This is reported to be one of the problems caused by a recent Windows
update. To quote Jay Freedman:

The quick but unsafe way is to uninstall the security patch that's
causing the problem. In Add/Remove Programs, check the box at the top
marked "Show updates". Select "Security Update for Windows XP
(KB908531)" and click the Remove button.

For a better workaround, until a new security patch is ready, read
Steven Hui's post at
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...fb82836c014916.
Use the registry change in Method 1. Also read the replies that follow
that post, which give some useful advice.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
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"cainruna" wrote in message
...
Computer freezes when trying to insert a picture from a file. Can insert
picture from cip art but not from a file. What do I do? Never had this
problem before.