File Format Issue or Protected File Driving me crazy

theduke wrote on 4/21/2010, 8:22 AM
Hi All


Hope you are all well.


I have started to get error messages whilst using MEP 15 which states that the file format of my clips cannot be read. I have tried every type of file from all of my 18 drives and I cannot acces them. It also states that the drive might be write protected. Now I have been using the same system for the last year (Windows 7 based) with various file formats from TOD,MTS,MPG,AVI,VOB and I just finished a project a month ago without any problems and this "error" has just started on it's own this week. It is driving me crazy I just can't understand it. All of my drives have full access since I am the adminitrator I have also double checked that full control is ticked for all drives and the project that I just finished was done using the same drive that i am now getting the error message from

I would be so grateful if anyone could shed some light on this very strange situation. I have tried everyting to clear this error but with no success. If I can't get it cleared then I will have to look at other software which would be a real shame not mention a waste of money.


Many thanks indeed




The Duke

Comments

john-auvil wrote on 4/21/2010, 10:22 AM
If I understand correctly, you are getting an error when you try to import a file from a drive?

The error is stating that the files themselves are not able to be read because of their format?

Are you able to load any file at all (perhaps the demo) to the program?

If none of that is working, I suggest reinstalling the software as maybe the codecs that are used to read these files are corrupted or not accessible.
theduke wrote on 4/21/2010, 1:15 PM
Hi John

Thanks for your response. I can load the demo no problem at all. It is only files that are on my drives that I can't load. This has only just happened and I have never had any issues with files not being accessible before. I have changed nothing on my system so I am at a loss as to why this is happening. I have tried to re-install the program and I have installed it on a completely fresh copy of Windows 7 and it is still doing the same thing.


Again many thanks and if you have any ideas I would be extremely grateful.



Kind Regards


The Duke
john-auvil wrote on 4/22/2010, 11:44 AM
 I am not so sure here. The Movie Edit Pro is being told that the files cannot be read, now this to me means that the format that the files are in are not something that the program has accessible codecs too.

This is why we need to know what format they are in on the drives of the system. I don't think it is that the drives are locked, but more that the files that reside on them are not in a readable format.

As a test, if you load that demo, then export it out in MPEG and or AVI to one of the drives that is having this access problem, close Movie Edit Pro, then reopen the program, try and load that file that you exported.

If the file loads, then we know the drives are fine, and it is the format of the other material, if the file does not load, then we need to see what Windows restrictions might be causing this...
theduke wrote on 4/23/2010, 2:50 PM
Hi John

I think I may have solved it although I don't know why it worked. I changed the drive letter on my external drive that I have always used for editing from drive P to drive Q and all of a sudden my files are fully accessible. Very strange but I am over the moon that it is working. Thank you so much for your help and I was wondering if you have came across this problem that I discovered today.


I am in the middle of editing a wedding which is about 2.5 hours long so I am making two DVD discs to maximise quality. I have burned the first one without any problem but the second one states that the size of the movie is 10gb and last for 4hrs 28mins even though that I only have footage for 1hr 14min showing in the timeline. Each disc has been produced as a seperate project.



Any thoughts?



Again thank you for your help


Kind Regards


The Duke









john-auvil wrote on 4/24/2010, 8:04 AM

The issue might be that if you "cut" out any of the footage, the overall signature of the video is still calculated.

I recommend exporting the finalized product back to the drive as AVI, this will be a large export, 1 hour could/should be about 14 GB, but the quality will be great. (You will want the screen size resolution and audio sample rate to be identical to that which you will burn to DVD)

Once that is exported, play it back, if the video seems to be 100% all there, and nothing is missing, you can open a NEW project in Movie Edit Pro, and then load that fine you exported and go through the process of burning that material to DVD.

I have had to do this before, and because I work on long projects, this is how I do them, so at the end; I am loading all these individual movies into a new project, which in turn creates the chapter menus for me. 

I find working in smaller project sizes saves me computer time, and stress headaches.

theduke wrote on 4/27/2010, 1:31 PM
Hi John

I exported the file out like you said then imported it back in to a new project and it worked a treat.


Thank you so much again for all your help, I really appreciate it.



Kind Regards


The Duke