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Files displaying differently

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by blackcurrant

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Hi

We have a strange display problem with the computers on our company network. When a jpg is opened on two different W95 computers, it displays differently. The original jpg file is a 300 dpi scan, scanned on an HP Perfection 1640 SU connected to a W2K (DTP) workstation. The scan has been rotated using Photo House/Photo Shop, then saved with a new name. When used in a GIS program (MapMaker), the file will display correctly on one W95 machine, but on another machine the GIS program displays the unrotated image. This means that all data overlaid on the jpg is, obviously, incorrectly located, depending which machine is opened on. The problem is not restricted to just two machines.

The files are stored on a Server running Windows 2000 Server, updated to Windows 2000 Small Business Server. The W95 machines have had the OS's updated using Windows Update (Critical updates only).

The same display problems occur when viewing DesignCad files on W95 and W2K machines. The file will display incorrectly on one machine. I think that these problems are related to the OS's, as I have contacted the software suppliers, who say it is not their programs that are at fault.

Can anyone give me some pointers to a solution. Are there any display settings that I need to change/tweak. All suggestions will be gratefully recieved.

Thanks

5 replies

by timthetoolman

Hi,

My guess would be that this is somehow a caching problem.

If the file has been rotated and saved as a JPG with a different name, there is no way that it can be displayed wrongly in multiple packages - if you're defintely looking at the right file....

So I dont think display settings will help you.

Try to change the image on the server and see if looking at it on the problem machine shows the changed image (albeit rotated).

How are you serving the images? Is it a simple fileshare? or are you using IIS?

IIS will definitely cache images and may actually need to be stopped and restarted to update its cache.

Although I've never heard of it, its possible that some bizarre virus is doing this so it would be worth doing a scan. I dont hold much hope for that one, though.

In short, I guess you're just going to have to make lots of changes and test each one to figure whats causing it. New Images. Reboots. Different packages. Copying locally vs. loading over the network. and anything else you can think of.

Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Tim.

by blackcurrant

Hi Tim, thanks for answering. The file is definitely the correct version, and is being shared simply (without IIS). I have no idea what is causing this - The image was scanned and rotated on the workstation, the files are stored on the server, and they are viewed only on 2 or 3 machines (Win95).

by timthetoolman

Hi,

Something else to look at is different file formats. For instance if the original image is rotated and saved as a BMP, then there is no rotate information saved with that.

If it displays rotated, then, wow, you've got a bizarre subtle problem indeed.

Reformat and re-installation of the OS from scratch should fix it but thats pretty extreme.

Good luck with it. I'd like to know what the problem was when/if you find it!?!

Cheers,
Tim.

by blackcurrant

Hi Tim, thanks again. This problem has disappeared!! I still have no idea what was causing it. I tried saving the image as a different format to no avail. I was wondering if it may indeed have been a virus, but if this was the case I would have expected more images to have behaved the same way. If I find out what the problem was I will let you know.

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