PRB: Loading Metafile Causes "Cannot Convert Picture" Error

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows, versions 3.0 and 3.1

SYMPTOMS

When an application attempts to load a metafile from disk, the following error message is displayed in a message box:

   Cannot convert picture

CAUSE

Some Windows applications expect to load a "placeable" metafile, which has 22 additional bytes, at the beginning of a normal metafile. Both metafile types use the .WMF file extension; only the contents of the file change.

In an application, the GetMetaFile function does not read a placeable metafile correctly; however, it returns a non-NULL value, which indicates success.

RESOLUTION

Load the metafile into an application that will accept both metafile types and save the metafile in an appropriate type. The following applications accept "placeable" metafiles: Aldus PageMaker, Microsoft PowerPoint, Micrografx, Corel Draw, Microsoft Draw, Microsoft Graph, Microsoft Equation Editor, and Microsoft Publisher.

For more information on placeable metafiles, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   prod(winsdk) and placeable and metafile