PPT4: New PICSTORE.DLL Incompatible with PowerPoint 4.0

• Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, version 4.0
• Microsoft ClipArt Gallery 1.1

SYMPTOMS

If you have Microsoft PowerPoint version 4.0 (not 4.0a or 4.0c) and you install the updated ClipArt Gallery Application Note (GE1031), you will get the following error message when you try to insert clip art

  The ClipArt Gallery could not read the file <PATH><FILENAME.PCS>.

This occurs because the PICSTORE.DLL file that comes with the updated ClipArt Gallery Application Note is incompatible with the original .PCS image files from PowerPoint 4.0.

RESOLUTION

If the PICSTORE.DLL file is not the correct size for the version of the .PCS files you have (see the More Information section in this article below), follow these steps:

NOTE: The following steps assume you have Windows 3.1 installed in the WINDOWS directory on drive C, and your floppy disk drive is drive A. If Windows 3.1 is loaded in a different drive/directory, substitute the correct location. If you are using floppy disk drive B instead of drive A, substitute B for A.

1. Exit Windows.

2. Rename PICSTORE.DLL (in the Windows SYSTEM subdirectory) to PICSTORE.OLD.

3. Place PowerPoint 4.0 Setup disk 1 in drive A.

4. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press ENTER:

         a:\decomp a:\picstore.dl_ c:\windows\system\picstore.dll
   

5. Start Windows and try using ClipArt Gallery again.

MORE INFORMATION

The PICSTORE.DLL that comes with the Updated ClipArt Gallery Application Note (GE1031) is the same version that comes with PowerPoint 4.0a and 4.0c (15,872 bytes). It must be replaced with the original PICSTORE.DLL file that came with PowerPoint 4.0 (28,672 bytes) to read the .PCS image files that come with PowerPoint 4.0. This will not affect performance of the new ARTGALRY.EXE file.

FILE SIZE IN BYTES

Filename           4.0     4.0a, 4.0c

PICSTORE.DLL      28672     15872

ACADEMIC.PCS     110592    177664
ANIMALS.PCS      105472    156672
BACKGRND.PCS     273408    506368
BUILDING.PCS     185856    480768
BUSINESS.PCS     146432    299008
CARTOONS.PCS     303104    522752
COMM.PCS          79360    181248
CURRENCY.PCS     285696    496128
ELECTRNC.PCS      56832    119808
ENERGY.PCS       122368    202240
ENTRTAIN.PCS     117248    271872
FLAGS.PCS         99328    172544
GESTURES.PCS      61440     90112
HARDWARE.PCS      56320     86528
HOUSEHLD.PCS     331776    608256
INTLMAPS.PCS     371712    535552
LANDMARK.PCS     455680    981504
PEOPLE.PCS       554496    846848
PLANTS.PCS       394752    552960
SCIENCE.PCS      190976    358400
SHAPES.PCS       176640    309248
SIGNS.PCS        132608    238080
SPORTS.PCS       162816    284672
TECHNOL.PCS      195072    500224
TRANSPRT.PCS     276992    630784
USMAPS.PCS        94208    163840
PP400.PCS          7680     10240