Cannot save file.

[Guest]

PC specs:
P4 3ghz
2 gig ram
260gig free disc space.
Windows XP SP2
Windows Movie Maker 5.1 / 2.1.4026.0

I have spent about 10 hours creating a movie from vacation photos and mpgs
shot on my video camera. Now Windows Movie Maker will not save my file. I
initially tried saving as an AVI so I could convert it to a DVD. Program
reported that I needed 1558.5mb free disc space ( I have 260gig free ). But
after about 10 minutes of inactivity it failed and came back with "Windows
Movie Maker cannot save the movie to the specified location. Verify that the
original source files used in your movie are still available, that the saving
location is still available, and that there is enough free disk space
available, and then try again".
So I tried another file type, choose the "best for my computer", still same
error.
Out of frustration I tried EVERY SINGLE CHOICE OFFERED. Same result. Even
with the PocketPC version!

Checked the obvious things in task manager. Page file never goes about about
60%, processor useage never goes above 50%, still have plenty of free memory.

The only way it will save the file is if I write it directly to a CD. And
that comes out so compressed that it isn't worth watching. I would love to
try to burn it directly to DVD, but for whatever reason I do not have that
option in my save choices. Even though I have asked three different people
all running 5.1 and all of them have the direct to DVD choice.

So.. open for suggestions here. I really am not in the mood to chase down a
different software package and start over but it is starting to look like
that is what I am going to have to do. Only other software I have is Unlead
DVD and it won't import the mpg files from my camera because it says they
were recorded in Dolby Digital. At this point, I don't even care if I have
to find software that will use my existing mswmm file ( which would be ideal
because I wouldn't have to start over! )

Thanks for the help

 

[Wojo]

At first I didn't see an answer in your message because the needed details
were not there until the very end when you mentioned MPG's.
I can almost guarantee that the MPG's are the reason your video will not
save as they cause problems at all different times during the process.
Sometimes they won't import and other times they will but then won't save.
Sometimes they will import and save but your video stops half way through
etc...

As far as your version the Movie Maker version is 2.1 not 5.1 5.1 is the
Windows version it is written funny in the About Movie Maker form.

As far as the "Save to DVD" option goes the three people you talked to have
Media Center Edition PC's which come with that option in Movie Maker that
doesn't actually go directly from WMM to DVD it simply saves the video to
your computer and imports it into MyDVD to create a DVD so the problem would
still be there even if you did have that option.

Unfortunately the long and short of it is you almost certainly need to
convert those MPG's into AVI's to solve the issue.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Wojo. Sounds like it is time to break out WinAVI and
start converting. Pretty silly that Movie Maker will let you import MPG's but
won't work with them.

As for the Media Center PC's, I just checked with one of the people and he
does not have XP Media Center. He has XP SP2 just like I do. But his MM
version is different from mine. It is 2.0.3312. That may be the Media Center
version of MM, but he is certain he doesn't have a Media Center PC.

 

[Guest]

Well, after it taking roughly 14 hours to convert the mpg files to avi, then
another 2 or so hours for me to go through and replace all the files in my
project, I tried to save to disc and guess what... same freakin' error.
Thanks Microsoft.
Should have bought a Mac.

 

[Wojo]

That is really a surprise.
There's only a couple other things I can immediately think of.
It could be a problem with one of the images causing it to hang during
rendering.
Tell me more about the project how many images/videos/transitions as well as
their extensions/filetypes.

It could be due to your harddrive format. Is it NTFS or FAT32? If it is
formatted FAT32 then you are probably hitting the 4GB filesize limit.

Or it could simply be that the project is too complex which you work around
by splitting it into pieces and bringing the whole thing together at the
end. (More info on my website [Movie Maker -> How-To's]

 

[Guest]

Total project size is around 1.5gig. There are approximately 175 jpgs each
around 300k in size, and 9 mpg ( now avi ) video files ranging from 20mb to
200mb.

That is really a surprise.
There's only a couple other things I can immediately think of.
It could be a problem with one of the images causing it to hang during
rendering.
Tell me more about the project how many images/videos/transitions as well as
their extensions/filetypes.

It could be due to your harddrive format. Is it NTFS or FAT32? If it is
formatted FAT32 then you are probably hitting the 4GB filesize limit.

Or it could simply be that the project is too complex which you work around
by splitting it into pieces and bringing the whole thing together at the
end. (More info on my website [Movie Maker -> How-To's]
--
-Wojo
MVP - Digital Media
Wojo's Web:
http://www.wojos-web.co.nr/

Well, after it taking roughly 14 hours to convert the mpg files to avi,
then
another 2 or so hours for me to go through and replace all the files in my
project, I tried to save to disc and guess what... same freakin' error.
Thanks Microsoft.
Should have bought a Mac.

 

[Wojo]

At 1.5GB a FAT32 formatted drive isn't the issue then.
But with that many pictures and images, especially if there are transitions
between a lot if not all of them, creates a complex project and that very
well could be the issue.
Anytime you are working with a project on such a large scale it is a good
idea to create it in pieces much like programmers do with large programs.
If you split the project into smaller more manageable pieces and only bring
each together in the end you tend to get better results. See my website
[Movie Maker -> How-To's -> Split a Project] for more details.
--
-Wojo
MVP - Digital Media
Wojo's Web:
http://www.wojos-web.co.nr/

Total project size is around 1.5gig. There are approximately 175 jpgs each
around 300k in size, and 9 mpg ( now avi ) video files ranging from 20mb
to
200mb.

That is really a surprise.
There's only a couple other things I can immediately think of.
It could be a problem with one of the images causing it to hang during
rendering.
Tell me more about the project how many images/videos/transitions as well
as
their extensions/filetypes.

It could be due to your harddrive format. Is it NTFS or FAT32? If it is
formatted FAT32 then you are probably hitting the 4GB filesize limit.

Or it could simply be that the project is too complex which you work
around
by splitting it into pieces and bringing the whole thing together at the
end. (More info on my website [Movie Maker -> How-To's]
--
-Wojo
MVP - Digital Media
Wojo's Web:
http://www.wojos-web.co.nr/

Well, after it taking roughly 14 hours to convert the mpg files to avi,
then
another 2 or so hours for me to go through and replace all the files in
my
project, I tried to save to disc and guess what... same freakin' error.
Thanks Microsoft.
Should have bought a Mac.

:

At first I didn't see an answer in your message because the needed
details
were not there until the very end when you mentioned MPG's.
I can almost guarantee that the MPG's are the reason your video will
not
save as they cause problems at all different times during the process.
Sometimes they won't import and other times they will but then won't
save.
Sometimes they will import and save but your video stops half way
through
etc...

As far as your version the Movie Maker version is 2.1 not 5.1 5.1 is
the
Windows version it is written funny in the About Movie Maker form.

As far as the "Save to DVD" option goes the three people you talked to
have
Media Center Edition PC's which come with that option in Movie Maker
that
doesn't actually go directly from WMM to DVD it simply saves the video
to
your computer and imports it into MyDVD to create a DVD so the problem
would
still be there even if you did have that option.

Unfortunately the long and short of it is you almost certainly need to
convert those MPG's into AVI's to solve the issue.
--
-Wojo
MVP - Digital Media
Wojo's Web:
http://www.wojos-web.co.nr/


PC specs:
P4 3ghz
2 gig ram
260gig free disc space.
Windows XP SP2
Windows Movie Maker 5.1 / 2.1.4026.0

I have spent about 10 hours creating a movie from vacation photos
and
mpgs
shot on my video camera. Now Windows Movie Maker will not save my
file.
I
initially tried saving as an AVI so I could convert it to a DVD.
Program
reported that I needed 1558.5mb free disc space ( I have 260gig
free ).
But
after about 10 minutes of inactivity it failed and came back with
"Windows
Movie Maker cannot save the movie to the specified location. Verify
that
the
original source files used in your movie are still available, that
the
saving
location is still available, and that there is enough free disk
space
available, and then try again".
So I tried another file type, choose the "best for my computer",
still
same
error.
Out of frustration I tried EVERY SINGLE CHOICE OFFERED. Same result.
Even
with the PocketPC version!

Checked the obvious things in task manager. Page file never goes
about
about
60%, processor useage never goes above 50%, still have plenty of
free
memory.

The only way it will save the file is if I write it directly to a
CD.
And
that comes out so compressed that it isn't worth watching. I would
love
to
try to burn it directly to DVD, but for whatever reason I do not
have
that
option in my save choices. Even though I have asked three different
people
all running 5.1 and all of them have the direct to DVD choice.

So.. open for suggestions here. I really am not in the mood to chase
down
a
different software package and start over but it is starting to look
like
that is what I am going to have to do. Only other software I have is
Unlead
DVD and it won't import the mpg files from my camera because it says
they
were recorded in Dolby Digital. At this point, I don't even care if
I
have
to find software that will use my existing mswmm file ( which would
be
ideal
because I wouldn't have to start over! )

Thanks for the help