Windows 2000 can only save images as bmp???

[Tails]

I tried to save an animated gif file in Windows 2000 and the only allowable format was bmp. WTF is Microsoft's Problem? And Paint also can't read GIF either....Why do people bother downgrading from Windows 98 that can do all of that? They should be paying me to use their bug infested OSes with stripped abilities.

[mouse]

Paint only operates with BMPs UNLESS there is another program present capable of filtering gif's, such as another paint program.

[Tails]

Would you like to see a pic of my Windows 98 Paint opening BMP, JPG, GIF, and PCX images? It's sound recorder can open mp3 files too. That's something the Windows XP sound recorder can't do. I'd like to know all I can about this. It looks to me like 2000 and xp were used to steal money from customers that trusted microsoft.

[mouse]

Would you like to see the Micorsoft Knowledge Base article that says Paint can only open BMP's unless there's another program to filter the format?

See here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;251351 [251351]

It's possible that some versions of Windows come with Image Viewer or programs like Word, and so have filtering capabilities already there, even though Paint itself can't. According to the article there's no problem with XP, which I personally like ;)

[Tails]

That is really really strange. I will definately get a screenshot. In the open filebox, in the supported types, it has all the types I mentioned above. It's Windows 98se btw. It is all relative to Paint. It didn't call on any external programs like MicroSoft word, I don't even have Word.

[Tails]

Please be patient, I'll have the picture by next wednesday.

[Tails]

Mouse, do you have an email address? The images are too big to upload here. 203 kb in a zip file, and 151 kb in rar. I don't know if my bandwidth can handle it if I try hosting them. Let me know by tomorrow as a post or by email at TailsTheKitsune@Yahoo.com

[Tails]

I need an answer today (5-7-03). Otherwise, I'm not going to bring the images next time. A week's notice has been given. If no one cares, then let me know. If you don't care, then you're lack of intelligence is exacly what Microsoft is looking for when they thought they could get away with lying about how they removed features from Windows 98 when making Windows 2000.

[mouse]

Ultimately, I've looked on the M$ knowledge base and there's no info on this more than what's been given above. I'm unsure what else can be done. If you're on a network then I'd ask admin as they may have removed the image filters (network people do weird things) but other than that I can only suggest using something other than MSPaint.

[scroots]

a side point. In windows 98 you can so called only open bitmaps and jpegs on my pc, if i go show all files i can select any picture file including .gif etc. and open it in paint.

the same may work for saving?
scroots

[Tails]

Yea, tell that to mouse. I wonder if she's a bit skeptical due to never being proven wrong? If I zip each image separately, they'll be small enough to upload here, but that would be 5 posts like that and I don't know if Mouse would like that, but I'll do that in a little while if I get no response. It can always be deleted, but I just want her to know that what I say is true.

[mouse]

What did you create the animated gif in, that won't save? It's quite possible that that program's gif filter is in some way corrupt; I had this problem with PS6, for no apparent reason I suddenly couldn't save gifs, or open them.

You can upload as zips if you wish and if you think it'll help us understand your problem.

[scroots]

i didn't have a problem. it doesn't work the same way for saving, you can only save in bitmap.

Conclusion: you can open any picture file in paint but you can only save it as a bitmap

thats what i found out.

scroots

[Tails]

[A1.bmp]
The pictures show the available types to open files as (bmp, jpg, gif).

[Tails]

[A2.bmp]
Notice that pcx files were not listed in the list of supported types (I don't know why).

[Tails]

[A3.bmp]
But given the file spec *.pcx and trying to open pcx files, Paint can do that also.

*Sorry, this image is too large to upload even as a zip*

[Tails]

[A4.bmp]
The attributes panel also has a transparency option available when opening GIF files (which is dimmed on other file formats). Also notice
that the color variable square at the bottom left of the window (color1=LeftClick, Color2=RightClick) also shows the transparent color.

[Tails]

[A5.bmp]
Paint can save in the following formats: BMP (1, 4, 8, 24 bits), GIF, and JPG

[Tails]

[A6.bmp]
The About panel showing that all this was from Windows 98.

That's all of the images. Don't laugh at my rediculously low ram and resources lol.

[WA]

Originally posted by Tails
I need an answer today (5-7-03). Otherwise, I'm not going to bring the images next time. A week's notice has been given. If no one cares, then let me know. If you don't care, then you're lack of intelligence is exacly what Microsoft is looking for when they thought they could get away with lying about how they removed features from Windows 98 when making Windows 2000.

Hi Tails:
Please try not to get personal about this issue and towards other members, as we're all on your side here, limited however by our knowledge and understanding of a solution to a problem. We're not the developers of Windows 2000, so all some of us can provide you with is first count experience working with the OS, plus resources listed online pertaining to your problem.

FYI mouse is not doubting your problem- he just can't duplicate it nor find any resource to validate it, so he can't assist in confirming your problem. I doubt posting a screen shot will help either (just a literal picture of a mental one we already have down).

Finally, I've experienced the problem with IE saving .gif pictures as .bmp on and off in both Win98 and WinXP. It really just seems to be one of those quirks in the OS that appear to be more severe in your case.

[oracleguy]

I still don't see why you absolutely have to use paint. Why not use Photoshop or maybe download a free image editor off the net that has more features.

[Tails]

Oh, no, I wasn't attacking Mouse. I didn't mean it. I guess I got carried away. I was just peaved at Microsoft. The big businesses always get away with scams. Like Compaq for example is known widely to sell "new" computers with recycled and cheap parts...
Back to the topic, is there any known explanation for why things went down since 98? This is worth researching on. For the pictures, I didn't post all 6 separately out of spite remember, it was just the space limit and I suggested that they be deleted if necessary as long as you see my point. Due to my lack of time online, I get road rage lol.

[sage45]

Really wanna know... Money... It has to do with the anti trust issues that they were encountering... While they were building the functionality into the Windows OS to allow for people to have many of these features out of the box, other companies were complaining saying that they were taking the market share away from them...

-sage-

[Tails]

Do you mean about all the copyrights on formats such as GIF and PCX? That's just low, even for Microsoft. Their profitting way too much off of people's faith. Their not giving as much back in return for the high price of the new OSes.

[mouse]

They don't sell Windows 2000 to "people" they sell it to corporations, BIG corporations with thousands upon thousands of users. If they have to pay compuserve $x and all the other owners of proprietory formats that you might get with XP or whatever, then the product cost goes up a heap. Needless particularly since Paint probably isn't something many large corporations use.

I'd assume that when a product capable of filtering gifs is installed, the user of that terminal/network is deemed/assumed to have a license for gif creation and that filter is then used by Paint.

[Tails]

Oh, I think I got it. Stay away from Windows 2000 because customers can't buy it and don't know what features were stolen because companies will lie about it? It makes perfect sense. Why don't the companies be honest and give you more options? Such as a plan for those who have no extra money to buy external paint programs and want to be sure that Paint wasn't stripped, or maybe have MicroSoft word as another option. Because companies are so dishonest, I won't buy from them if they have Windows 2000 then. And if you can't get 2000 unlesss you're a huge corporation, then it sucks, because home made computers have a lower "mortality rate" than companies and that's probably why Microsoft is getting away with all of this.

[mouse]

Yep, and on that point I think this thread has run its course. ;)