# Windows Movie Maker won't save my movie



## JacobC

So I filmed a video, spent over 6 HOURS editing it with Windows Movie Maker 2.1, my operating system is XP. (it's about 10 minutes long and requires about 154mb) My computer's RAM is 1.00gb. When I go to save the file (I need to in order to save it to my USB and upload it to YouTube) the loading bar is blank and it has no estimated time. A few minutes later it gives me the error message. I am certain that all of the files included in the video are in my computer and have not been altered. I have countless solutions, scouting many sites but can't find the answer. I've tried saving to different locations, downloading and removing some codecs, Removing a lot of programs from my computer and closing most applications. It's still just the same thing happening. Please let me know if you have any other solutions (besides recording it with a screem recorder, I don't want toaster quality). I really don't want to lose 6 solid hours of editing and 3 hours of filming.
Your help is greatly appreciated :grin:

Sincerely, Jacob


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## wmorri

Hi,

Welcome to TSF!!

What are you getting for an error message? With that we can try and help you better. Besides that if you could tell us what you have tried so that we don't ask you to do the same stuff that would be great.

Cheers!


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## JacobC

I've removed about 6 programs from my computer to try and free up memory, i've tried uploading it to different computers (didnt work with my cousins comp as it is Windows 7, i've tried it on my laptop which is Vista, the video showed up in the timeline but all the files were replaced by red x's.) If i could get it onto my laptop then i might be able to save it. The error message tells me to make sure that all of the raw files used in the video are in the computer, I thoroughly checked and theyre all in there. It also says that you may not have enough memory, My ram, as i said, is about 1gig and the video takes up about 154mb. It seems like sufficient memory but i think i need to be running on less than i have, but it still confuses me.

So is there a way to get the files on my Vista, do i need to have all of the original files saved onto it, (btw i saved them to my laptop but they are still red x's.

Thats about it, anything you can do?

Jacob


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## zuluclayman

A couple of questions:

Have you moved or renamed any of the original source files (video or audio)? like most video editors Moviemaker only stores links to the original files, saves files that are the changes to them then when you export, exports an edited version leaving the original files as they were. This is called non-destructive editing (also non-linear)
If you change anything about the original source files (location, file extension, file name) Moviemaker no longer recognises the source file and you get the red cross.

Do you have the ffdshow tryouts codec installed? It is a good basic codec for Windws Moviemaker - many of the codec packs (K-Lite etc) confuse poor old Moviemaker (too many versions of similar codecs) and it has conflicts which it can't resolve so either crashes or gives the generic error message you are seeing.

After installation when you open a project it may come up with the following dialogue box - check the tickbox next to "use ffdshow always"


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## JacobC

The only thing i have done to the original files is copy them to a usb (they are still saved in the computer) When i put the video on my laptop i got the red x's, even though i had the original files on the usb. I'll try downloading that codec, that non-linear stuff kinda confuses me..

I'll let you know how the codec goes..

Jacob


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## zuluclayman

When you first made the project it made links with the files where they were on your desktop computer - you have now got this same project on your laptop but its links are trying to direct it to where the files were/are on your desktop computer and it no longer has access to those locations so it shows the files as being missing - the red cross thorugh the thumbnail.
To make new links with the new location of the clips you can right click on their icons with a cross through them and select "Browse for Missing Files" find the clip on your USB and say OK - or Moviemaker may conduct a search of its own and as long as you have the USB with the files plugged in it will find them.

NOTE: - it would be much better to transfer the files from the USB to your laptop's hard drive - that way they are there all the time, you don't have to remember to plug the USB in (and have it plugged in to the same port), and it is quicker and less likely to fail in rendering.


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## JacobC

I downloaded the codec (on my home computer), the installation kinda confused me so i basically clicked ok for everything. I tried saving the movie again and it still won't work. When my laptop is free i'll try that stuff.

Jacob


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## JacobC

I saved all my clips onto the laptop, I selected browse for missing files. It found the intro to my video (which I had previously saved and put it into the big video) but i went to the folders where i had all the other clips and the folders showed up as empty 
I dont know what to do...

Jacob


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## zuluclayman

Do the files show as being there when you open the folder they are in?

Can you play the files in Windows Media Player?

What file format are they? (mpeg, avi, mp4, wmv etc)

Have you changed the file extension or anything?

How much free space is on your hard disk on your desktop? (Open My Computer, Right click on C drive icon and go to Properties)

If the folders showed as empty in Windows Moviemaker but the clips are there when you browse in Explorer or just open the folder normally outside of Moviemaker it usually means the files aren't being seen by Moviemaker as being suitable for use with Moviemaker - this is often codec or file format (mpg, etc) related.


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## JacobC

The files are showing up when i open the folder outside of movie maker, they are all in wmv format. Free space is 239gb and my used space is about 60gb.


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## zuluclayman

Sometimes the files, though seeming to be OK have glitches in their encoding that stops Moviemaker from being able to process them either for import and/or when rendering the final movie out.

Download and install Format Factory from the link in my sig and transcode the clips - you can do it as a batch - to .avi files

First set up another folder to receive the transcoded files - call it transcodes or something similar.

Open format Factory
*first screen:* choose "all to avi" on the left hand side panel
*second screen:* go to "Output Setting"
*third screen:* click in the right hand column alongside "Video Encode", a drop down arrow will appear, drop down and select wmv2 if you have that in the list, otherwise try MPEG4(Xvid) leave all the other settings as they are and click OK

At the bottom of the second screen which should still be showing browse to set the destination for the converted files to the folder you set up.

Click on the Add File button and locate and select all the files you need to convert, then click OK which should take you back to the opening screen - your files should show in the list now.

Click on "Start" and you should see a progress bar for each file as it transcodes.

Copy the original files from where they were stored onto a USB stick (I think you have already done this but just make sure you have a copy of the original files NOT on the computer) - laptop or desktop that you are going to use then delete the copy of the original files left on the computer. In Moviemaker when you open the project you should now have red crosses - Moviemaker can't find the original files - now if you right click them and select browse for missing files you can locate the new transcoded files - it should accept them as their names haven't changed, just their encoding. This is a way of substituting the files in the timeline and keep your edits - you are just redirecting Moviemaker to make new links with the transcoded files.


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