The immediate questions would relate to whether all of the pictures came from the same source and are in the same .jpg/.png formats.

There are numerous variations and flavors of most graphics formats, and you may have gotten a "special version" of this one image. Especially if the original version isn't one that MS Picture It (a somewhat limited program?) knows how to handle, the file may have been corrupted at the first "save-back" and MSPI doesn't have the horsepower to "reconstruct" it.

An effect similar to what you describe can occur if an image file is saved with multiple "layers," since Word can be be "confused" about which layer to display. This shouldn't happen with a .jpg, as most programs don't permit saving multi-layer images in .jpg, although there are a very few (and very rare in my experience) programs capable of making this kind of file.

Many graphic formats permit saving "with preview" in which case the image file includes both the "formatted image" and a "bitmap preview" of the image. This method allows Word to use the preview and/or the "real" image when one or the other is not compatible with - e.g. a printer or monitor in your system. If one of the two versions is corrupted, but Word displays the other you'll see the good one. If Word tries to load the corrupted one, you get the bad one. The usual situation is for Word to display the "preview" bitmap, but send the "real" image to a printer that's capable of printing a format like .eps that Word can't display. It can work the other way 'round though.

If you have a graphics editing program that allows you to do so, I'd suggest as a "punt" that you open the suspect image and save it as a bitmap. Close both the image file and the program, and then reopen the program and load the .bmp. If MSPI lets you, verify that the image "mode" is RGB and that everything is in a single image layer (Flatten or "merge layers" if not) and re-save as .jpg from your own program. This often will make a "good" file you can use in the Word document, unless something incredibly bizarre is wrong with the original file.

Possible problems more Word specific:

Some image formats, in Word and elsewhere, display in "negative" when selected (or when included in a section of text that's selected/highlighted) in which case just clicking somewhere "off the picture" should clear it.

You didn't mention what version of Word you're using, but especially in some older versions there are various ways in which the Word file can be "corrupted" and still work in part. This is was not too uncommon with older version. It is extremely rare in the newest versions, but probably still happens.

There is a "standard method" if Word file corruption is suspected:

1. In your case, since the problem seems to be associated with a single image and it's associated text, I'd suggest deleting that particular bit. (I'd suggest saving the "new version minus picture x" under a new name.)

2. Open the original (minus the troublesome pic) document, use Ctl-Home to go to the top of the document.

3. Hold down Shift and use Ctl-End to highlight everything to the end of the document.

4. Without releasing the Shift key, use the "left-arrow" key to back up one space so that the last "carriage return" is removed from the selection. (It helps to have "Show All" turned on so you can see the ¶ characters.)

5. Use Ct-C to Copy the entire selection.

6. Open a NEW BLANK DOCUMENT and use Ctl-V to paste everything into the new doc.

(You can substitute Edit|Copy for Ctl-C and Edit|Paste for Ctl-V if you like.)

7. Once you've "rebuilt" the Word document and saved it safely (with a new name to tell them apart) you can try reinserting the bits removed.

The reason that this works is that Word writes all the formating and editing information at the end of the file, and omitting the last CR doesn't copy it to the new file you create.

The corruption that may make a restoration necessary can be minimized by going to Tools|Options, select the "Save" tab and remove the check mark at "Allow Fast Saves" if it's there. (You should have "Allow Background Saves" and some appropriate options for "Autorecover" checked - add them if you don't.)

Depending on how large your images are, with 23 images you may have exceeded file size limits for your version of Word, or may have exceed temp space/RAM limits for your machine. Word 2002 specifies a maximum file size of 32 MB, but earlier versions may have had lower limits. In my experience, the useful limit may somewhat lower with lots of graphics included although I have a couple of "all graphics" Word docs at 34MB. I also have a couple of "text only" docs at around 80 MB but I treat them very gently. It depends a lot on how much temp space Word can use on your hard drive, and how much RAM you have installed.

John