# "Paint cannot read this file. This is not a valid bitmap file..."



## captainphoenix (Mar 17, 2008)

Windows 7 Professional Dell Vostro Desktop

In short, paint is refusing to open a file and it's baffling me.

The file is a 14400 x 9662 8.62 MB black and white cemetery map saved under the .jpg extension. We have a bunch of other maps that are exactly the same setup; .jpg extension, black and white, and roughly the same size (some are larger some are smaller). All of the other maps open in paint perfectly fine, and - additionally - they open properly in every other picture viewing software we have. The reason we like paint is because it's black and white and basically all we are doing is typing names into boxes and drawing lines here and there; it's extremely simple and straight-forward, and, until now, has worked exceedingly well, and it's free. 

The file is not corrupt. It opens properly in all of our picture viewing software. I have tried resaving it as .jpg, .png, .tif, and .gif in ms office picture manager and windows photo viewer to no avail. I have even tried importing the picture into MS Word, then copy and pasting the picture into a blank MS Paint window. From that point we can view and edit as needed as though the file had been opened properly to begin with without even experiencing lag. Then I can save it...as .jpg, .png, .tif, .gif, etc. (in order to use the .bmp extension without quality loss it winds up creating a HUGE file that paint won't open anyways. so .bmp is out). Then after paint itself has resaved the exact same file to a file extension I know it can read I get the same "Cannot read this file" message. 

The file originated from a CD created for us by a local print shop. Paint has no problem opening the file from CD, and no problem opening the file from the computer once transferred. The problems only arise after I've saved it, and it doesn't appear to matter what format I save it to. And it's only this picture. What am I doing wrong?


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Where please are you saving it to


> and it doesn't appear to matter what format I save it to. And it's only this picture.


and with the picture open on paint click file and then properties and with the pixel box checked, click default
then save -will it now open


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## AbelB (Jun 23, 2013)

If it is a jpg file then its supposed to work. You have talked about re-saving it to jpg, do this and see if it works. First to change format you would have to read the file with some graphic tools or try to read it with another graphic editor. I have found similar issues that you can look at and get some idea that can help you www.techyv.com/questions/paint-cannot-read-file.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

AbelB

Welcome to Tech Support Guy, just wondered if you spotted the 23 May - month old post


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## AbelB (Jun 23, 2013)

Thank you.
It seemed that this post did not get a solution yet and this was something i could immediately help with, so took this up.


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