Videostudio pro X3 crashes changing folders

[davidarf]

I keep my video clips in folders sorted by subject and date in a master folder for video clips on my PC running XP Pro service pack 3. If I bring to the X3 desktop thumbnails of clips in the current folder (when X3 opens), I am able to edit them and add them to the timeline. From this I have produced films of more than 20 minutes overalll length without difficulties.

However, if I want to draw on clips in different folders on the PC, as soon as I try to change folder X3 crashes, advises me to contact technical support and creates a dump file. I have referred this to technical support, and after about 3 weeks of advice to update video drivers, directx, c++ etc and more recently to manually remove and reinstall X3, thay have given up and asked me to telephone for further support, but add that I may be charged for this (without giving any indication of the policy on charging and likely costs).

1. Has anyone any further thoughts on how I can resolve this problem that Videostudio Pro X3 is unable to perform this most basic Windows function of changing source data folders.
2. Does anyone know what the Corel policy is on charging for technical support and the likely cost of this.

I previously used Ulead Media studio without any of these difficulties and I have plenty of other applications that can manage this simple process of changing data folders without falling over.

[UncleBoo]

I keep source files and projects sorted by folders, too. FWIW, here's how I do it.

First of all, are you referring to the VSX3 library, and folders within the library? In my experience, VSX3 is inconsistent whether, where and how it stores thumbnails in the library and its folder system, and I simply don't use the library, except for filters and transitions (and snapshots, which VSX3 seems to always put in the library regardless of what I want). And I don't create thumbnails of my source files or projects at all. Instead I save content and projects to folders of my own choosing (using the Save As menu selection), and keep track of what is where on my own.

Using this method, I've had no crashes - at least, no crashes due to using my own folder system . In theory, project organization would be easier with thumbnails, but IMO in practice it's not worth the hassle.

[Ron P.]

What sort of video clips are you trying to work with? Are they Standard Definition or High Definition (AVCHD, HDV)? I have video clips on 3 different HDDs, 2 of them are even partitioned, and 1 being an external USB drive. I can pull clips into a project from any of them, with no problems. However all my clips are Standard Def, not any High-Def. This might be a PC resource problem, more than a problem with VS.

[davidarf]

Thankyou for the replies so far. I am using HD film clips from my Panasonic SD700 camera. These are captured to the PC by HD Wrier AE 2.1 supplied with the camera.

What I normally try, is to click on the Add button in the top right pane and that I understand adds a thumbnail for the selected clips to the library. If these clips are in the folder on the hard drive that opens on clicking this button, then I can bring in as many clips as I want and edit them into completed films. To date the longest film completed is more than 25 minutes of HD clips, transitions and titles overlays. Having been able to do this I did not think that this was a resource issue, but I am happy to be corrected on this. If I start the PC from cold, go to VSPX3 as the first application, click the Add button, or use the equivalent menu option, and then try to navigate to a new source folder the application always crashes - even with no project open and starting from an empty video clip screen.

Any further thoughts or suggestions on this would be very much appreciated, and if I am doing something wrong to cause this very annoying problem, then I would welcome being corrected.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi David

I do not think you are doing any thing wrong.
There are a few ways to import your clips to X3.

To the library using the Add folder, I assume its this approach that causes problems.
Drag and drop to the library or timeline using Windows Explorer.
Right click the library or timeline, select Insert Video……
From File-Insert Media File to Timeline—Video

Do any of the above prove successful?

Things to try:-
1 / Sometimes a corrupt file in the library may cause crashes, Settings-Library Manager-Reset Library will reset the library to its default.
2 / delete the default library content, then import your files.

[davidarf]

Trevor

Thankyou for your suggestions.

Resetting the library did not resolve the problem.

The idea to use the explorer route and drag and drop to the library did work. This allows me to add clips to the library from multiple folders without any crashing. With all of the other ideas you suggested, as soon as I click onto a different PC folder, VSPX3 immediately crashes. At least, for the present, I now have a work around that avoids me having to pile all of my clips into a single folder.

Thankyou again for this most helpful work around.

I am still puzzled why VSPX3 seems to throw such a major wobbler with a function so simple and basic as clicking onto a different folder.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi David

Glad one of the suggestions worked, by the way when you select the Files in a folder, dragging any will drag all, but may not be in order, Dragging the first file should sort that.

I am still puzzled why VSPX3 seems to throw such a major wobbler with a function so simple and basic as clicking onto a different folder.

So am I, It’s not a general thing and may be related to your computer, I cannot recall it been reported before.
Have you Manually updated Direct X, this has known to cure some strange things with Video Studio, but don’t think it has cured program failures, it is worth a go.