Office clipart shows WAV icons in Vista, but not XP

I'm having a problem that is either a Word problem or a Vista problem. I'm assuming so far that it's a Vista problem since it isn't happening in XP.

When I try to insert clipart into any Office document, the clipart panel opens. It will search different locations for my object including "Web Collections". I am searching for images, but in Web Collections, all the thumbnails are WAV icons. If I select one, the image is put in the document and viewable. If I check the icon's properties, I get to see a preview of the image. In the "Paths" section at the bottom of the preview are the following two lines:

File: C:\Users\Andy\AppData\Local\Temp\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\1INXV42H\[filename]
Catalog: http: insertmedia.office.microsoft.com (slashes removed to prevent forum from creating link)

Now I understand the filepath is the temporary directory where the file is stored for preview and the one I looked for is properly named a JPG file. But the catalog URL goes to a 404 page. This works perfectly in Windows XP and worked perfectly in the Vista machine the last time I used it in November 2014.

I've already cleared my cache in IE, even though I use Firefox primarily. Has anyone had this problem and what is the fix?

NEW INFORMATION:

I did a repair install of Word, rebooted, and logged into the Administrator account and Word still failed to create the proper thumbnails for Clipart. Then I created a Guest User account in Vista, switched to that profile, and Word's Clipart works in that profile. Then I logged into my User account again, but Word still doesn't create the thumbnails.

This would indicate that the problem lies in Vista and not in Word. Any idea what would cause thumbnails to be replaced by WAV icon placeholders?

Change the file type associated with pics.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/233243-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

townsbg said:

Change the file type associated with pics.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/233243-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

Click to expand...

Yeah, everybody goes there. It's not the file associations. I already checked. It's only the icons in Office that are mislabeled. Reinstalling Office doesn't help. Recreating the Clip Organizer files doesn't work.

Try a restore point from before the beginning of the problem.

townsbg said:

Try a restore point from before the beginning of the problem.

Click to expand...

That could be difficult. I don't know when the problem started. It may have been happening for a while and I just didn't notice until I needed the clipart.

Here is something interesting that I just discovered. The images I'm trying to view are JPG files. In Office, the icons say they're WAV files. When I click on properties, they show as JPGs.

In File Associations, JPGs are opened by Windows Photo Gallery. But when I just tried to save a picture from the internet, Windows said the File Type would be Nero PhotoSnapViewer (.jpg, .jpeg). I removed Nero years ago, but I've just found several folders remaining.

How can I change what I can't find?

Please take a screenshot of your issue.

In the image below, you can see that I am searching for "dog" in the Web Collections and all the icons are WAV icons with the filenames. The issue is the same in the Clip Organizer.



However, if I preview the file (as shown below), I can see the image as well as the properties identifying it as a JPG.




Earlier, I wrote that when saving an image from the internet, the save dialog says the filetype is Nero PhotoSnapViewer. I've removed all traces of Nero from my computer and the registry. I've searched the entire registry for "Nero PhotoSnapViewer" and it is not in there in regular text nor ROT13 encrypted text (Areb CubgbFancIvrjre).

Check the file association within Media player and word.

townsbg said:

Check the file association within Media player and word.

Click to expand...

What does that mean?

The images I posted above are from Word.

If you mean to check how other programs save JPGs, then Word doesn't do that. When I click Save As in Powerpoint, it shows the JPG file as JPEG File Interchange Format. Media Player saves as Windows Picture File. Windows Explorer is saving as Nero PhotoSnapViewer.

Word thinks that the files are for media player hence my recommendation that you check the word and media player settings to ensure that the file association is correct.

If you know of a separate place where Word and Media Player save their own separate file associations, then by all means, share it. The only place I know to set file associations is in Windows > Default Programs > Associate a file... and as I said, the settings are correct. I even tried changing them and changing them back again.

In word settings please go under advanced and take screenshots of the settings so that we can compare.

It's not just Word. It's every Office application including the Clip Organizer. I've uninstalled it manually several times and reinstalled it. My Windows Guest account shows the proper icons while my Administrator accounts do not, so it must be a user based problem since the default installation is across all three (Administrator, Guest, my own Admin account).

Also, Office just presented me with a whole new problem. I installed Office across all three accounts through the Administrator account. It installed without incident. I created Desktop shortcuts from the Start Menu items. Now that I've done a couple of reboots, Office is missing from the Start Menu ONLY IN THE ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT, but I am still able to use it from those Desktop shortcuts I created. It's weird. The Start Menu items are still in the other two accounts.

For shortcuts to apply on all accounts the shortcuts have to be placed in the correct folder. From the start menu right click on all programs and select explore all users. Make sure that the office shortcuts are in there. The exact path is C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs provided that the c-drive is your windows drive.

As for the settings I'd still like to see them because most of the word settings are applied to the other office programs as applicable. However it sounds like there is something going on with your profile so a simple solution would be to start using another account. Unfortunately I don't have much more to offer because I was unable to replicate the issue on my Vista virtual machine which also has office 2007 installed on it. Perhaps someone else will come along with something.

None of the Office shortcuts are there, but they had to have been there when I created shortcuts from them and put those new shortcuts on the desktop.

I did a repair install and it appears the Start Menu items are back for now. It did nothing for the icon problem.

Below are the Advanced Options from Word:




Thanks again for trying to help me. It is appreciated.

There are only minor differences between your settings and mine which really shouldn't make a difference. I have Nero installed and set as the default for pictures. Other than installing that my only suggestion would be using another account.

I checked the entire registry and there is no entry for Nero PhotoSnapViewer. I wonder where Windows is getting that from. Through all the sites I've checked looking for a solution, the only people who have said something worked were people who were on a corporate network or had group policies in place. I know nothing of group policies so I wouldn't know if one had been set by something else on my computer. I don't know what group policy would make sense to have files misidentified anyway. They still work. It's just the icons are screwed up. It's weird.