Runtime Error 481 Invalid Picture

I have a spreadsheet with a user form displaying different graphs based on a combo box user selection. This is based on John Walkenbach's solution and uses this code.

Private Sub UpdateChart(ChartNum As Integer)
  Dim currentchart As Chart, Fname As String
    Set currentchart = Sheets("Portfolio").ChartObjects(ChartNum).Chart
    currentchart.Parent.Width = 400
    currentchart.Parent.Height = 200

'   Save chart as GIF
    Fname = ThisWorkbook.Path & Application.PathSeparator & "temp.gif"
    currentchart.Export Filename:=Fname, FilterName:="GIF"

'   Show the chart
    Image1.Picture = LoadPicture(Fname)
End Sub

This works perfectly in Excel 2007, however when the same file is run in Excel 2010, I get frequent 'Runtime Error 481 Invalid Picture' errors.

Looking at Microsoft's site, there is a suggestion that I should use a BMP rather than a GIF file format (as this is a known Microsoft problem). Having amended the VBA accordingly, this made NO DIFFERENCE and the errors still happen.

I also came across a site suggesting a 'HotFix' using an updated version of a file called 'mscomctl.OCX'. Having tried this, again, it makes no difference.

I can save my file in Excel 2010, and reopen it in Excel 2007 and the errors don't occur.

Has anyone come across this problem and found a successful resolution.

Many thanks...

Hi Andy

The problem seems to be related to the graph export. As I say, in 2010 the Runtime Error happens seems to happen because the exported graph generates a file that is 0kb, whereas running the same spreadsheet in 2007 there are no problems whatsoever.

When this problem was first reported (the file was created in 2007) but the end user is running 2010, I recreated all the graphs in 2010, however the problem still exists and seems to be unique to 2010.

I've tried numerous other file formats including jpg, but it makes absolutely no difference, so I assume this must be an excel 2010 or a visual basic bug?

Any other thoughts?

I should point out that some of the exported graphs generate a 0kb file, whilst others are fine. All the code is doing each time is exporting and overwriting the previous version of the file, so this makes little sense to me as to why some files are fine and others are not...

Hi Andy

I'm afraid I'm a VBA Virgin, how would I go about doing this?

Hi Andy

OK, Instance 1, where I get the runtime error on the first chart that is supposed to load, at the 'Stop' point a file of 8kb is generated but I normally get the Runtime Error 481 before it can display the first graph in the series.

I would anticipate that if I again, recreate this 'first graph' then the error would go away, but it seems as though it can still come back again...

Instance 2, where the graph that errors is the 6th one in the series, at the point where 'Stop' is initiated, the file size of the exported graph is 0kb, hence there error.

If I then go on to click F5, I get a Runtime Error 424 - Object Required.

Does this suggest anything?

Can I PM this to you as the data is sensitive?

Bizarre, yes I can confirm that this works!

The charts for the pink circle are on a sheet which isn't currently hidden, so I tried clicking in call A1 for this sheet and this didn't work for this set. I also tried hiding the sheet but again it made no difference?

The error only occurs for the pink circle when you reach the 9th item in the list...

Hi Andy

Thanks for this, it seems to fix the cyan button problem, i.e. the hidden sheet, but not the pink button, i.e. the sheet that isn't hidden. I still get the Runtime 481 Error on that one from the start now, rather than from the 9th chart? Does that make any sense?

Not sure if you are still dealing with this, but I leveraged off of Walkenbach's macro as well. I've received the same error.

I was re-sizing the Chart on my worksheet and I think I expanded the width / height of the chart too much and it wasn't able to "load" onto the UF.

Once I went back and made the Chart on my ws smaller, it worked (so far...) in my Macro.

Has anyone been able to find a fix for this yet? I am having exactly the same problem and it's becoming quite embarrassing as it's doing it in a professional tool....

I just answered my own question - programmatically select the chart object in the worksheet before copying it. This seems to fix the issue for now.

Solution found here: http://www.vbaexpress.com/forum/show...-chart-s-error