VS 8SE - program not responding - Maxtor external drive

coylum · Post by **coylum** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 7:24 am

I have recently been editing a large video using a FireWire Maxtor One Touch II external drive (200GB). I am not using any Maxtor software - just allowing normal xp drivers to detect the external storage. Every so often (3 - 6 times a day) VS 8 will hang and message "program not responding" - only way out is to reboot. My computer is relatively new P4 2.8 HT processor, 1Gb dual channel RAM, 2 X 120Gb SATA HD's and is normally very stable. The maxtor has no difficulty in "keeping up" with the editing/preview processes (AVI). In fact, the "crashes" usually occur when there is no activity - ie I have left the computer for a while with VS inactive and minimised - but when I come to activate it...!! I do not run any form of power management (other than screensaver). My impression (?) is that this has only occurred since using the external drive. Any comments on other users experience or advice would be appreciated...

As a postscript I should mention that the VS 8SE program is running on the c: drive, only the clips (about 300) and the project file are coming from the Maxtor

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 12:28 am

FWIW, I have experienced the same problem, albeit with a Seagate 180 GB drive in an external Firewire case, and I am convinced it was solely due to the external case. Like you, my main program (then VS8) was on the c: drive and the video clips on the external drive, and the program hangs only occurred while I was not using the external drive (though it remained switched on). When I added a second external HDD also connected piggy-back Firewire to the first, the problem only increased, with both drives hanging more regularly.

I have subsequently taken out the first drive from its case and installed it in my main computer with the same drive letter, and have never had a problem since. I have not so far had the same problem with the remaining external disc, though a separate computer with a brand new 250 GB Maxtor external HDD has occasionally exhibited the same problem which seems to be associated with a writing to cache error. I simply turn the external drive off and back on, which seems to correct the problem, though I also now do a format of the disc whenever I have finished with the video clips I have recorded on it... Hardly a scientific solution, but it seems to work, sort of...

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:10 am

I wonder if the automatic re-link checking could be the cause. (F6).

MD

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:18 am

That may be the cause of VS hanging, but I suspect it is not the problem itself causing the external HDD to hang in the first place. The external drive for some reason just hangs after a time (with no activity) and when VS does its automatic check to make sure the links are OK, finds they are not and then VS hangs. What still confuses me is why the external drive hangs in the first place, usually leaving a message saying ' Failed to write [filename] to cache. The file may be corrupted' or something similar.