Unable to open Bitmaps.

minniebill · 16th September 2005

I'm using my stand-alone personal computer which using Windows 98. I often save pictures as Bitmaps so I can go in and crop them precisely. Suddenly, I can not longer go into My Documents/My Pictures and open bitmaps. It will only open JPEG's. I can still open bitmaps using Picture It, but I prefer opening them in My Pictures because it gives me much more precise cropping ability.

The error message I have suddenly started getting when trying to open bitmaps in Windows Explorer/My Documents/My Pictures is:

This program has performed an illegal...yada yada yada.

Under details, it says: MSPaint caused an invalid page fault in module MFC42.DLL at 0167.5f40f9eb.

Then it lists a lot of registry information which is way too advanced for me to understand. Any ideas, anyone? Thanks.

minniebill

goddez1 · 16th September 2005

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=185501
To resolve this problem, use registry editor to delete the following
registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current
Version\Applets\Paint

This registry key is rebuilt the next time you start Paint.

To do so:
*Click on the taskbars startbutton and scroll to and open the runline
*Type regedit and hit the "enter" keyboard key
*Locate and click on each hkey (named in succession). These hkeys are in the list on the left.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\
Software\
Microsoft\
Windows\
Current
Version\
Applets\
Paint
*When you get to the one named Paint Right click on it and select delete
*Close regedit
*As said when you open mspaint again this hkey will be recreated.

Before doing this you may wish to export this hkey just for the practice in forming the good habit of backing up either the registry or exporting any hkey you plan on changing before making the actual change. That way any changes are easily reversible. In this instance you will be exporting the hkey rather than backing up the whole registry. Exporting the hkey will result in a *.reg with the * being replaced by the name you choose to give this exported hkey. Use a name that makes sense to you such, as paint. This will result in a paint.reg saved to the folder you chose (suggest saving it the desktop). Should you decide to put the value back due to any unforeseen blooper, just double click on the exported hkey paint.reg and the hkey and values you had deleted previously will be merged or put back into the registry. Should you keep the changes you made and not need the exported hkey "paint.reg" on the desktop just delete it.

Opps I guess it would help if I explain that you click on the key Paint once to highlight and from regedit's menubar select File>export from the popup, in the "file name" type in field type in paint and way up at the top of this popup is the "Save in" dropdown field, click on the arrow to the right and select "desktop".

==========
Hopefully after using the procedure above your problem will be resolved but it may take the added steps of uninstalling and reinstalling mspaint (win98xx cd would be needed). I also believe there is/was an mspaint patch update offered by Microsoft and known problems with mfc may have to be looked at but we'll cross those bridges if and when we need to should further steps need to taken after trying the previous registry scernario.

Keep in mind that all of this sounds much more complicated then it is. Once you have regedit opened and can walk through these instructions it will make more sense.