Thanks chaps, I have had to reload photoshop, my pickies have become viewable again, properties say they are JPG format, not sure now what format they used to be, this hard disk had a clean Win 98 instal, no third party image software, what does windows normally open images with??
I would really like to be rid of photoshop and return the machine to what it was, its a compllete pain in the arse, takes three times longer to look at a image and the resolution is poor.
I swear by ny gradfather wooden leg I will never load stuff like this again, but then I am always saying that.