Missing or modified source files

[F. W. Daniels]

I have Windows Vista with Windows Media Player and Windows moviemaker 6.

I have almost completed my first Movie attempt and I tried to save this
project in .wmv format to my Computer. My plan was to re-import to back to
my time line and add a little music.

Result. . . . I have received that famous 'Movie Maker' quote: . . . "This
project contains source files that are missing or have been modified after
import. Your project cannot be saved until . . . . . . . ."

1. As none of my photo pictures have a "Red X" on them, I assume all my
picture files are acceptable.

2. I have no Video files included in this first attempt. The only other
files I have added to this film are 'Audio/Voice' files and these are quite
numerous. Even though I can't see a 'Red X' on an audio file, I assume the
"source file problem is somewhere in these Audio file add on's.. I also know
some of these Audio add on's were changed, and some several times.

Questions
1. How do I find these Audio files that cannot find their source?

2. How do I repair them?

3. Should I . . . . Import my complete list of Audio files in the hope of
catching the problem file or files . . . (many megabites)

4. If I have to investigate each and every audio add-on, how do I know I
have found the one that's faulty? In other words, is there some
identifying mark or something to tell me, this is the one?

And let's face it, as I am a beginner at this, Movie Making, I realize
there could be 3 or 4 of these files that can't find their source.

I would appreciate receiving any help regarding this, to me, 'huge' problem.

Frank

 

[PapaJohn]

the first step is easy.... temporarily remove all the audio clips from the
project and try saving a movie without them.... click on any of the audio
clips, use Control-A to select them all, the delete key will remove them
all.

After attempting the saving without them, use the undo key to put them back,
or reopen the project file that has them.

that'll confirm your theory that it's something ahout the audio files.... or
help you decide the next step.

 

[F. W. Daniels]

Hi John

Not sure how to get back to you on this. Do I reply back to the group with
copy to you.?

Hopefully this gets to you.

Bad News . . . I deleted the Audio files (I think) and that notification
re: "Project contains source
files that are missing or have been modified." still comes up . . .

I said (I think) I deleted them because they still show on the time line.
However they disappeared
visually from the Imported Project screen. When you said to click on any
audio clip did you mean on the
timeline or on the Project screen area. I clicked on the time-line then
delete. When I went to Edit/Undo
it shows (undo File Properties). Clicking on this did not bring them
back.... Somehow, I think I may have lost all the
Audio files, actually the whole audio folder is gone from all the saved
copies of this only project I have.
The picture folder is still there and looks Ok.

Sorry John for being so computer ignorant . I am the greenest of any
greenhorn you've come up against.

With this step backwards . . . . Have I screwed it beyond repair?

Frank


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[John Inzer]

Hi John

Not sure how to get back to you on this. Do I reply back to the group
with copy to you.?

Hopefully this gets to you.

Bad News . . . I deleted the Audio files (I think) and that
notification re: "Project contains source
files that are missing or have been modified." still comes up . . .

I said (I think) I deleted them because they still show on the time
line. However they disappeared
visually from the Imported Project screen. When you said to click on
any audio clip did you mean on the
timeline or on the Project screen area. I clicked on the time-line
then delete. When I went to Edit/Undo
it shows (undo File Properties). Clicking on this did not bring them
back.... Somehow, I think I may have lost all the
Audio files, actually the whole audio folder is gone from all the
saved copies of this only project I have.
The picture folder is still there and looks Ok.

Sorry John for being so computer ignorant . I am the greenest of any
greenhorn you've come up against.

With this step backwards . . . . Have I screwed it beyond repair?

Frank

======================================
I'm a different John but will try to clarify...

The idea was to remove the audio files from the
'Timeline' and Publish (save) the movie without
them...

If the save is successful...this would verify that the
audio files are where the problem lies.

If you deleted the files from your project and did
not resave...you should be able to re-open your
..mswmm project file and the files should still be
as they were.

Clear as mud now...huh?

Good luck.

--


John Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[PapaJohn]

Hi Frank,

It's your choice as to how to respond.... you should pick one or the other.

I answer emails once a day, at the end of my day.... about 2 am Eastern
time. And I can only give my personal comments.

I respond to newsgroup and forum posts throughout the day, but only if I
read them and have something to contribute. By responding here, you get the
support of others like John Inzer also.

Seems you need to do some more learning about the differences between source
files on your hard drive, clips in collections which link to them, and the
arrangement of clips in the project storyboard/timeline.

Audio files in a project only show in the timeline view, so when I suggest
selecting all of them in that view and pressing the delete key, the source
files are still there on your computer and, unless you resave the project to
write over your original, you can reopen it without changes, as John said.

 

[F. W. Daniels]

Hi John and John

Pleased to say, with your help, I'm getting somewhere. . . I replaced all
the Audio Files from Source then deleted them from the project and 'lo and
behold the Picture/Video portion of the project published . . . . then
(undo - correctly this time) and the project is back together again. . . .
See John I am learning . . .and Hey, I'm halfway there. . .

This verifies the problem, is in the Audio section. . . My audio files
consists in order of volume ; ( .wma) (.mp3) (.wav)...

You mentioned "then it's a matter to subdividing the project into less
complex parts, and finding if a clip or
more are of file types that don't work in Movie Maker, and need file
conversion."

Now can you advise me the steps I should take, or how to subdivide the
audio, to pinpoint finding that miserable Audio fault. . .

Thanks for your excellent help, and am anxious to complete this first
project.

Frank

 

[PapaJohn]

Audio goes much quicker and easier than video....

Select all the clips on the video track (Control-A)... press the delete
key... do the same for all title overlay clips in that track... leaving only
the audio clips on the audio/music track.

Save the movie. With only audio clips on that track, you're quality choices
will be limited to wma files... choose the highest quality.

If that doesn't save successfully, make a note of how far it gets in percent
complete. That might the position of your problem clip....

Again, if it doesn't save successfully, delete the last half of the clips
and save the first half to an audio file.... then undo the delection and
remove the first half of the audio clips and save the movie.... using that
approach zero into your issue.

 

[John Inzer]

snip<
This verifies the problem, is in the Audio section. . . My audio files
consists in order of volume ; ( .wma) (.mp3) (.wav)...
snip<

==============================
Movie Maker has issues with MP3 files...
that may be the source of your errors.

File type compatibility with Movie Maker
http://tinyurl.com/v8tee
or...
http://www.myvideoproblems.com/Tutorials/MovieMaker/File_type_compatibility.htm

Which file type should I use in Movie Maker?
http://tinyurl.com/6n66g3
or...
http://www.myvideoproblems.com/Tutorials/MovieMaker/WhichFileTypeInMovieMaker.htm

--


John Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[F. W. Daniels]

Hi John

With your help, I think I'm almost there. Here is where I stand: . . .

After much hit and miss, I finally was able to 'Publish', then I tried to
add
music (actually all were birdsong .mp3 clips which I changed to .wav).

I entered them to the now vacant Audio/Music track and they seem to go
on perfectly. At that time I noticed that the Original Audio frequency waves
were visible on the narrow band below the broader Video band. Then I
'Published' the result was the New Music recorded beautifully however
the Original Sound was gone.

I made DVD's prior to trying to adding the music and then again after
adding the music

One DVD has the Original Audio (voices) and the other has the (birdsong
music)

Questions

1. How can I get the two sound tracks on the same DVD

2. As the (Old Audio/voices clips) were made over a period of time. The
voices are much different
in volume/loudness. Is there some way in the building process to level this
off to a reasonable
level?

 

[F. W. Daniels]

Hi John

After much hit and miss, I think I'm almost there, here is where I stand . .
.. Finally I was able to
'publish'. . . . Then tried to add music (actually songbird clips) which I
changed
from .mp3 to .wav files, which I understand are more acceptable.

I added the music on the now blank music/audio track, which seemed to go
on perfectly. Then tried to publish. At this stage I did notice the
original Audio frequency waves
were visible on the narrow track, just below the broader video band of the
'Time Line.'

The result after publishing was, the new sound was reproduced, however the
old sound was not.

I later made a DVD at the stage prior to attempting to add the music and the
'Original Audio',
recorded OK on the DVD.

Questions:

1. How can I 'marry" the two sound tracks to be on the final DVD?

2. As the original audio (voices) were recorded over a period of time. They
end up on the DVD as very different
in volume/loudness. Is there any way along the building process to level
this volume?

Thanks for you patience, John

Frank
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[John Inzer]

snip<> Questions

1. How can I get the two sound tracks on the same DVD

==============================
Save (Publish) the movie with the first
sound tracks...then reimport the completed
video file and drag it to the timeline.

Now (in timeline view) all of the audio will
be on the Audio track and the Audio/Music
track will be clear and you can add an
additional sound file.
==============================

2. As the (Old Audio/voices clips) were made over a period of time.
The voices are much different
in volume/loudness. Is there some way in the building process to
level this off to a reasonable
level?

==============================
You can right click any audio clip and
choose...Volume...then drag the slider.

--


John Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[F. W. Daniels]

Hi John

Yes the big smile is because I finally did it . . . Published and burned my
first project to a DVD. Without your and PapaJohn's help, I don't think I
would have done it.

Thanks for your patience.

Frank

 

[F. W. Daniels]

Hi John

Yes the big smile is because I finally did it . . . Published and burned my
first project to a DVD. Without your and John Inzer help, I don't think I
could have done it.

Thanks for your patience.

Frank

 

[PapaJohn]

Enjoy!!! thanks for the followup comment

 

[John Inzer]

Hi John

Yes the big smile is because I finally did it . . . Published and
burned my first project to a DVD. Without your and PapaJohn's help,
I don't think I would have done it.

Thanks for your patience.

Frank

========================
You're welcome.

Thanks for the update.

--


John Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk