Freezes at last burn screen in VS9. Won't restart

[crichardson]

My VS9 worked fine for two months. Now whenever I get to the last screen where you would click burn (under Share, create disc) I get the hourglass as soon as I click to go on that screen, and it just freezes. I have tried burning it straight from the timeline and creating a file first. Same result. VS9 won't end program in task manager or close in VS9. I can't even restart. I have to unplug the computer. I tried everything. I even backed up everything and did a total system restore so it was like the day the computer arrived (a time-consuming process.) The only program I loaded back on was VS9. I thought I would add programs back on one-at-a-time to discover what program was offensive to VS9. VS9 still does the same thing! Before I did the drastic system restore, I tried my Nero software, and was able to burn disks just fine.

Can someone offer some advice?

[PeterMilliken]

I am not perhaps clear here as to where the problem is - when you say "burn" are you refering to the final stage i.e. you have setup the video project to include, the menus, the background screen/sound etc whether you are writing directly to DVD or writing an image file and the "Burn" button is available?

If this is the point where things are gumming up could you perhaps provide more information about such things as whether you are including a project, writing directly from the current video project, burning directly to DVD or just to an image file and/or DVD folders etc etc

[crichardson]

My problem happens on the last screen in the share section, where you actually click "burn" and are able to change the disc label. After hitting "next" on the previous screen (where you can play it to see how it looks), I get an hourglass, which never goes away. It won't close down or anything. I can't even click anything on that screen, I immediately get an hourglass after exiting the previous screen.

I have tried numerous options: different projects, motion menu and no motion menu, menu and no menu, creating a project file first and burning straight from the timeline. I am trying to burn to a dvd every time (create disc I think is the option name). Same result every time.

The crazy thing is - it worked for two months. So, finally, in desperation, I did a system restore back to how it was when I unloaded it from the box (I purchased this HP computer in 7/05) and then only loaded Ulead on it. It does the same thing!!

[PeterMilliken]

OK, assuming that something unknown to you hasn't "snuck in" on the install side of the software when you re-imaged everything then I would have to perhaps turn my attention to the hardware (we are after all looking for something that has "changed" in the last two months - and your exercise with re-imaging the harddrive appears to rule out software).

Since the Share step involves the DVD burner (well possibly searching the system for any device that is a burner) perhaps you could try unplugging your DVD burner from the computer system? I would just take off the power plug rather than the ribbon cable as that would probably be more accessable and easier Of course, doing a share to "image" or "DVD folders" you wouldn't think the software would look for a burner but stranger things have happened...

Peter

[Ken Berry]

I realise you said that you did a system restore to the original state and only reloaded VS. But system restore of course does not remove every program that has been loaded since you first obtained the computer. You can only get that by a full format and reinstall of XP or your operating system.

You say you have Nero. I would be interested to know whether you have installed InCD as part of the Nero suite. I ask because InCD causes a conflict with other programs when it comes to access to your computer's DVD burner. You would need to uninstall InCD (Control Panel > Add/Remove Software) as the program cannot be temporarily disabled -- unlike a similar program by Roxio, whose name I can never remember.

[PeterMilliken]

I guess that raises the question of crichardson's use of the words "system restore" - I assumed that it meant a reformat of the harddrive and reloading of XP and application software etc. Ken has interpreted it (probably correctly ) as using XP's "system restore" facility to "uninstall" all software back to a certain point (the day you got it out of the box?). Personally I am not sure I would trust anything like this from Microsoft - they might say that the system disk has been "wound back" to a certain point but I personally would never trust it - I do my "winding back" by having a disk image of my computer on DVDs - when I want to wind back I just re-image the harddrive from those disks - guaranteed to work

Ken has an excellent point re InCD (although I have it loaded it and it hasn't caused any problems for me ), try that first - but if that doesn't fix it then I would suggest re-loading your system from scratch i.e. formating your harddrive, load XP, load VS9 etc.

[crichardson]

Wow - you were right it was the dvd burner on my HP. I disconnected the two dvd drives and then tried to go to the last screen in Ulead and just burn an iso file and it worked! So, I downloaded some new HP DVD drivers,reconnected the DVDs, but it still wouldn't work.

The weird thing is, my DVD drive worked for two months just fine?! During that time I installed CD Roller and Roxio, but then uninstalled and as I said, did a complete HP system reformat so nothing was left on my computer and it was like the day I removed it from the box. Anyway, I will either burn an iso file and then reconnect my dvd drives and burn using NERO and/or continue doing research with HP drivers to see if I can get that irritating problem fixed.

Thanks so much for the help!

CRichardson

[PeterMilliken]

That is unusual - because all of the signs of a "hardware fault" are present from your description i.e. the system used to work, doesn't now but will (sort of ) if you unplug the DVD drive.

This all argues that something in the DVD drive has gone kaput - if it is under warranty and/or you can display the failed behaviour with some other application then I would recommend putting it into HP for repair. If it is out of warranty, well, DVD drives are terribly cheap these days, so just buy another one! - this should solve the problem (of course, wouldn't it be painful if the new drive failed also? If this happened then it would argue a hardware failure on the motherboard - around the point where the DVD ribbon cable plugged in).

Another alternative that might be worth considering is to purchase an external 5.25in case with both Firewire and USB2.0 connectors - move your DVD burner into that and see if the problem "goes away" - and this way you end up with an external burner as well!

Just some further thoughts/options

Goodluck,
Peter

[2Dogs]

Bear in mind that many HP pcs are larded up with all manner of software when you get them.

They use a hidden one called "BackWeb" to report back to base all the time. (it gives you those update announcement messages)

I found something called an "image vault" on my C: drive, which I have as a separate OS and programs partition. This had copies of every image and video file on the pc! It was huge, and getting huge-er by the day until I despatched it to silicon heaven!

I think that a lot of HP stuff is designed to be "user friendly" - i.e. complete numb-skulls have half a chance of using the pc - but when you use something a little more sophisticated, such as even a basic video editing program, you can run into problems.

Regarding XP system restore - it can be useful, but puts a burden on your system. HP's own restore disks and restore partition work very slowly. A much better solution, as some posters have suggested, is to use Norton Ghost or a similar disk image program to back up your system. It's handy to be able to fully restore your pc to any given state (if you make regular images) in about 5 minutes flat. Sure beats formatting, reloading XP and all your programs. It's quicker than a defrag, and the only sure way to remove all traces of programs you might try but later wish to uninstall.