Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007 and 2010. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Removing Pictures from Multiple Files.

Removing Pictures from Multiple Files

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 29, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007 and 2010


4

Rosario has a huge number of documents (about 44,000 of them), each of which contains a graphic in the header. She is looking for a way to remove all those graphics without the necessity of opening and modifying each document manually.

Fortunately this can be handled by creating a macro. All you need to do is put all the documents in a folder and then use the macro to search through the folder, open each document, remove the graphic, and save each document. This can be done with a macro like the following:

Sub StripGraphics()
    Dim oShape As Shape
    Dim oIShape As InlineShape
    Dim I As Integer
    Dim J As Integer

    With Application.FileSearch
        .LookIn = "C:\MyStuff\"     ' where to search
        .SearchSubFolders = True    ' search the subfolders
        .FileName = "*.docx"        ' file pattern to match

        ' if more than one match, execute the following code
        If .Execute() > 0 Then
            MsgBox "Found " & .FoundFiles.Count & " file(s)."

            ' for each file you find, run this loop
            For I = 1 To .FoundFiles.Count
                ' open the file based on its index position
                Documents.Open FileName:=.FoundFiles(I)

                ' document is now active, check all sections
                For J = 1 To ActiveDocument.Sections.Count
                    With ActiveDocument.Sections(J).Headers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary)
                        ' remove floating graphics from header
                        If .Shapes.Count > 0 Then
                            For Each oShape In .Shapes
                                oShape.Delete
                            Next oShape
                        End If
                        ' remove inline graphics from header
                        If .Range.InlineShapes.Count > 0 Then
                            For Each oIShape In .Range.InlineShapes
                                oIShape.Delete
                            Next oIShape
                        End If
                    End With
                    With ActiveDocument.Sections(J).Headers(wdHeaderFooterFirstPage)
                        ' remove floating graphics from header
                        If .Shapes.Count > 0 Then
                            For Each oShape In .Shapes
                                oShape.Delete
                            Next oShape
                        End If
                        ' remove inline graphics from header
                        If .Range.InlineShapes.Count > 0 Then
                            For Each oIShape In .Range.InlineShapes
                                oIShape.Delete
                            Next oIShape
                        End If
                    End With
                Next J

                ' save and close the current document
                ActiveDocument.Close wdSaveChanges
            Next I
        Else
            MsgBox "No files found."
        End If
    End With
End Sub

This macro makes the assumption that you want to remove all the graphics (both floating and inline) in the header. These are removed, and each file is resaved. The macro doesn't affect any other graphics in the document.

You should note that this particular macro checks for files that use the DOCX extension. If you have documents that use different extensions (such as DOCM or the older DOC), you'll need to run the macro multiple times. Between each run, change the line that sets the pattern for the file extension. (The line has the comment at the end that says, "file pattern to match".)

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9744) applies to Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Removing Pictures from Multiple Files.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two minus 1?

2020-09-28 10:23:04

Gabriel

I found a way to remove images in multiple documents:

Use this code:

__________________________________________

Public Sub BatchReplaceAll()

Dim FirstLoop As Boolean
Dim myFile As String
Dim PathToUse As String
Dim myDoc As Document
Dim Response As Long
Dim rngStory As Word.Range

PathToUse = InputBox("Enter path to the documents:", _
"BatchReplaceAll", _
"C:\ put here the adress with the documents")
If PathToUse = "" Then Exit Sub
If Right(PathToUse, 1) <> "\" Then PathToUse = PathToUse & "\"

'Error handler to handle error generated whenever
'the FindReplace dialog is closed

On Error Resume Next

'Close all open documents before beginning

Documents.Close SaveChanges:=wdPromptToSaveChanges

'Boolean expression to test whether first loop
'This is used so that the FindReplace dialog will
'only be displayed for the first document

FirstLoop = True

'Set the directory and type of file to batch process

myFile = Dir$(PathToUse & "*.doc")

While myFile <> ""

'Open document
Set myDoc = Documents.Open(PathToUse & myFile)

If FirstLoop Then

'Display dialog on first loop only
'The Show method includes text in headers and footers.

Dialogs(wdDialogEditReplace).Show

FirstLoop = False

Response = MsgBox("Do you want to process " & _
"the rest of the files in this folder", vbYesNo)
If Response = vbNo Then Exit Sub

Else

'On subsequent loops (files), a ReplaceAll is
'executed with the original settings and without
'displaying the dialog box again. The Execute method
'does not automatically include headers and footers,
'so they must be searched explicitly.

For Each rngStory In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
Do
rngStory.Select
With Dialogs(wdDialogEditReplace)
.ReplaceAll = 1
.Execute
End With
Set rngStory = rngStory.NextStoryRange
Loop Until rngStory Is Nothing
Next
End If

'Close the modified document after saving changes

myDoc.Close SaveChanges:=wdSaveChanges

'Next file in folder

myFile = Dir$()

Wend

End Sub

________________________________________

>>>>>> Don't forget to edit the code with the adress documents <<<<<<

Execute the code, then in the option "Find what:" you write "^g" to find the images; The option "Replace with" dont write nothing.

Now just click in "Replace All"

Done!

Questions: gbr2012@hotmail.com


2020-08-10 01:17:54

Ken

The macro StripGraphics will not work in current versions of Word because as Stephen has said, the statement Application.FileSearch is not available in Word versions 2007 and above. It raises the error 5111.

The macro could be modified using Dir statements and recursive programming and while it will then perform as intended it would be unwise to use on 44,000 files. The macro will have a large run time, of the order of tens of minutes or longer, during which a faulty file could cause the run to abort at an unspecified file. To overcome this, file names should be logged by the macro as they are modified so that the run could be re-started. Furthermore, rather than attempt to modify all files in the one run it would be safer to batch the runs by project, assuming that each project consists of a master project folder and sub folders.

The files will retain the created date but the last modified date will be set to today’s date. This may cause issues when sorting files by date as it will most likely be in a different order to that previously. It is possible in VBA to read a file’s last modified date then re-apply to the re-saved file but this adds another level of complexity to the macro.


2020-08-08 03:01:40

Vu Nguyen

The solution is just what I need; however, I've got an error message: "Run time error 5111: This command is not available on this platform."

I'm using Office 2010 with Windows 10


2016-12-15 11:27:56

Stephen Overall

This Microsoft page reports that Application.FileSearch was removed from Office 2007 on and recommends using FileSystemObject instead:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/jj229903.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

"The Application.FileSearch was removed in Office 2007. If accessed, this property will return an error. To work around this issue, use the FileSystemObject to recursively search directories to find specific files."


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