Stability

[Erik1967]

The last couple of days I experimented thoroughly with DVD-Workshop 2 yet its stability is what worries me.
Yesterday a project got corrupted and this day my computer resetted spontaneously after adding a videofile to my project. And this project got corrupted as well, I can't open it anymore.
I'm not sure if I should blame DVD-workshop though. OS is XP SP2 but I've also installed Window Blends and Vista Transformation Pack (last week). Maybe this causes the problem cuz DVD-workshop is quite an old program. However, the OS thinks it's a device error; on the other hand, I never had such a serious error before so I'm confused
If DVD Workshop 2 isn't compatible with my current system, what is the alternative? I like DVD Workshop's sophisticated manipulation of menus so these features should be part of the alternative.

[Devil]

There could be 1001 reasons for this happening. I list some of the more common of them:
- corrupt video file
- corrupt WS2 installation
- not enough HDD space on either C: or your video drive
- badly fragmented HDD
- incompatible OS (no clue about whether your tweaks would cause it, bur WS2 is not Vista compatible)
- other incompatible video software
- some 3rd party codecs
- security software
- scheduled tasks
- etc., etc., etc.

[Erik1967]

Thanks for the reply. I've checked my harddisk and RAM (using memtest86), no problems were reported.
I also uninstalled and reinstalled DVD Workshop using the procedure described here:

http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 5773#55773

And I created a separate video profile as described here:

http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... le&start=0

Hopefully this will help. I still question the
- video driver of the nvidia n7600GS card. It's not digitally signed
- vista transformation pack. The separate video profile even displays some results of this installation, e.g. Vista-like turn off buttons etc. However, all windows look like classic windows!

Time will tell if the separate profile leads to more stability.

[sjj1805]

Vista Transformation Pack

Never tried and and I don't intend to either. If you want to play around with your operating system and risk making working programs incompatible just to get a fresh look for your desktop, then I would suggest the following.

1. Invest in Hard Drive Caddies so that you can have a 'normal' XP System on one hard drive, but are then able to turn off the computer replace the hard drive with another containing your 'Fancy Operating System'

2. Create a Dual Boot System using
My Method

[Erik1967]

@ssj1805: I think you're right. After selecting the user Video Editor the OS looks too "distorted", some buttons are Vista-like, other ones look like classic windows. Another disadvantage is the fact that it's still 1 OS so if you install a program using the Normal Account, then I will also affect the Video Editor account.
Nevertheless I won't uninstall Vista Pack, I've read too many articles of ppl having trouble to do so. And BTW, it looks really great

So what I'm now planning to do is:
1) install XP SP2 on my other drive (I've got 2 drives)
2) apply the tweaks of the video editor profile if meaningful. I especially think of services Windows enables by default. Question: would this make sense or get me into trouble?
3) I won't install the video drivers supplied by Nvidia cuz there are not digitally signed. As far as I can recall, Windows recognizes the video card anyway.
4) I will only install Ulead products on the new OS.

Hopefully this will lead to a stable system.

[sjj1805]

That sounds like a good plan.
Regarding the Nvidia Drivers you should be safe installing the new ones even though they are not digitally signed. In the very unlikely event that new drivers does create a problem then you can

Use the Windows XP Device Driver Rollback

If you install a new device driver that causes system instability, you can use the Windows XP Device Driver Rollback to replace the new device driver with the previously installed version of the device driver. If you cannot reinstall your previous driver by using the Device Driver Rollback process, then use System Restore to return your operating system to its previous operating state before you installed the new device driver. To use Device Driver Rollback:

• Click the Start button and right-click My Computer.
• Click Properties.
• Click the Hardware tab and click Device Manager.
• In the Device Manager window, right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and then click Properties.
• Click the Drivers tab.
• Click Roll Back Driver.

[Erik1967]

Last night I implemented my plan and everything seems to work fine. I was reluctant to install the video driver, but did this after reading your reply and after experiencing the sluggish display of scrolling through the text etc.
I also disabled several services I considered not useful (especially network services)
Time will tell if this setup is stable.