Problems with embedded images associated with Microsoft Photo Editor 3

Hello!

I have a database with alot of embedded images. The reason for having
the images embedded is security.

My problem is that it works fine on my computer, but not on my clients
computer. He hasn't got Microsoft Photo Editor installed and because
of that he cant view the images when doubleclicking on them in the
table. He can still see the pictures in the formview but when he
doubelclicks the images a error message shows up.

I want to create a database which all my clients can use, both the
clients with Microsoft Photo Editor and those whitout. I would of
course also prefer if they didn't have to install another plugin /
application.

All the embedded images are jpeg, but in the table they show up as
MSPhotoEd.3

In my humble opinion, the best way would be if access would show the
pictures with the program associated with the filetype. If jpg for
example was asociated with Photoshop on my clients computer, the image
would be opended in Photoshop.
From what I have read, I suppose the progam that views the image must
be an OLE server and Im don't know if Photoshop can act as one.

What is the best thing to do?
All help is highly appreciated!

Thanks!
Marcus

re: Problems with embedded images associated with Microsoft Photo Editor 3

"Zeroeffect" wrote
[color=blue]
> I have a database with alot of embedded
> images. The reason for having the images
> embedded is security.[/color]

If you use OLE Objects and Bound OLE Frames, you put yourself at the mercy
of whatever COM-enabled software the user has registered on his/her machine
for processing the image file type you are using. Another approach discussed
in the article, and illustrated in the examples described below is the
Binary Large Object (BLOB) method. If your users do not have Access and the
graphics filters installed, you may need to find a third-party control to
display the image. MVP Stephen Lebans' ImageClass, free for the downloading,
may be of some help -- http://www.lebans.com/imageclass.htm.

The sample imaging databases at http://accdevel.tripod.com illustrate three
approaches to handling images in Access, and the download includes an
article discussing considerations in choosing an approach. Two of the
approaches do not use OLE Objects and, thus, avoid the database bloat, and
some other problems, associated with images in OLE Objects.

If you are printing the images in reports, to avoid memory leakage, you
should also see MVP Stephen Lebans' http://www.lebans.com/printfailures.htm.
PrintFailure.zip is an Access97 MDB containing a report that fails during
the Access formatting process prior to being spooled to the Printer Driver.
This MDB also contains code showing how to convert the contents of the Image
control to a Bitmap file prior to printing. This helps alleviate the "Out of
Memory" error that can popup when printing image intensive reports.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP