VideoStudio X8.5 Disc authoring problems

[wally]

I’m experiencing weird behaviour when authoring BR or DVD disks. After starting the process using Share option in VS X8.5 everything goes fine. I create my disk (including title menu, chapter menus, etc.) and then I create ISO. The ISO is fully functional and when I burn it, it plays OK. Then, when I try to open the saved project again, the project loads fine. When I switch to Share -> Disc -> Blu-ray the project loads 100% and then everything freezes. The only way to close VS is to use Task Manager and do End Task on Corel VideoStudio app, which is showing as “Not responding”. To make this even more bizarre, I can load successfully some old disc authoring projects, but not every one. There are no errors in Windows Application or System logs. All hardware acceleration is disabled (I’ve tried enabling this, but it didn’t help). I’ve tried to reset my installation and I’ve also re-installed VS from scratch. Nothing helps. The whole thing was working fine for a long time. I’ve done several projects in last two months. Only recently I’ve started experiencing this problem. Any ideas?

[JoSo]

Here the same Problem, since a few days now. Freezing when starting to author a DVD. Re-installation did not work and I installed a Test-Version of VideoStudio 2020, ist dosn't work either.

[wally]

In my case the only thing which changed were Windows 10 updates. KB4552931 (.NET Framework) and KB4556799 (Win10 cumulative for May) were installed on May 13. I've also installed (today) KB4560960 (Win 10 cumulative for June), but this didn't help.

[Ken Berry]

Wally -- I assume you have not been updated without your knowing it toWin 10 version 2004 -- which apparently has been happening. Check in Settings > System > About to see what version you have. The newest version 2004 is apparently causing all sorts of problems for people and I believe Microsoft may even have stalled distribution of it as a result.

Incidentally, I see your Profile says you are still using Win 8.1. You might want to change that.

[Davidk]

Ken,
Assuming win10 2004 has been applied, how would the users go about reversing that and getting back to an OS version that worked with their VS software?

[wally]

I'm still on 1909 version. Now I've discovered another related issue. When I open projects I've created in February, (in this case those are DVD projects), both projects open fine but the authoring section is empty. It looks like nothing is loaded, but the VS is not frozen.

[Davidk]

First, the usual recommendation is to treat a disk composition (authoring) as a new project file: open with timeline empty, and go direct to the disk composition (share/Disk/media to open the burn module for the authoring of a disk.
The authoring section - the burn module composition (clips, menu, music etc) - when saved, is saved as part of the main project file (the vsp), whether its empty or not.

If you simply exited the burn panel without saving, your work is gone.

To save it, you need to fill-in the 'save as' panel you got when closing the burn panel; choose a unique name and include the VS version eg "2020 holiday disk authoring_x10", make sure the vsp 'save as type' is for the version you are actually using, select location etc and OK. If you cancelled the 'save as' panel when closing the burn module and just saved the main vsp - your composition is probably gone.

To restore it for re-use or additional edits, simply open that saved authoring vsp file desirably using the same VS version used to create it; it will appear with a "flicker" as an open/empty project file (because the authoring elements are not displayed here). Go to the Share/disk/media section (eg, DVD) you used to create it, and when the burn panel appears the composition elements (in the 1st instance, the clips in the time strip) should appear as you saved it. Test that using the open new project selection from VS before closing the VS session.

This only works on the same machine you created it on, and until after version x8, would only work on the same version of VS as well. Strong recommendation; only use the same version of VS with disk compositions.
If you created a smart package of the project authoring vsp file to use on another PC, the authoring component is not so saved: opening the vsp from that package on the new PC won't have the author element: the burn module will appear blank, as in a new composition to be started.

[Ken Berry]

Assuming win10 2004 has been applied, how would the users go about reversing that and getting back to an OS version that worked with their VS software?

You can roll it back. In fact I think MS is recommending that. The roll back is, unfortunately, temporary, though in this case I suspect it will hold till MS resolve the problems associated with 2004.

[wally]

First, the usual recommendation is to treat a disk composition (authoring) as a new project file: open with timeline empty, and go direct to the disk composition (share/Disk/media to open the burn module for the authoring of a disk.
The authoring section - the burn module composition (clips, menu, music etc) - when saved, is saved as part of the main project file (the vsp), whether its empty or not.

If you simply exited the burn panel without saving, your work is gone.

To save it, you need to fill-in the 'save as' panel you got when closing the burn panel; choose a unique name and include the VS version eg "2020 holiday disk authoring_x10", make sure the vsp 'save as type' is for the version you are actually using, select location etc and OK. If you cancelled the 'save as' panel when closing the burn module and just saved the main vsp - your composition is probably gone.

To restore it for re-use or additional edits, simply open that saved authoring vsp file desirably using the same VS version used to create it; it will appear with a "flicker" as an open/empty project file (because the authoring elements are not displayed here). Go to the Share/disk/media section (eg, DVD) you used to create it, and when the burn panel appears the composition elements (in the 1st instance, the clips in the time strip) should appear as you saved it. Test that using the open new project selection from VS before closing the VS session.

This only works on the same machine you created it on, and until after version x8, would only work on the same version of VS as well. Strong recommendation; only use the same version of VS with disk compositions.
If you created a smart package of the project authoring vsp file to use on another PC, the authoring component is not so saved: opening the vsp from that package on the new PC won't have the author element: the burn module will appear blank, as in a new composition to be started.

This is exactly what I'm doing. I start new project, go to Share -> Disc -> Blu-ray. Then I add video file (M2T files in case of BR or MPG files in case of DVD). Then I add chapters. Then I add menus (with background music, etc.). Then I preview it and then I create ISO. I save my project at the end (in Output section) by clicking on Close and choosing Save (I don’t know if there is a better way of saving, but this has worked for me since Ulead days). So this is my workflow I'm using. It worked for years and years, but no longer. Just few minutes ago I've discovered that when I create "dummy project" from scratch, save it and then open existing project which I couldn't open before, the existing project opens just fine. Weird….