Red X on docs

[gingerd]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I've created a doc. using MS Word 04, then updated the doc last year in MS Word 08 (default saving to 04). On this doc I had taken screen shots of a website (I'm creating a help packet for my staff).

The doc was fine last week. Now, I have a new MacBook Pro running 10.5.8 (old computer ran 10.5.6). The x's are appearing instead of some of the screen shots that I took. Some shots are just fine.

I hope you guys have the answer as the doc is 9 pages long. I'm so hoping I don't have to recreate it.

How do I go about getting rid of the x's? I've already tried clicking on them and that isn't doing a thing.

TIA,
Ginger

 

[michael_carr]

I never had this happen from 2004 to 2008, but it used to happen with 2003 and 2004 (Windows to Mac and back) all the time, mostly in PowerPoint. Microsoft is notorious for corrupting JPEGs and GIFs. You don't have to recreate the whole document, but you will have to reinsert your images. The most reliable format for preserving images across both platforms has always been PNG. If you still have the original images as separate files (preferred), you can open them and resave them as PNGs. If not, you can copy them from the Word doc, paste them into a photo editor (such as Photoshop) and then save them as PNGs. Either way at 150 DPI. I've never seen a red X in place of an image in the five years I've been saving images as PNGs.

 

[gingerd]

It is interesting you say "png." They are all png's. I took screen shots by using command shift 4 and then highlighting what I needed.

I'm guessing I have to redo the document. I was so hoping I wouldn't have to.

Thanks much for your input!

Ginger

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Ginger;

Two things you make no mention of:

What is your specific update level of Office, and
Exactly how are you putting the images into the document?

Have you tried saving any of the files in .docx format rather than
continuing to work with them in Compatibility Mode?

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I've created a doc. using MS Word 04, then updated the doc last year in MS
Word 08 (default saving to 04). On this doc I had taken screen shots of a
website (I'm creating a help packet for my staff).

The doc was fine last week. Now, I have a new MacBook Pro running 10.5.8 (old
computer ran 10.5.6). The x's are appearing instead of some of the screen
shots that I took. Some shots are just fine.

I hope you guys have the answer as the doc is 9 pages long. I'm so hoping I
don't have to recreate it.

How do I go about getting rid of the x's? I've already tried clicking on them
and that isn't doing a thing.

TIA,
Ginger

The "Red X" basically means "File can not be found".

If those pictures were linked to a folder on the old computer, they will not
be in the same folder on the new computer, and therefore indeed they cannot
be found.

However, usually people build their documents storing the pictures in the
document itself. You would "know" if you were not doing this, because you
would have had to check the "Link to File" box and uncheck the "Save with
Document" box when you inserted the pictures.

If you put the pictures in the document (the normal practice) the Red X
does, indeed, mean the file is corrupt and Word can't read the picture file
stored in it.

In which case, follow Michael's advice: but each time make sure you DELETE
the whole picture showing the red X before you insert the new one, otherwise
you run the risk of getting two copies in the document.

But before you follow Michael's advice, make sure you follow Bob's advice:
check your Update level in Word>About Word... It should be "12.2.0, Latest
applied update 12.2.1"

If not, apply the 12.2.0 update from Microsoft, and then the 12.2.1 patch.
Otherwise, it will simply corrupt again soon.

Hope this helps


This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[gingerd]

Thanks so much John for all of your knowledge!

I have never checked or unchecked any boxes. So I'm not sure what you mean there. I take the screen shots, then drag/drop them onto a document.

I did check my updates and am at 12.2.0. I don't have the ability to update my laptop as it is a work laptop. I'll have tech look at it and check this out!

Thanks again for your help!
Ginger

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Ginger:

You will have better luck if you save the screenshots as .PNG format and
then use Insert>Picture from the menu to put them in the document.

PNG is Word's native format so you will get a lot less trouble with it. It
is also one twentieth the size of TIFF; it keeps all the colours, and keeps
all of the resolution, so you do not lose as much quality as you do with
JPEG (which is optimised for photos).

Drag and Drop is right up there with Plug and Pray as a way to exercise your
cardiovascular system by increasing your blood-pressure.

Cheers

Thanks so much John for all of your knowledge!

I have never checked or unchecked any boxes. So I'm not sure what you mean
there. I take the screen shots, then drag/drop them onto a document.

I did check my updates and am at 12.2.0. I don't have the ability to update my
laptop as it is a work laptop. I'll have tech look at it and check this out!

Thanks again for your help!
Ginger

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]