Visio5: Unable to Load Export Filters (254709)

SYMPTOMS

When you are working in Visio, you may receive the following error message:

Unable to load export filters. Please try restarting Visio. If that fails, try reinstalling the filters using Visio's Setup program.

The error occurs when you choose to save the Visio drawing as an HTML file by clicking Save As on the File menu, and then selecting .html for the file type. This error can also occur when you point to Macro on the Tools menu, point to Visio Extras, and then click Save As HTML. The error may also occur if you try to save your Visio drawing to another non-Visio file format or run certain macros.

CAUSE

The following conditions cause this error:

The Visio.ini file does not exist.

Some macros and non-Visio file formats require the presence of the Visio.ini file. Visio 5.0 automatically creates this file after you run and close the program for the first time.
You choose to save a drawing as an HTML file, but you do not have permission to make changes to the Visio\System\Filter32 folder or the files within it. (This is common when Visio 5.0 is installed on a network.)

When you save a drawing as an HTML file, Visio must update filter INI files for raster file formats such as GIF, JPEG, BMP, PCX, PNG, and TIFF. The Filter32 folder contains the filter INI files, so if you do not have permission to make changes to this folder, you cannot save a drawing as an HTML file.

RESOLUTION

If you are running Visio 5.0 for the first time after installing it, close and restart Visio, and then repeat the action that caused the error. For example, try to save a drawing as an HTML file.

If the error still occurs, or if you are not running Visio 5.0 for the first time after installing it, use the following procedure to configure the Visio file structure to meet the conditions Visio 5.0 requires.

To configure the Visio 5.0 file structure to solve the error:

Make sure the Visio.ini file exists in the proper folder.
- If Visio 5.0 is installed on your computer, the Visio.ini file should be in the Visio\System folder.
- If Visio 5.0 is installed on a network, the Visio.ini file should be in the Visio\System folder on the network or in the Windows folder on your computer. For more information, see the "About the Visio.ini file" section in the Network.txt file in the Visio folder.
Verify that you have permission to make changes to the Visio\System\Filter32 folder and have access to the other Visio folders. If Visio 5.0 is installed on a network, you may need to ask your network administrator to change your level of access to these folders.
- For Microsoft Windows NT, set the access level on the Filter32 folder to CHANGE.
- For Novell NetWare, set the access level on the Filter32 folder to Read, Write, and Execute.
- On all other Visio folders, set the access level to Read and Execute.

After you meet the conditions Visio 5.0 requires, complete the following procedure. If you do not receive error messages, the folder access is set correctly, and you will be able to save a Visio drawing as an HTML file or as another non-Visio file.

To confirm that the level of access to the Filter32 folder is set properly:

Log on to the network (if you are the network administrator, log on as the user who is trying to save a Visio drawing as an HTML file).
Open Windows Explorer, and then browse to the Visio\System\Filter32 folder.
Right-click the Ebgif2.ini file, and then on the shortcut menu, click Copy.
Press CTRL+V to paste a copy within the same folder.
Rename the original file Ebgif2.old, and then rename the copy Ebgif2.ini.

NOTE: After you save a Visio drawing as an HTML file successfully, you can delete the Ebgif2.old file.