Why would the Excel Interop remove an image after processing a file?

Question

Excel Interop is removing images from processed files.

I’m using the Excel Interop, no third-party components are present (that I\'m aware of). The workflow is -- cr

Answer 1

Interop is not supported in sever-scenarios by MS.

There are many options to read/edit/create Excel files without Interop:

MS provides the free OpenXML SDK V 2.0 - see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb448854%28office.14%29.aspx (XLSX only)

This can read+write MS Office files (including Excel).

Another free option see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/office/OpenXML.aspx (XLSX only)

IF you need more like handling older Excel versions (like XLS, not only XLSX), rendering, creating PDFs, formulas etc. then there are different free and commercial libraries like ClosedXML (free, XLSX only), EPPlus (free, XLSX only), Aspose.Cells, SpreadsheetGear, LibXL and Flexcel etc.

It is hard to say whether your specific case (ActiveX controls) is fully supported by any of the above... that is something you need to test...

Even if the ActiveX controls are supported by any of the libraries there is a chance that the ActiveX controls themselves don't work within a Windows Service (permissions etc.).

EDIT - as per comment:

I understand the ActiveX problem and I addressed it from 2 points:

• Have you really tested all above mentioned libraries ?
• Have you checked with the implementor(s) of the ActiveX controls whether the ActiveX controls could even theoretically work in a Windows Service scenario ?

EDIT 3 - after the UPDATE from the OP:

.emf is a vector file format... IIRC GDI+ is used to render it on current Windows versions... .emf has evolved a bit over time so older OS and/or Office versions can sometimes have problems rendering newer .emf files... which in turn means the problem is the "missing desktop" in the Windows Service AND/OR that your .emf files are "too new" for the production machine.