File not accessible

[RickMenHome]

I'm trying to import a AVI file (its not DV) into VS but it comes up with the error mesage "xxx file is inaccessible" followed by the message "This file cannot be added to the project due to unknown file format or not enough memory or copyright". I tried to play it in Windows Media Player but it came up with an error message about missing the required Codec. I installed the required codec (using MediaInfo advice) and Windows Media player can now play the file but VS still can't import it. The video stream of the AVI file is MPEG-4 (DivX 5). I would have thought that once I installed the correct codec for the Windows Media Player that VS should work with that file format?

[Ron P.]

Did you install DivX or Xvid codec? If DivX did you get it from DivX or some other site? Some recent versions of VS may install an older DivX codec, which should allow it, however some of these codecs can be real picky about what they will or will not allow. If you have DivX Pro, you could try converting it to something that VS will not be so temperamental about.

[RickMenHome]

Ron, I'm a novice at these things, it was from http://mediaarea.net/en/DX50 site which indicated that it was the offical decoder from Div X Inc DivX 2.3.1.2

[Ron P.]

DivX in an MPEG-4 wrapper is kinda unusual. Most acutal DivX files are in an AVI wrapper. That may be what's throwing VS for a loop. There could also be some slight corruption in the file, which would not prevent the file from being played in video players, but will cause problems when you try to edit. If you downloaded it from some website, try downloading it again.

EDITED:
Go to DivX website and get a good quality codec. http://www.divx.com/

[RickMenHome]

Ron, Thanks for the prompt replies, I'll give it a go.

[babyleon]

I just wanted to use this as an example of how valuable this forum has been for me. I have been working on a mulit-year project in Video Studio which involves updating and addidng to a DVD of bird species in Belize. i have been filming there for seven years now. When I started, I was using Video Studio 7 and have worked my way up now to Pro X3 (still wondering if I want to upgrade to X4 due to the lLibrary changes there). My filming started using what we now call SD and moved to HD after that. So I have 4 years of SD and 3 years of HD format video clips, many of them hooked into one .VSP project of video clips, titles, transitions, audio tracks, etc.

I recently started my year 7 update and when I loaded my year 6 .VSP project to update it, many clips did not link up. I tried all the relinking procedutres. The clips were all still on my drives but I could not get them to link into the project or load into a timeline or library. I finally did something that gave me an error message to the effct that those files were not accessible. I also determined that all of those inaccessible files were the older SD flles, all .AVI. They had worked okay when I had installed X3 initially, but not now.

When i searched for that erro message in this forum, this thread came up. I recalled that Ihad installed DIVX programs since my last successful loading of this multi-year .VSP project. As this is so important to me, and as I do not use DIVX for much, I went to my Windows 7 Control Panel and uninstalled DIVX, restarted my computer, started X3, and my huge project loaded fine, no missing clips.

As it just has, this Forum has saved me literally years of work. Thanks Guys!