you do
start- prgs - accessories-paint
copy picture from app
paste
save as
done

 

[Sjouke Burry]

I'm not a big fan of wordpad cant say I use it much but it sound's like
the strange letters and symbols you are seeing are the CODE of the JPG
file, the only thing I can think of is that if it is saving it as .txt
file; then a .txt file can only contain text, make sure you are saving
as .rtf or .doc.

Theres a Free Word processor package out there called OpenOfice.org,
which can read and write to Microsoft files as well as many others
including PDF if you write a lot of text you might be better off with
this instead.

JD

Woops, reply to the wrong post a few minutes ago.
Again:
I have xp sp3, copy in PAINT and then paste in Wordpad worked for me.
Dragging the file into Wordpad did not work for me, it only left the
name of the file in a drag frame.

 

[THEO]

I'm not a big fan of wordpad cant say I use it much but it sound's like
the strange letters and symbols you are seeing are the CODE of the JPG
file,

That sounds right.

the only thing I can think of is that if it is saving it as .txt
file; then a .txt file can only contain text, make sure you are saving
as .rtf or .doc.

These are files that have been .doc files and working fine for
years, but now all of a sudden they're acting like .txt files I
guess. I don't know if it could have anything to do with this,
but I tried opening a .jpg with LView and got the message:
.....jpg is not a valid Win32 application. Well I never said it
was, but it was after that the problems seemed to begin with
WordPad.

Theres a Free Word processor package out there called OpenOfice.org,
which can read and write to Microsoft files as well as many others
including PDF if you write a lot of text you might be better off with
this instead.

My idea is that every PC should have NotePad and WordPad, so use
them so I can open whatever on any PC. Of course that doesn't
work either because at lot of my programs were made on older
computers so for some reason when I try to open old WordPad files
in newer PCs I get a message like: 'Can not open Word (whatever)
files, or something like that. Well I'm not trying to open Word
files at all, and in fact deliberately try to use WordPad in an
effort to avoid that exact kind of problem.

 

[- Bobb -]

My idea is that every PC should have NotePad and WordPad, so use
them so I can open whatever on any PC. Of course that doesn't
work either because at lot of my programs were made on older
computers so for some reason when I try to open old WordPad files
in newer PCs I get a message like: 'Can not open Word (whatever)
files, or something like that. Well I'm not trying to open Word
files at all, and in fact deliberately try to use WordPad in an
effort to avoid that exact kind of problem.

If you WANT to use WordPad only , then edit your file type options
IF a PC, open windows Explorer
then Tools- Folder Options
scroll down for the filetype extension ( is it RTF ) you want ONLY WordPad
to open and remove that filetype from Word
So double-click RTF - for default program to be WordPad - Choose WordPad. Or
delete all but WordPad if you like. Having more than one listed just lets
you "rightclick " on the file and choose OPEN with several programs.

And if you don't have Word and do need to read Word documents (.doc), go to
Microsoft.com and download " Word Viewer."

 

[THEO]

New antivirus software ? Change security level on IE ( browser) ?

Now that you mention it when I shut it down the other day it took
its sweet time about it and said it was updating some
things--probably security things because it's always wanting to
do that--and then it shut down when it got done.

I ran into that with Outlook - showed me a small icon rather than image.

I looked at things more closely after reading that, and noticed
that the icon for .docs is the same as it was, then as they open
a WordPad icon shows up on the task bar, but then after they do
open it looks like a Notepad icon on the task bar instead of a
WordPad icon. Went to Folder Options--File Types. DOC (not .doc)
DOC File, Opens with: WordPad. So WTF???

Changed security from high to moderate and then showed picture as it used
to.
( "preview" is considered a security issue)

That's worth a try. How?

BTW, I use paint to do what you do
start- prgs - accessories-paint
copy picture from app
paste
save as
done

What do you use to copy pictures? I've been using a demo version
of LView for several years. It has always worked though, and I've
made quite a few docs this way with no trouble reading them or
transfering them and reading them on other computers (except
newer ones often said they could not read that version of Word
documents...) until now all of a sudden when they quit working on
my own computer.

Shouldn't it have something to do with that Notepad icon showing
up on the task bar? Even when I highlight a .doc icon, then right
click and select Open With, then open it with WordPad it still
looks like text only and brings up a Notepad icon on the task
bar. Looking at the document after it's open, at the top bar
(whatever it is) in the left corner there is a text icon like the
one on the task bar, but then it goes on to say . . . .doc -
WordPad. What the hell???

 

[- Bobb -]

I looked at things more closely after reading that, and noticed
that the icon for .docs is the same as it was, then as they open
a WordPad icon shows up on the task bar, but then after they do
open it looks like a Notepad icon on the task bar instead of a
WordPad icon. Went to Folder Options--File Types. DOC (not .doc)
DOC File, Opens with: WordPad. So WTF???

as far I knew DOC = doc
do you have both doc and DOC in filetypes
Assume for a minute that windows ( XP?) thinks DOC = doc
For filetype doc - what is default program ( whatever it IS, make it
wordpad)

Plan b : create a new flietype that opens with wordpad
so rename one of your files to be "filename.ggg"
Now double click on "filename.ggg". It will ask " what program to use"
choose WOrdpad and check the "always use this " box.

That's worth a try. How?

IE - TOOLS- internet options - privacy tab

What do you use to copy pictures?

Not sure what you mean ?
Just right-click copy/ right-click paste

I've been using a demo version
of LView for several years. It has always worked though, and I've
made quite a few docs this way with no trouble reading them or
transfering them and reading them on other computers (except
newer ones often said they could not read that version of Word
documents...) until now all of a sudden when they quit working on
my own computer.

Shouldn't it have something to do with that Notepad icon showing
up on the task bar? Even when I highlight a .doc icon, then right
click and select Open With, then open it with WordPad it still
looks like text only and brings up a Notepad icon on the task
bar. Looking at the document after it's open, at the top bar
(whatever it is) in the left corner there is a text icon like the
one on the task bar, but then it goes on to say . . . .doc -
WordPad. What the hell???

I can't duplicate that here.
If I go to www.GOOGLE.com and
right-click the 'logo of the day above the text area" - copy
Open Wordpad - paste -
Puts that picture into wordpad file for me.

Open Paint and edit- paste - creates same picture - SAVE AS

 

[Jon Danniken]

Crossposting recklessly to multiple groups is counterproductive. It
will cause less people to read your message because many knowledgeable
and helpful readers filter out all such crosspostings.

In the future when you are going to start a message question, first
research similar issues to your question using googlegroups. Often
that will give you the answer you seek, and it will also show you the
one best group to ask your question. Then post the question to one
appropriate group only.

OP only posted to three groups, that is well within the customary limit for
crossposting, and is *far*, *far* better than multiposting.

The only issue at hand seems to be the relevance of the groups he posted to,
but I think we can overlook that failing today.

Jon

 

[Jon Danniken]

What do you use to copy pictures? I've been using a demo version
of LView for several years. It has always worked though, and I've
made quite a few docs this way with no trouble reading them or
transfering them and reading them on other computers (except
newer ones often said they could not read that version of Word
documents...) until now all of a sudden when they quit working on
my own computer.

I used to use lview back many moons ago. Irfanview is a much better
solution, is free, and very capable.

http://www.irfanview.com/

Jon

 

[THEO]

It's not really a Notepad icon after all, but it is a text icon
just white with black lines and the spiral looking thing across
the top.

I right clicked on a WordPad icon and selected Run as... The box
by "Protect my computer and data from unauthorized program
activity" was checked, so I unchecked it and hit OK hoping that
would change things back. But I can't find out whether it would
or not because something keep checking the box again...every time
I uncheck it and close the window, when I open it again it's
checked again. So now what???

 

[- Bobb -]

It's not really a Notepad icon after all, but it is a text icon
just white with black lines and the spiral looking thing across
the top.

That spiral icon IS wordpad.

I right clicked on a WordPad icon and selected Run as...

WHY did you do that ?
"Run as... " means to RUN the program AS another user.
Reread previous message - in explorer , you want to "Open With" .

Did you copy/paint " google icon" as I did ?
Did that work ?

 

[- Bobb -]

I right clicked on a WordPad icon and selected Run as... The box
by "Protect my computer and data from unauthorized program
activity" was checked, so I unchecked it and hit OK hoping that
would change things back. But I can't find out whether it would
or not because something keep checking the box again...every time
I uncheck it and close the window, when I open it again it's
checked again. So now what???

you need to do what I said last time and report results.
Does it work in 'paint' ?
open notepad type some characters and SAVE AS abc.mmm
now double-click that file. (abd.mmm)
the computer will prompt you for a program to use to open
that file because it has no info on the filetype " mmm".
Browse and select Wordpad as the program to use.
Next time you double-click the file ( or ANY file ending in mmm) it will
open wordpad.
Now oaste your picture in there. - call in xyz.mmm
double-click cyz.mmm - wordpad open? , picture Ok ?
if THAT works then your problem is the file type association.
If not, then probably HOW you're doing it / picture properties etc
Can't choose which until previous steps followed.

In the title here you said "all of a sudden"
drop back and reread earlier messages - look into those things you
chnaged/updated.

 

[THEO]

That spiral icon IS wordpad.

Oh. My bad. It does say it's wordpad, but still does the text
only thing.

WHY did you do that ?
"Run as... " means to RUN the program AS another user.
Reread previous message - in explorer , you want to "Open With" .

I've done that a number of times. There are two versions of
wordpad on this machine and I've opened it with both of them, and
with the same result. Going to File Types, DOC files open with
wordpad and there is only the one listing of DOC files which is
what these are.

Did you copy/paint " google icon" as I did ?
Did that work ?

I copied a .jpg and pasted it into a paint document, but I still
want to be able to go back to doing it with wordpad since I've
already got a bunch of wordpad documents that used to work fine
and then all of a sudden stopped working. Something changed. How
do you put text in paint docs, btw?

I tried copying the info from one of the wordpad docs and pasting
it into a paint doc to see if that would work, but it didn't.

Does wordpad actually display the images that are pasted into it,
or is it another program that's responsible for making images
look like images in wordpad docs?

 

[- Bobb -]

Oh. My bad. It does say it's wordpad, but still does the text
only thing.


I've done that a number of times. There are two versions of
wordpad on this machine

WHY ? How do you know ?
If they are different - rename "the new one" to wordpad/new for now
( BTW, this is getting too involved to contnue this way)

and I've opened it with both of them, and
with the same result. Going to File Types, DOC files open with
wordpad and there is only the one listing of DOC files which is
what these are.

Listen to me - for the next 30 minutes: FORGET that " I used to ..." ,
forget that "they end in .DOC"

Make a file abc.xyz and right-click "OPEN WITH"
choose Wordpad. Now "do your thing" /paste etc.
Does it work ?
YES - great
NO = it's not an extension problem ( .doc) it's a program problem and
messing with .doc vs xyz vs abc won't change it.

I copied a .jpg and pasted it into a paint document,

not just " a JPG" - to clarify:
DO EXACTLY WHAT FAILS IN WORDPAD.
Did you ?
If you want to copy while online and paste into wordpad, then "copy while
online and paste into " PAINT. if same BAD icon then it's not the
paint/wordpad program - it's the INPUT.
Get it - you need to determine :
Is it a bad picture ? ( via IE or java or whatever)
or is it a program problem ?

but I still
want to be able to go back to doing it with wordpad since I've
already got a bunch of wordpad documents that used to work fine
and then all of a sudden stopped working. Something changed. How
do you put text in paint docs, btw?

Choose the TEXT icon ( I'm not being funny - you'll see a "big A" - click it
for a text box)
This isn't an online course - please just try "paint vs wordpad".

I tried copying the info from one of the wordpad docs and pasting
it into a paint doc to see if that would work, but it didn't.

WHAT ? Huh ?

 

[THEO]

WHY ?

A lot of the docs I have were made on an older version of Windows
like 95 or 98, and when I started using this computer it kept
telling me it couldn't open Word something or other documents
which they were not, but it wouldn't open them with wordpad. So I
copied the version of wordpad I had from the old computer and
used it to open them with. It worked fine for years until all of
a sudden.

How do you know ?

Because it gives me two choices when I select open with. They
have different icons.

If they are different - rename "the new one" to wordpad/new for now
( BTW, this is getting too involved to contnue this way)


Listen to me - for the next 30 minutes: FORGET that " I used to ..." ,
forget that "they end in .DOC"

Make a file abc.xyz and right-click "OPEN WITH"
choose Wordpad. Now "do your thing" /paste etc.
Does it work ?
YES - great
NO = it's not an extension problem ( .doc) it's a program problem and
messing with .doc vs xyz vs abc won't change it.

Both versions of wordpad are 5.1. The version that was on this pc
wouldn't open the old .docs I loaded into it, so I put in the
older version of wordpad from my old computer and it worked great
until recently. Then it quit working for all of the docs it had
been opening fine before. I tried making new docs with the
version I loaded from the old pc and now it keeps having
"unexpected" problems or just fails to respond leaving the hour
glass icon hanging around, and sometimes it gives this messag:

You are about to save the document in a Text-Only format, which
will remove all formatting. Are you sure you want to do this?

I made docs with the new version and it seems to work fine, but
it won't open the docs made with the version from my old pc.
Neither will the old version any more, but it had been working
fine. At the moment it looks like I can make docs as I have been
with the version that was already on here, but can't use the
older ones made with the older version any more. I don't want to
lose them.

Why would wordpad not open wordpad docs to begin with? I used
wordpad to make things like that specifically trying to avoid
this sort of problem because every pc has wordpad, so it should
always be easy to few my docs. But this pc said it couldn't open
Word...whatever so I loaded wordpad from my old pc and opened
them with that and it worked fine for year up until now. All of
this is EXACTLY what I was deliberately trying to avoid by using
a common program like wordpad to make docs with pic in them...

not just " a JPG" - to clarify:
DO EXACTLY WHAT FAILS IN WORDPAD.
Did you ?
If you want to copy while online and paste into wordpad, then "copy while
online and paste into " PAINT. if same BAD icon then it's not the
paint/wordpad program - it's the INPUT.
Get it - you need to determine :
Is it a bad picture ? ( via IE or java or whatever)
or is it a program problem ?

Choose the TEXT icon ( I'm not being funny - you'll see a "big A" - click it
for a text box)
This isn't an online course - please just try "paint vs wordpad".

WHAT ? Huh ?

I opened one of the docs that used to work fine but now does not
and copied everything from it, then pasted it into a paint doc to
see if that would somehow end up showing it like it used to, but
it didn't. I tried the same thing loading it into a doc made with
the later version of wordpad and that didn't work either. I hate
to lose all those old docs all of a sudden for no apparent
reason, but so far that's what looks like is going to
happen...exactly what I've been trying to avoid since before I
ever had the first problem with it...

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

For years I've been taking .jpgs and pasting them in WordPad
documents and thought it was a great thing to be able to do it.
I've done hundreds of documents like that and never had any
problems. But now all of a sudden they don't show the pictures or
even the text anymore, but instead it's just a bunch of symbols
like y's with dots over them and rectangular blocks, etc... Can
anyone explain what happened and how to make it work the way it
did before?

I don't know what was modified or upgraded on your system but you tried
opening them using a freeware copy of Open Office? You can find it here:
http://www.openoffice.org/. Might be an alternative way to keep your "old"
files workable.

 

[Baron]

THEO@TO. Inscribed thus:

A lot of the docs I have were made on an older version of Windows
like 95 or 98, and when I started using this computer it kept
telling me it couldn't open Word something or other documents
which they were not, but it wouldn't open them with wordpad. So I
copied the version of wordpad I had from the old computer and
used it to open them with. It worked fine for years until all of
a sudden.


Because it gives me two choices when I select open with. They
have different icons.


Both versions of wordpad are 5.1. The version that was on this pc
wouldn't open the old .docs I loaded into it, so I put in the
older version of wordpad from my old computer and it worked great
until recently. Then it quit working for all of the docs it had
been opening fine before. I tried making new docs with the
version I loaded from the old pc and now it keeps having
"unexpected" problems or just fails to respond leaving the hour
glass icon hanging around, and sometimes it gives this messag:

You are about to save the document in a Text-Only format, which
will remove all formatting. Are you sure you want to do this?

I made docs with the new version and it seems to work fine, but
it won't open the docs made with the version from my old pc.
Neither will the old version any more, but it had been working
fine. At the moment it looks like I can make docs as I have been
with the version that was already on here, but can't use the
older ones made with the older version any more. I don't want to
lose them.

Why would wordpad not open wordpad docs to begin with? I used
wordpad to make things like that specifically trying to avoid
this sort of problem because every pc has wordpad, so it should
always be easy to few my docs. But this pc said it couldn't open
Word...whatever so I loaded wordpad from my old pc and opened
them with that and it worked fine for year up until now. All of
this is EXACTLY what I was deliberately trying to avoid by using
a common program like wordpad to make docs with pic in them...


I opened one of the docs that used to work fine but now does not
and copied everything from it, then pasted it into a paint doc to
see if that would somehow end up showing it like it used to, but
it didn't. I tried the same thing loading it into a doc made with
the later version of wordpad and that didn't work either. I hate
to lose all those old docs all of a sudden for no apparent
reason, but so far that's what looks like is going to
happen...exactly what I've been trying to avoid since before I
ever had the first problem with it...

Didn't the early "Wordpad" have a 64K file size limit.

 

[- Bobb -]

To confirm your problem that was posted here:
you wanted to save a picture from a webpage, so you " used to"
right-click/copy the picture, then PASTE into wordpad. Right ?
That's all I was trying to help you with.

If you have problems with "RTF files" ( wordpad documents) that's a whole
'nother topic.
So don't conFUSE me !

Is the "picture thing" OK ?

As for "the old wordpad documents", what are their file extensions ? Are
they PICTURES or TEXT ?

HAD you saved them with "filename.RTF" extension ?
And you COULD read them before - but not now ?
copy one - open it on another PC - does it open / look ok there ?
This should become a new thread.