VS19 Freezes & Crashes when Loading a Project File

[MindFlareRetro]

I have to start off by saying I've been using VideoStudio for many years and I have never been to so frustrated, angry and disappointed in a new VS release -- that being VS Ultimate 2019. So full of bugs straight out of the gate and is still a hot mess as far as I'm concerned. I should also say that I am new here because I needed to vent to people who might also feel my pain.

My latest issue... I've been working on a YouTube video for well over a week. Everything was fine with VS19 (well, not really, but manageable) last night but today I seem to have a VSP project file that will not load. It hangs and crashes VS19 at 66%. I am almost at the 30-minute mark of an important video and now I'm suddenly and without warning, dead in the water.

Windows 10 Event Viewer shows HerDocdll.dll as being the faulting DLL:
Faulting application name: vstudio.exe, version: 22.3.0.436, time stamp: 0x5cdcbec4
Faulting module name: HerDocdll.dll, version: 22.3.0.436, time stamp: 0x5cdcb3b0
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000000f5925
Faulting process ID: 0xb90
Faulting application start time: 0x01d59365f1e663d3
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio 2019\vstudio.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio 2019\HerDocdll.dll

The last edit I made was to add the normalize audio filter to 3 clips just past the half-way point of the video. So, I suspect VS19 is choking on this when loading the VSP file. I have tried everything that Corel support would recommend including a full uninstall, re-download and re-install. Of course, the problem persists.

Does anyone know if it is possible to edit the VSP file to remove/disable the normalize filter? I can see (sort of) where the filter effect is when viewing the VSP in a Hex editor.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[lata]

Hi MindFlareRetro
And welcome to the forums

First of all we do not work for Corel and yes there are many on the forums feeling your pain.
Unfortunately we do not have any tools at hand to open and fix the actual VSP
The file however will open using notepad and we can recognise some details but for editing those is impossible.
You should create a copy before opening in notepad or Hex editor and I have never used the Hex Editor……….
I’m sure the Corel developers have some software to do this.

If you can upload your VSP to this forum, attachments at the bottom, we can try to open for you although we will not be able to see your files.
It’s a long shot, generally any corrupt VSP as you describe is terminal, but we can try.

Oh rename the vsp to use .txt as its file extension before attaching to your post

[MindFlareRetro]

Hi Trevor,

Thanks very much for your response. I am unable to attach a copy of my VSP file here, as it is too large at 2.3MB, apparently. However, I have posted here, if that is acceptable, https://app.box.com/s/q9c50lucyow6nuy0uu67w1gl01hppaap.

If anyone is able to open it in VS19 I suspect the issue is with the Normalize filter effect added to three clips in succession just past the half-way mark. I had a problem last year with a render that kept spontaneously crashing VS at a specific point and I finally realized that it was an audio filter causing the issue.

Thanks again. I look forward to hearing back from you.

[lata]

Hi
Sorry to report I have the same problem where the project loads to 66% then the program closes.
This is typical of the failures that is affecting Video Studio 2019, yep I know you did not wish to hear that.
I will have another attempt a little later in the day, but don’t hold your breath

[tletter]

Your VSP causes VS2019 to crash and burn at the 66% mark when trying to open it.

Does anyone know if it is possible to edit the VSP file

It's not a user editable file.

Everything was fine with VS19 (well, not really, but manageable) last night but today I seem to have a VSP project file that will not load.

Sometimes VS corrupts a VSP when saving and there is little that one can do except recreate it unless one has archived older versions of the VSP. You could try opening a case with Corel and see if they can repair the corruption. It would be nice if Corel would implement a file integrity check when saving.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[MindFlareRetro]

Thanks for trying, Trevor. It was worth a try asking for help here. It is a rather complicated edit and I haven't yet wrapped my head around starting over from scratch.

[Davidk]

Just in passing about "normalise audio" . .
There are several places in VS that offer this. And I've had trouble with most of them. Generally, normalise audio means use the same audio level for all clips in a project at render time. Meant I think to make setting audio levels easy, but what it does do is remove any intended sound variations in the component clips - a whisper or loud bang - they all become the same level rendered - when it works.

After I stubbed my literal toe on this few times and realised that it was taking away intended volume variations, I just opted to set the levels for each clip manually, learnt to use the sound mixer function. A bit tedious, but it gets the effect desired.

[asik1]

It's best to normalize in Audacity

[MindFlareRetro]

Hi everyone,

After a week of working with a competent Corel tech support rep I was given an alternate HerDocdll.dll file to replace my current one with. To my amazement, my dodgy VSP file actually opened without crashing VS19. In my case, all of my video files were no longer linked so I spent a few minutes relinking those and everything seems to be working normally now. According to the rep, this DLL version resolves HerDocdll.dll crash issues in "1/10th of my tickets, but I keep it handy for clients like yourself who cannot open a previously created project."

I have attached the alternate HerDocdll.dll file to this post (I hope that is ok with the admins). The file was provided to me within a ZIP file—I have attached the ZIP file unaltered as provided to me by Corel support.

To install the file:
1. Close Video Studio 2019 if it is open
2. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio 2019
3. Locate the existing HerDocdll.dll file and rename it (e.g. HerDocdll-old.dll) and/or copy it to another location
4. Extract the new alternate HerDocdll.dll from the ZIP file and copy it to C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio 2019, replacing the renamed file (you might require administrative privileges to do this)
5. Re-launch VS19

I hope this helps other people as it has helped me. I thought there would be no recovering my corrupt VSP file, but I am back in business.

[asik1]

Thank you

[MindFlareRetro]

You're welcome. Are you experiencing the same problem that I was? If so, has this alternate DLL resolved the issue for you? Thanks.

[asik1]

You're welcome. Are you experiencing the same problem that I was? If so, has this alternate DLL resolved the issue for you? Thanks.

No, I don't have any issues with VS2019, I didn't install it, I'm with W7.

[tletter]

No, I don't have any issues with VS2019, I didn't install it, I'm with W7.

Although you may have issues with Windows 7 as extended support is ending on January 14, 2020

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[lata]

Hi MindFlareRetro

Thank you very much for that hot fix
I have now been able to open 4 problem VSP provided by forum members all opened ok
And if it also reduces the silent crashes then that’s a bonus

Hopefully Corel will make this available to all its customers.

Later I will add this to the hotfix post here
viewforum.php?f=88

again thank you very much

[asik1]

No, I don't have any issues with VS2019, I didn't install it, I'm with W7.

Although you may have issues with Windows 7 as extended support is ending on January 14, 2020

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

tletter, I haven't use any W7 support ever so I'm sure it will boot up on the morning of Jan15 2020.