AVI's do not show as graphics in Word or WordPerfect

[Grumpy Old Tom]

This is a copy of my post (slightly edited) in the Music, Pictures and videos forum. I really need some help here.

I have been about the 'net (including the office forum as Microsoft) and landed here as well. Tech support is getting me nowhere, and so here it goes:

We have been rolling our systems from XP SP2 to Windows 7 Pro. The only real problem I've noticed is with regards to AVI files in Word and WordPerfect. I have WordPerfect X3 and X5 (trial), and Word 2007.

Under XP SP2, both Word and WordPerfect would allow us to drag-and-drop AVI files into our documents. Well, they still do, but under XP SP2, they would show as a graphic, with a title bar underneath containing the file name. They would be embedded, and could be activated with a click, etc.

Now they only display as icons, whether I have "display as icon" checked or not.

If I open an old report in WordPerfect, I get the following WordPerfect error:

"The OLE object could not be created. The data has been loaded as a simple graphics box. Check the path to the server in the Windows registration database." (neat -how do you do THAT?)

If I open an old Word report, I get no errors until I click on one of the AVI graphic boxes. Then I get this alert box from Word:

"The program used to create this object is Package. That program is not installed on your computer. To edit this object, you must install a program that can open the object".

This is a royal pain for us. Getting our reports out quickly is important, and I have no idea where to go with this. It apparently has something to do with OLE, and, according to WordPerfect, the path to the server in the registry. But I have no idea where to start poking around in the registry to find it.

I've had the thought that, due to security issues, they've disabled AVI display like they did with animated GIF's in Outlook 2007, etc, but if they did, it's new with Win 7, as we can still insert the videos in Office 2007 or WordPerfect on an SP2 machine.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to be complete. I'd sure appreciate any help you can give us, I've wasted 'way too much time on this already. The workaround is cumbersome, and I'm just wondering if there is something I need to change in the registry, or if I'm just skunked. BTW, I have no problem doing something in the registry, but I have no idea what I'm looking for.

I just had the thought that I might have to run both of these in the XP SP2 virtual machine, but gee, I'd hoped for something better than that...

Thanks,

Grumpy Old Tom

"The better it gets, the worse it gets..." :sarc:

 

[Bill2]

This thread may be useful.

http://www.wpuniverse.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=19073

 

[Grumpy Old Tom]

Thanks, Bill, but that isn't it. I actually have a thread going over there, too, and two different places at Microsoft. I'm think either (1) I'm a dunderhead and it's something bone-headed simple, or (2) nobody else ever embeds AVI files in their documents, so this is a new issue...

 

[Bill2]

I think (2) would be more probable...lol. But seriously, i myself never heard of anybody doing this thing. What do you do? And why cant you use plain old dvds/cds to transfer avi's?

 

[Grumpy Old Tom]

We do vibration testing. The AVI files show the mode shapes of the structure being tested. For the printed report, the static graphic works well, it displays the shape and identifies the file in the title bar. We've used this method for years, I think even before Windows XP.

We prepare the report in Word or WordPerfect, and publish it to PDF with the links to the files still active. Then the customer can print the report if they want, or play the animations by clicking on them in the document.

I think this is just some weird configuration problem, something having to do with changes to the registry structure (see OLE automation server 32 bit execable not registered in Windows 7 64 bit for instance). I would hope that this functionality hasn't gone away, but it wouldn't be the first time. Everything changes, eh?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Grumpy Old Tom]

Problem solved... sort of...

Well, I "sort of" fixed it. By installing Wordperfect X3 in the XP virtual machine, it works exactly as it should. I'm not going to bother to check Word as I avoid that program like the plague, but I suspect it would work properly as well.

But I still don't get it. I D/L'd WordPerfect X5 on trial, it just came out a couple of weeks, or maybe a month ago. I can see Office 2007 having a hiccup with Windows 7, but software that was just released? Has something drastically changed with OLE?

I like the forum, though... I'll try to stick around. Though at this point in my Windows 7 experience, I fear I'd be more a taker than a giver...

Best,

Tom

 

[pitch1]

I have a similar problem

Hi Tom,

I have a similar problem with Excel. I have an application in Excel that uses embedded video.
On XP system after double clicking the object I could see the video clip as part of the excel sheet.
In windows 7 - double clicking the object opened the stand alone video player (on a different location of the screen). I guess my problem is similar to yours.
Did you find any other solution rather than using virtual machine?

This phenomenon is a killer for my application. practically I can not use windows7. Which is a big drawback.


Thanks,

Pitch

 

[Grumpy Old Tom]

No, Pitch, I haven't - and the W7 XP VM is a dog on my machine. The problem probably has something to do with the bad guys, just like disabling the animated GIF's in Outlook email & Word, scripting, etc. As a matter of fact, I have to wonder if the biggest reason our computers are such dogs generally is the overhead associated with security.

I've been at these things since punch card days and can't imagine how much we cold have done with the RAM and speed we have now; I really wonder how fast we could go without so much overhead; but that's kinda off-subject.

 

[pitch1]

solution (maybe?)

Hi Tom,

I think I found a solution with different approach. (I am working with Excel):

Insets
Object
Under "Create New' tab I select "Windows Media Player"


Then I make a macro like this:

Sub PlayMedia()
ActiveSheet.WindowsMediaPlayer1.URL = "C:\Video sample.avi"
ActiveSheet.WindowsMediaPlayer1.Controls.Play
End Sub

The video is running as part as the excel sheet! (as used to run under widows XP)
It even looks better.

I am still struggling to learn how to control operation exactly. (window size, location ect)
But it gets me closer to my needs with windows7

Is this usfull for you?
Pitch

 

[Grumpy Old Tom]

I'll see what happens! The MS Word users here might be able to make better direct use of your macro thing, but as a curmudgeonly WordPerfect User , I don't know if it will work for me or not - I'll have to find equivalent macro language, I suppose... Thanks!