WD97: Err Msg: "Unable to Open Selected TWAIN Source" in Word 97

Last reviewed: July 31, 1997
Article ID: Q163458

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
Microsoft Office 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you point to Picture on the Insert menu and then click From Scanner, you receive the following error message:

   Unable to open selected TWAIN Source. If your scanner is a TWAIN
   compliant scanner, please reinstall the software for that scanner.

CAUSE

Word for Windows is not a Twain compliant application. Using the From Scanner command starts Microsoft Photo Editor. You can use Photo Editor to import pictures and graphics with the use of a scanner.

NOTE: When you install some graphics editors, a command for that editor may be added to a Word menu. These graphics editors may also provide scanning options which may cause similar error messages in Word. For more information about your specific editor, please refer to the documentation that is provided with your graphics editor.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, you may need to reinstall your scanner software. Please refer to the scanner's setup information for more information about how to properly install the scanner software.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Office 97 for Windows installs the Microsoft Photo Editor, version 3.0, graphics editor. When you run Setup for the editor, menu commands are added to Word so that you can easily access Photo Editor from Word.

Microsoft Photo Editor is a stand-alone application with which you can modify, enhance, and import pictures and graphics into an Office 97 program. Microsoft Photo Editor is a replacement graphics editor for Microsoft Imager in previous releases of Microsoft Office.

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q93359
   TITLE     : Word for Windows Does Not Support TWAIN Protocol

   ARTICLE-ID: Q162784
   TITLE     : Reinstalling Graphics Import Filters using the Office 97
               Setup

   ARTICLE-ID: Q162380
   TITLE     : OFF97: Setup Performs Typical Installation by Default

Keywords          : word8 word97 kberrmsg kbinterop
Version           : 97
Platform          : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: July 31, 1997
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