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Resolved Question

Storing Pictures in Windows 7

Jan 14, 2012 8:04AM PST

I use to have Windows Vista, and used to be able to routinely copy scores of pictures from web sites into my Pictures files and crop them if I wanted before storing them.

Recently, I installed Windows 7. Surprisingly and frustratingly, I am not able to even copy any pictures from web sites into my Pictures files, let alone crop them if I want.

The following are the related instructions for Windows 7:

..........................




Open the Pictures library by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Pictures.


In the library pane (above the file list), next to Includes, click Locations.

In the Pictures Library Locations dialog box, click Add.

Go to the folder or drive containing pictures, click Include folder, and then click OK.


..........................

I see nothing of the above such as "Includes", "Locations", etc. after "opening the Pictures library by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Pictures." (There was nothing of this kind in Vista either; it used to be all straightforward.)

Thank you for the help.

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I am sorry that ...
Jan 15, 2012 1:38AM PST

Edward,

I am sorry that the links which you kindly provided have not helped me at all.

What I would like to do is very simple (and I used to be able to do it routinely scores of times in Windows Vista): Copy a picture from a web page, paste it into one of my "Pictures" folders, crop it if I want to do so, and store it.

"Pictures" in Windows 7 never provides me the "paste" option, leaving it always grayed. I am thoroughly befuddled concerning the above simple task.

Thanks all the same for providing me the links.

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Addendum to my "I am sorry that..." post
Jan 15, 2012 2:01AM PST

When I right click on a picture in a web site which I want to store in my Pictures, I have two options: "copy image'' or "save image as".

If I click on "copy image", I am not able to "paste" it in my "Pictures" (as I wrote in my previous note).

If I click on "save image as", I am able to save it only in my "Downloads" folder. If I then click on the saved image in "Downloads", I can see the image in "Photo Viewer". I can rotate that image if I want, but there is no facility for cropping it; further if I "copy" that image, I am not able to paste it, for example, in an email.

As I wrote earlier, in Vista the matter of storing in "Pictures" pictures copied from a web site used to be elementary.

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You say you have TWO options ...
Jan 15, 2012 1:23PM PST

when you right click a picture. Are you sure you don't have a few more such as one that says "Go to My Pictures"?

If so try this:
1. size your browser window to less than full screen (you need some free desktop space in which to work)
2. Right click the picture and select the "Go to My Pictures" (a Windows Explorer window will open the My Pictures directory)
3. Position the Browser and Explorer windows so you can see both (easiest if the Windows Explorer window is on the right side of the screen)
4. Click on the picture you want in the browser and drag it to the Explorer window.
You will have to do the re-sizing and cropping in an imaging application that can handle such - you could easily open the picture in MS Paint rather than the default viewer.

You have a new and different Operating System so even though you prefer to do some things "the old way" the OS might no longer support such so you find work-a-rounds. Hope this one helps.

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My "travail" persists!!
Jan 16, 2012 4:56AM PST

Edward,

My high appreciation of your follow-up.

The option "Go to My Pictures" is not available in Windows 7 after right clicking on a picture in a web site. There are a few options in the pop-down window, but the only two options which would clearly be relevant are "copy image" and "save image as". I tried the "drag method" which you suggested. All it does it is to store in my Pictures folder a link to the web page from which I had dragged the picture; if I click on that link, it merely takes me back to the original picture in the web site!

It seems impossible to me that Windows 7 would not be providing even a "round about" method to accomplish the elementary task of storing pictures (and then cropping them if I want to do that). (I have been using a computer for the last twenty yearsWink Microsoft's instructions for Windows 7 do not shed any light either; so I am completely confounded!

I thank you, however, for your follow-up.

Regards.

Chuck

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Hope you also read Kees and Mark's responses ...
Jan 16, 2012 6:49AM PST

but if you are using Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 9 then your context menu when right clicking an image on a web page should indeed have the "Go to My Pictures" item. If you are using another browser it will have different context menu items - you haven't mentioned the browser.

It is possible, assuming you are using Internet Explorer that the context menu items are disabled. If so this link should be helpful - it also shows you what the context menu should contain:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/85100-internet-explorer-context-menu-enable-disable.html

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Thanks, Edward
Jan 16, 2012 12:43PM PST

Thanks, Edward.

I was not able to see "Go to My Pictures" in the pop-down window because I use Firefox browser, and Firefox does not have that option in the pop-down menu!

However, through the instructions of Kees and Mark, I have finally obtained a solution to my vexing problem!

I immensely thank all three of you for the help.

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Re: saving image
Jan 16, 2012 5:15AM PST

If I right click on an image in Internet Explorer (9) and choose Save Image As ..., it lets me browse(in the left pane) to any folder I like to save it.

And in that folder I can right click on the image and open it in any photo editing program I like to crop it or do anything else with it that I like. I can choose from Irfanview, Paint Shop Pro X, Paint.net, Microsoft Photo Editor. But I must admit none of these 4programs came with Windows, I had to install them myself. But they were free, so I don't care. Also GIMP is free and highly regarded. And there's also (not free) Adobe Photoshop, of course. For a simple crop I prefer using Irfanview, although Microsoft Photo Editor does a good job also.

So it's a few clicks to save and crop. I call that rather elementary.

Kees

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Thanks, Kees
Jan 16, 2012 1:50PM PST

Thanks, Kees.

Through the instructions of yourself and Mark, I finally obtained a solution to my vexing problem!

A program like Irfanview does provide many facilities to manipulate and store an image copied from a web site. On the other hand, Windows Vista used to provide a very quick facility to store a copied picture in the "Pictures" library and then manipulate it in a few manners; it used to be all very straightforward. Surprisingly, Windows 7 removed that facility.

Incidentally, before downloading Irfanview, I tried to download the photo editor from GIMP, and I obtained an AVG message that it had blocked a virus threat! So I discontinued that downloading, and downloaded Irfanview.

Thanks again.

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Adding to Kees post and options
Jan 16, 2012 5:31AM PST

You mentioned 'dragging' images.

I can do this in IE. If my IE window is smaller than the display, (so I can see my Desktop around the edges), I can drag an image off the web page onto the Desktop.

If that doesn't work, (it doesn't always), when I right click the image I select "Save image as" and a "Save as" dialog box opens where I can navigate to where i want to save the image. I always select the Desktop and from there I can move the images to where I want to.

I never use "Copy image". I don't want to copy it. I want to "Save" it.

Mark

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Thanks, Mark
Jan 16, 2012 2:00PM PST

Thanks, Mark, for your help along with Kees'.

I have provided above in my reply to Kees' posting a few details of my getting out of the woods!

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I see4
Jan 16, 2012 8:08PM PST

that in your reply to Edward you are using the Firefox browser.

I wonder why we all thought you were using IE? We might have solved this a lot earlier. Happy

I think the problem is in the 'understanding' of terms. You kept saying that Vista had this option this but Windows 7 does not. In fact there is little difference between the two for this type of action.

The real difference is which browser. Internet Explorer does have these right click options. I just checked my IE9 and right clicked an image and I can see "Go to My Pictures".

Firefox does not have that option. So it's not a Windows difference but a "Browser" difference.

Glad you got it sorted.

Mark