MF4 update: access DVD "freezes" system

[marcvanimpe]

Anyone any idea:
Installed MF4 from CD and it works fine.
Then installed update pack 2 (have also tried pack 1 first).
From then on:
Whenever I try to launch MF4 or quick drop or any other related program, the system "freezes" (= program does not start and I have to wait some 20 minutes for shut down/reboot - other applications start after over 10 minutes only and system performs unacceptably poor).
Uninstalling MF4 and deleting C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ulead Systems\DVD (as suggested by ULead tech supp) and re-installing returned me to initial version which again worked fine... until update installed again.
So I'm stuck to the initial release of the program and new features from later updates are unavailable.
Last answer I received from tech supp is that they cannot help!!!

[sjj1805]

Have you tried to download the update patch again in case you had a corrupted download?

[tyamada]

There are two update pack 2s on the web. You should download the latest and try it.

[jcc]

A note on the download page states...

The Update Pack 2 contains all the updates that came with Update Pack 1 and 2(Build 4.03 ).

[marcvanimpe]

Thanks for quick response from all.

In reply to suggestions:
have tried to
- install MF4 original only: works fine
- then install update pack 1 first (problem occurs), then pack 2 (problem persists).
- then uninstall everything, re-install MF4, then install update pack 2 (without 1). Problem persists.
- download packs again and re-start from scratch: files do not look to be corrupted. Problem persists.

[maddrummer3301]

There was a thread a while back with the same problems.

Came to find out the downloads were corrupted.
The users kept blaming ulead (which is quite natural, you wouldn't expect to have a bad download).
But, you may have to do 2 downloads and perform a file comparsion from
the command prompt.

fc /B <file1.exe file2.exe>

You MUST use the /B switch for a binary comparsion otherwise the fc program only checks the byte sizes of the files.
If you see anything scrolling on the screen during the compare the files fail the comparision.

It is not uncommon for a computer that have a bad memory chip that will cause this to happen. The computer may appear to operate properly. Video Corruption is one of the first indicators of a bad chip.
It's not easy to troubleshoot because we all use non-ECC memory which doesn't perform parity checking like the expensive file servers.

Hope this helps,
MD

[urony]

I had the same problem with my MF4 (an upgrade i purchesed to my MF2.SE).

I didn't quite understand what to do.
Should I download the upgrade from both sights and run this test untill I found that they are the same?

How, exectly do I run this test?

(sorry for my ignorance)

[marcvanimpe]

Have just spent 2 hours in downloading the upgrade again, comparing (OK), installing... to find out that problem persists, removing (remember: a system reboot takes about 30 minutes), and re-installing the original MF4 CD.

[sjj1805]

marcvanimpe

(remember: a system reboot takes about 30 minutes)

. ?????

I think there is something wrong here, a system re-boot even on a very old computer should only take a couple of minutes.

[urony]

marcvanimpe

(remember: a system reboot takes about 30 minutes)

. ?????

I think there is something wrong here, a system re-boot even on a very old computer should only take a couple of minutes.

It takes a long time because the computer "freezes"'.
Once it happens it takes a long time to get the computer to restart (not "violently"). The computer works very slow and it takes few minutes to close the working programs (such as MF).

Is it has to do anything with the fact that my MF4 is an upgrade to MF2.SE? It is said that the upgrade won't work with SE programs. Is it possible that for some reasons it recognizes my MF4 as SE prodact?

[maddrummer3301]

I think his 30 minute reference is to un-installing, rebooting & re-installing MF4. Yes, that's a headache.

The first thing you want to do is look under "System Messages" for the errors.

Whatever the case, one of the boot resident drivers may be interfering with the program. I would suspect the drivers that Data-Add is using for
monitoring the CD/DVD drives.

Here is a list of the drivers loaded if you install the full package for MF4 Disc Creator:

1 - Monitor (Location = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ulead Systems\AutoDetector )
This Monitor program is basically an "AutoLauncher". You can program it to execute a specific program when a CD/DVD is inserted into the drive.
(This is actually a function already built-in to XP, Creative Labs installs a similar program that will conflict with this program. This program can conflict with existing windows auto-loaders, camera software programs etc.I think the Kodak monitoring software is probably one of the most interfering programs I've encountered).
**If you have this loaded and don't need it the icon is on the right side of the screen. Open the program and un-check "Load on Startup" Reboot the machine.

2. - ULCDRSvr.exe (Location = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ulead Systems\DVD ) Always leave this driver resident, it's used for ALL ulead products. Not known to conflict.

3. - USISrv.exe (Location = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ulead Systems\DVD )
This is the ulead "Data-Add" driver, it's used for the packet writing and monitoring of the cd/dvd's status for updating a cd/dvd written for packet writing when ejecting the cd/dvd so it's readable on other computers.
To access the features goto the "Properties" of the cd/dvd recorder and select the TAB that says "Data-Add". There are a few options on this screen. The Option "Ask if to finalize the disc before ejecting it from this drive" If checked "ON" may cause a pop-up screen to appear when using Nero to burn the cd/dvd. This program conflicts with "Microsofts feature "Allow CD burning to this drive". The "Data-Add" program will ask you if you want to disable microsofts feature. You should answer "Yes".

4. - Quick-Drop.exe (Location = C:\Program Files\Ulead Systems\Ulead DVD MovieFactory 4.0 Disc Creator\Ulead Quick-Drop 1.0 )
Actually a very nice program when used properly to quickly write files to cd/dvd. Music, data & video.
I don' load this program on startup and you don't have to. Simply go the program "Quick-Drop" from the windows menus and launch it if you want to use it.

Hope this information is useful to someone.
MovieFactory 4 is a very large suite of programs. It's not just for video and creating video Dvd's. It's a full fledge CD/DVD burning suite.

I've switched from using Nero for packet-writing to the Data-Add program because it works better on my machine and you can check and verify a packet written cd/dvd.

Also I just installed the latest update to MF4 and the programs are all working. I know that doesn't help your problem.

Hope this helps,

MD

[marcvanimpe]

The 30 minutes reboot-time (in fact it looks simply like a system hang - read my initial post on the issue) appears as soon as I install the latest MF4 update and launch one of it's assosiate programs ONLY.

I know that the monitor is running (that one does NOT "hang" when installing the update) as it pops up all the time when inserting CD's or DVD's. But I find no icon on my desktop so I cannot configure it to not run on Windows start-up.

[sjj1805]

marcvanimpe
Firstly you have not completed your system specifications on your profile page. I take it you are running Windows XP, how much RAM have you got and size of hard drives plus free space.

If you are running Windows XP try running the CMD prompt followed by chkdsk. It will require you to reboot your system.

Have you defragmented your hard drive(s)
Have you checked your system files (run sfc / scannow)
Does it take a long time to startup in safe mode?
Have you checked the device manager for conflicting hardware.
Have you tried running msconfig and gone through the selective startup procedures.

[maddrummer3301]

The "Monitor" program that pops up all the time should have an icon on the right side of the "TaskBar" along with maybe the clock and other icons.

To find out which icon it is slowly move the mouse over the icons and read the pop-up message (don't press any mouse buttons yet).
It should say "Ulead Autodetector".
"RIGHT-CLICK" on the icon,
Select "Option" and in the next screen "UnCheck" 'Run AutoDetector when Windows starts up'

You can also stop the program from running resident by right-clicking on it and selecting "Close".

Hope this helps,

MD

[marcvanimpe]

Reply to sjj1805:
Hard disks defragmented.
System files checked.
It DOES take a long time to start-up in safe mode.
No hardware conflicts.
There's so much to choose from in selective startup that it would take me days to find any conflicting start-up issues (remember: if the system hangs when starting an updated MF4, it takes me about 30 minutes to reboot). Is there no alternative (i.e. a monitoring tool to find such conflicts)?

Reply to maddrummer3301:
The monitor icon is not always visible in my taskbar: had to reboot and then it was there.

Anyhow: I'm quite reluctant to do the update and then try everything just because it takes me hours to go back to the original working version of MF4. Just waiting (hoping) to find a tool that would more or less easily let me find a conflict (because I think that everything points in that direction).