Another "burner busy for another application" problem

[MechDoc02]

For about ten years, now, starting with VS Pro X2 (which shows as "12" rather than "X2" in Windows File Explorer), then continuing with x7 and now with x9, I have made slide-show videos from travel photos, with narration and music. Did that last year, still with x2 and then six months ago with x7, burning Blu-Ray disks to get higher resolution.

A couple of months ago I switched from Win7 to Win10 - much against my will, but I felt I had to do it. A week ago I made my slide-show video, went to burn it on Blu-Ray, and got the "Burner is busy for another application" dialog box. I finally saved the file as an MP4, then burned several copies using the standard Win10 disk burner.

After much work to get past the burner busy problem I asked Corel support for help. I did receive some suggestions, which did not help, but mostly I was told that x7 is no longer supported. So I went to Amazon and got a fine deal on VideoStudio x9, which I installed. Then I found that Blu-Ray capability is now an extra-cost plug-in. I went through the purchase option provided within the program, and there was the Blu-Ray option in Sharing, as hoped for. But the burner was still busy.

Checking online, the only similar problems I read about involved Roxio, which I do not have. Later I found that Roxio is a Corel product, and read something indicating it might be at the heart of VideoStudio's burning capability. Somewhere in there I submitted a ticket to support, and among the suggestions I received were that I uninstall the two earlier versions of VS, x2 and x7, as they might be causing the problem. I did that. Still got "burner busy." Checking the Registry I saw a lot of entries containing VideoStudio 12, VideoStudio X7, and at least one with Roxio. So I re-installed both x2 and x7, then uninstalled them using CCleaner (free version; did I mention that I'm cheap?; the free version does not promise total removal). Then I shut down the computer, restarted, and then re-installed VS X9, this time getting vers 9.5 downloaded during the installation from the dvd.

Still "burner busy." And I'd lost the Blu-Ray plugin. When I thought I'd take a look at the Blu-Ray buying option to see how I might regain the capability I'd already paid for, I was greeted by a modal dialog that insisted on an e-mail address and a credit card number, with no way apparent to cancel out of the deal. I opened an online chat with support, which basically led nowhere except that I received some apologies for my inconvenience, although it did lead me to the e-mail acknowledgment I had received for the Blu-Ray plugin purchase, and the order number. After about an hour with the program hung, I killed it with Task Manager. I have mentioned to Corel more than once, now, that I already paid for that plugin, and provided the order number, and still have received nothing that tells me how to get the plugin again. Apparently Corel is willing that users pay anew every time they have to reinstall VS x9.

And it is not just Blu-Ray for which the burner is busy. Corel puts up the "burner busy" if I tell the program to burn a regular dvd on that burner. My second burner, without Blu-Ray capability, works with Corel. Windows shows nothing waiting to be burned in any of a bunch of folders named "Burn" (probably have a bunch because of my conversion to Win10). I found out about a Win10 default burner, and switched that to the regular burner, but still got "burner busy" from the Blu-Ray burner. I have uninstalled any program I have found that looks like it might have tied up the burner, and I have disabled any startup that looks like it might, all to no avail. Support has recommended that I update my graphics card driver and that I install the latest firmware in the burner - which ASUS doesn't seem to have available at all.

There may still be some program that has co-opted the Blu-Ray burner, although if so it didn't bother Win10. I could use some help!! Please... Pretty Please?

MikeB

[lata]

Hi MikeB

The Bluray plugin file is called ........

VideoStudioX9_Blu-ray.exe

As you have downloaded that file it should be still on your pc, maybe in the Downloads folder.
Do a search of your pc, if you find that file save it to a safe location along with your program installation files and serial numbers.

I have today upgraded to Windows 10, after a few attempts, may be this time it will work without problems?

I will do a quick test on the burner module and burning a disc option.

Burning Discs

There are other options if you choose to Create a Bluray Folder rather than a disc.
Then use a program called ImgBurn to burn that to disc, at least you will be taking Video Studio out of the workflow, and if you still have problems then its not Video Studio.

Anyway first have a search for that Bluray file.

[MechDoc02]

No such file anywhere on my system. My memory is that when I got the plugin through the VS x9 menu system that once I entered my credit card info the capability magically appeared. My memory isn't necessarily right, you understand, but I did look for likely downloads a couple of days ago, and I did just search not only on the filename you provided (and thank you for providing it), but I also searched every hard drive for 'blu.' Needless to say I turned up a bunch of stuff, searching on 'blu,' but none of it led to any variation on Blu-ray.

As for burning a Blu-Ray folder, that was among the workarounds I already attempted. Seems to me that the folder option was always grayed out when I selected Blu-Ray, leaving me to think the combination wasn't possible. If there is another way to get a Blu-Ray slide-show video from VS x9, perhaps it will also work with VS x7, which has the Blu-Ray capability built-in. Or maybe it was grayed out with x7 because x7 won't do it, and I haven't tried using x9 that way, yet. Which I can't do until I get Blu-Ray back.

Thanks again for the response,
MikeB

[Ken Berry]

If there is another way to get a Blu-Ray slide-show video from VS x9, perhaps it will also work with VS x7, which has the Blu-Ray capability built-in.

Unless you have used things such as special filters which are only available in X9 and not X7, then in X9 you can go to Save As and in the dropdown menu set it to save your project in X7 format. So you should then be able to open the project in X7 and burn it to BD there.

BTW I am sure lata is correct in describing how your get the BD burning module after purchasing it. In my case it was, and still is, in my Downloads folder, as well as on an external hard drive I use to back up all my important downloads.

[MechDoc02]

That isn't the way I remember getting the plugin, and I do not have it anywhere on the computer. I recently added a new hard drive, so changed my download folder to that drive, at least for my usual browser. That means I have a bunch of possible downloads folders: the new one, the old one, the Windows standard one for me, plus any that might be there for admin or User. None of them have the Blu-Ray executable. My memory is that when I went through buying the plugin, I was not sent to a browser window for the usual sort of download. If I had been I'd still have that downloaded file where I could find it. If Corel opened a different browser in the background, then that browser might have put something into a different Downloads location without my seeing anything behind the VS window. But that's why I've been looking everywhere I could think of, and I did the Windows File Explorer search on every hard drive in the system, looking for the file by the name lata provided.

Whole problem started when x7 said the Blu-Ray burner was busy with another application, so both it and x9 have that problem. I was not unhappy with x7, and could perhaps convince Corel, or Amazon, to refund my money on x9, if I could just get x7 working again. I haven't tried to burn Blu-Ray with x2 since this trouble started, but I'll check to see if Save As offers me the x2 option. Not holding my breath, though...

And I do appreciate your efforts to help,
MikeB

[Ken Berry]

...but I'll check to see if Save As offers me the x2 option. Not holding my breath

Don't bother holding your breath! Save As for projects only goes back two versions. So X9 can Save As back to X7; X8 can Save As to X6; and so on.

[Davidk]

On the main Corel site, select support and then choose My account. Your account page has a link to the list of the product you bought and registered, so that blu-ray burner purchase should be listed there.

[lata]

Hi Mike

The grey matter has been stirring and remembers problems with Nero and InCd

This program did take control of CD ram drives and caused a similar issue as you see using Video Studio in that the drive is not available or being used by other programs.

I don’t suppose you have Nero InCd installed


As for the Bluray plugin, did you look in the Recycle Bin just in case it has been deleted.
Good shout from David, the download link may be available via your Corel account? Worth a look.

Otherwise you should have proof of purchase, Contact Corel Support they should give you another link.

[MechDoc02]

Turns out that I did set up a Corel account two years ago when I received VidStu x7 as a Christmas present. But that is the only product shown as registered. I registered x9 when I installed it, and again when I re-installed it, because that happens automatically during installation. And from the same e-mail address as my account. Anyway, the upshot is that there is no record in my account that I purchased the Blu-Ray plugin. But that shouldn't be an issue, because I have the order # for the purchase of the plugin.

I have given that order # to tech support several times now, but still have not received any assistance on restoring the Blu-Ray capability.

I suspect the missing .exe file actually installs the Blu-Ray plugin, right? It is not the plugin itself. And if Corel somehow installed the plugin directly, which is the way I remember it from only about four days ago, then I never actually received the installer. Whatever, I did not toss any downloads, so if I had received it, I'd still have it. File Search on all the hard drives on this system failed to turn it up. I am quite sure I did not end up on a website, downloading a file to install the plugin, which is not quite the same as saying I never received it. My memory is that when I completed the dialog for paying for the Blu-Ray installation, all within VS x9, a few seconds later the Blu-Ray capability was there. And if I now go through the same steps I did then, when that dialog comes up, it will not be dismissed or canceled out of until I enter my e-mail address and credit card info, or kill the program with Task Manager. That doesn't happen when one gets directed to a website to download something.

Latest suggestion from tech support is that I uninstall x9, create a new user account and reinstall x9 from there, then delete that new account. This is intended to help with any problems from detritus left in the Registry from earlier versions and installations.

Since I do have proof of purchase, I'm reasonably confident I can work out that part of the deal eventually. I'm less sure about the burner busy problem, but I am about to try a third installation, this time to a new user account created just for that installation, as suggested by tech support.

Regards,
MikeB

[MechDoc02]

So as suggested by Tech Support, I created a new administrator account and re-installed x9, updating to 9.5 in the (lengthy) process.

Then I used CCleaner to disable every startup except usb monitoring. msconfig agrees that everything else is disabled. I restarted the computer, started x9 and tried to burn a standard dvd from the problem burner and once again got the "burner busy" message.

Looks like I should have been going to my account on Corel and manually entering stuff there, because it isn't getting there when I re-install, or when I first installed x9, although my e-mail address is correct. So my account there also shows no purchase of a Blu-Ray plugin.

MikeB

[lata]

Hi Mike

For Video Studio X8 and X9 the Bluray function is an Add-On to the main program and as such does not need registering, so will not show in our Corel account product details.

Earlier versions received the Bluray function as part of the program installation not a separate file.
We have not heard that Corel have included the Add-On as part of the X9 program, but I suppose anything is possible.
As far as we are aware installing the separate file VideoStudioX9_Blu-ray.exe is the only way to get Bluray.

The problem with recognising your burner is a separate problem.

If you create a DVD Iso file or AVCHD Folder are you able to use another program to burn those files to disc.
Maybe try ImgBurn, if that program does not recognise the DVD/CD rom then that rules out Video Studio as being the problem.

Can you give full details of your burner, manufacturer and type.
Have you googled to see if your CD rom drive has history of this problem?

[MechDoc02]

Looks to me like the problem most likely has nothing to do with any other application co-opting the burner. I used Win10 to burn about 150 jpeg photos to a standard dvd, using that Blu-Ray-capable burner. Then I opened VS x9 and tried to import the photos. The program recognized the drive, and that there was a disk in the drive, but it could find no media on the disk. So I put the disk in the other burner, standard dvd only, and there were all the jpeg files. That has me thinking that the "burner busy" is what is shown whenever an attempt to burn won't work for some reason, and is not based on finding some setting that says the burner is actually co-opted.

Which is fine, and probably a step forward, but it still does not help me to figure out what the problem is.

The burner is an Asus unit I bought and installed when I built the system in 2013. Windows now handles all the drivers for optical drives, as I understand it. In any event, Win10 insists that the latest and greatest burners are already installed on the drive, which is working properly. I intend to see if I can find a program that will work with reading and burning to the drive, but have not yet done so. ASUS shows no firmware updates for the unit. And I keep coming back to the fact that Win10 reads from the unit and burns with it just fine - although not Blu-ray. VS x9 will not read or write, even a standard dvd disk, with the unit.

I understand that x9 once acquired Blu-Ray capability by downloading an installer. I imagine that was via the usual process of connecting to some website and clicking on a download button. I do not remember doing that. I remember being surprised at all of sudden, after I'd entered my credit card data from within x9, that Blu-Ray capability was there. I know definitely that when I went back after re-installing to see if I might re-acquire the Blu-Ray capability I'd paid for that selecting the menu option in x9 to purchase the plugin brought up the modal dialog that insisted I enter my e-mail address and all necessary credit card info for another purchase, locking up the program until I did so, or until I killed the program with Task Manager, which is what I did. I am reasonably sure I never received the VideoStudioX9_Blu-ray.exe, certainly did not download it explicitly myself, I never deleted it explicitly, and it is not anywhere in the system on any hard drive, all 10 TB worth. Nor is anything like it that contains "blu."

I also understand why it is difficult for you guys to believe me when I say I never saw anything like VideoStudioX9_Blu-ray.exe go by. All my experience until now has been of the "go to the online site, pay for the download, and receive the installer," too. But I also never had a program lock itself up until I paid extra for a plugin that is not even necessary for the program to run.

Hope you guys have some good ideas about what might cause a Corel program to have a difficulty with an optical drive that Win10 uses just fine.

Regards,
MikeB

[MechDoc02]

Eureka!!

I knew I'd find at least some small idiocy in myself when this "burner busy" problem was finally solved, and so it seems to be.

I just used the Blu-Ray-capable burner to burn a standard dvd, which I played on our tv dvd player, then managed to find a way to play on my other Win10 machine - thanks so much, Microsoft; but that system does now have MovieMaker, so was able to play the dvd, if not as conveniently as before when all I had to do was to double-click on the drive icon. I trust that if Corel will ever re-equip my x9 with the Blu-Ray plugin I already paid for that I'll be back to burning Blu-Ray disks.

The idiocy comes in the form of not recognizing which burner was which in Device Manager. The drives are H: and I:, with I: being Blu-Ray. But in Device Manager, for some reason, the Blu-Ray drive is listed first. So while I occasionally skimmed over the properties of what I thought was the standard drive, I was actually looking at the Blu-Ray drive, and the drive I was looking at carefully was the standard dvd drive that worked fine with VS x9.

Having a little more interest in looking into a possible firmware update for the Blu-Ray drive (which I did not fully pursue, but it appears no such update exists), but this time realizing that the drive listed first was the one I needed to be looking at, I saw where no region was specified for that drive. I specified United States, and VS x9 was then happy to burn a standard dvd with the Blu-Ray drive. I am reasonably sure that Blu-Ray burning will work, too, once I get the plugin again.

I am not sure how the region for the drive got to be blank. Either it was never required when I built the system in 2013, or it got lost, such as when I "upgraded"to Win10 a couple of months back. And the "burner busy" dialog was less than helpful in tracking down the problem, pointing as it did to interference from some other program.

But I think I'm once again about to have Blu-Ray capability. Heck, I may even work my way through some of the VS x9 tutorials, once I get enough copies burned of the project I was halfway through when all this started.

Thanks for the efforts on my behalf, and regards,
MikeB

[lata]

Hi Mike

That’s very good news and happy you have sorted the drive issue.
I had not realised that you had two drives a DVD and Bluray, maybe missed that info?? I did ask for the type of drive you had installed and was about to ask if it was a BD or DVD type? No need now!

Unless Corel have recently altered the program to include Bluray then the only way to install that is with the file mentioned earlier. But yes I have to agree it is strange that you seemed to get BD without that file.

You mention contacting Corel Support? Do you have a ticket number?
I will also try to pass this on to Corel.

[MechDoc02]

I appreciate your efforts to help, lata.

I did say the following in my initial post: "My second burner, without Blu-Ray capability, works with Corel." Of course, as most of my posts, it was not exactly terse, so one could easily skim past some of the details.

There may have been more than one ticket number, but the last one is 3739517. I have already e-mailed tech support via Reply that the issue is resolved. I did once again mention the problem of restoring the Blu-Ray plugin, which issue has also been resolved.

While I have not actually tried to burn Blu-Ray yet, I have burned a standard dvd with the "problem" burner, and I do now have Blu-Ray as a possibility in Share. Think I"m good to go. Or will be, once I finally get my computer back to normal. Right now ALL startups are disabled. Kinda nice, in a way, but probably I'd like to have some of them back. And the project I was working on when all this started, well, it looks like I have some work to do to get it reconstructed. Something about building it in x7, bringing it into x9, probably managing at some point to save it from x9 but without all the files from which it was built...

Thanks again for your efforts,
MikeB