...that's apparently quite convoluted.

So I'm using WinXP and I'm trying to change the user picture for an account. According to the instructions in the control panel, it's a simple matter of browsing through your comp for the pic, double-clicking it and boom, it should now be your picture.

Now while my friend managed to do that for her comp, apparently mine isn't so simple. Whenever I select my chosen picture, nothing happens. I look up the problem online and this one tutorial tells me that I have to resize the pic, save it as a bitmap, and put it in a particular folder. I do so, and now the picture shows up in my list of default pic choices, so I no longer have to "browse for picture." I click on the picture, and it gives me an error: "Automation server can't create object."

Regarding the "automation" error, I know what caused that and I know how to fix it. My question is regarding the step that led up to me having to resize the picture, etc. etc. Has anyone encountered the problem of the computer refusing to let your chosen picture appear when you browse and select it? Why can't I just browse for my own picture and choose it, whether BMP or JPG? Do I really need to go through all those hoops of resizing and saving it in the proper folder? Or is there something I'm doing wrong?

Now I'm wondering if the same thing that's causing the "automation" error is the same thing that's not allowing me to easily change my user pics....

To answer the first question, yes you really need to go through all the "hoops" of resizing it and saving it in a different format.  It's the same as any avatar in any forum, it has a maximum size and a format preference, if it's not in that format or size it won't read it.  Windows doesn't need to resize an image just because you're too lazy to convert it once =p.

The Automation Script error is an issue with your Windows Script Engine being corrupt (because something unregistered your .dlls).  Reinstall Microsoft Windows Script either from your Windows CD or from www.microsoft.com and try it again.

Hehe, thanks. Yeah, what I had suspected was the problem, was indeed causing the problem across the board. It has been rectified.