Photostory not opening properly (photo explorer)

RebeccaC wrote on 8/19/2023, 7:58 PM

My computer: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @3.5GHZ (it is older, but it still works fine)

Installed 16.0 GB RAM

64-Bit OS, x64-based processor

Edition   Windows 10 Home
Version   22H2
Installed on   ‎7/‎28/‎2023
OS build   19045.3324
Experience   Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19041.1000.0

New purchase (8/16/2023) of Photostory Deluxe 2023. Have never owned this program before. New SSD with New Windows 10 64-bit install.

I have installed and uninstalled all of the products/programs that come with Photostory Deluxe. I have even installed with my Windows virus protection and Firewall off. Everything installs fine and I am able to register. The problem is that when I open the program it starts to load, but then stops at the "updating proram layout", "Initializing video system", Initializing Media Pool", and "Initializing slideshow". This is what the Photostory Deluxe 2023 picture says. Behind the picture it then has a picture of a red circle X and it says unspecified error, you can then hit OK. It then gets me to the title screen about starting a new project. The problem is that Photo Expoler section is blank. You are unable to add any media. It is though the software is only loading half way.

I have pictures of the screen to show what is happening. I have owned previous Magix software (Vegas Movie Studio 15 Platinum), but have not loaded them back on yet.

I did do a Carbonite restore to my computer after I replaced my SSD, so unsure if something that was back up from the other software I owned might have something to do with the problem. I am at a total loss of what to do.

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 8/20/2023, 5:13 AM

@RebeccaC

. . . . i7-4770K . . . .

Assuming the Intel i7-4770K drivers are up to date then the issue is likely to be a result of Intel disabling a security vulnerability in the 4770K integrated HD4600 graphics - see this Intel article and fix.

Do you have a second graphics card installed on the PC?

If so what is the make and model and are its drivers up to date? A screenshot of the Program settings, Device options tab would help.

HTH

John EB
Forum Moderator

RebeccaC wrote on 8/20/2023, 9:00 AM

Thank you for your response.

I have to go out of town for a couple of days and will try what you recommend then. I don't believe I have a second graphics card. I will also find the specks on my computer from HP so I can see what there is.

Do you think I might need another graphics card?

I will let you know what the results are.

Rebecca

johnebaker wrote on 8/20/2023, 1:08 PM

@RebeccaC

Hi Rebecca

. . . . . Do you think I might need another graphics card? . . . .

If working with video files, depending on the video file format, encoding and resolution, an appropriate graphics card may help, not just with the graphics display, but also hardware acceleration for decoding (importing) and encoding (exporting) a video format which can be accelerated eg h.264 and h.265 encoding format.

To help with this download and install MediaInfo and analyse one of the video clips you are working with and post the results, see this tutorial on how to setup MediaInfo and analyse a video clip for all the data required.

John EB

RebeccaC wrote on 8/23/2023, 2:33 PM

@johnebaker

Hi John

I am now able to look into what you suggested for me to do.

"Assuming the Intel i7-4770K drivers are up to date then the issue is likely to be a result of Intel disabling a security vulnerability in the 4770K integrated HD4600 graphics - see this Intel article and fix."

I don't have the Intel Integrated 4600 Graphics, I do have the Nvidia GeForce GTX 745 4GB card. All of my drivers are up to date for everything. Could there be a secuirity vulnerablilty in the Nvidia Graphics card?

Rebecca

johnebaker wrote on 8/24/2023, 1:46 AM

@RebeccaC

The Intel i7-4770K has the HD4600 integrated GPU built in, however in Photostory, Settings, Device options tab, Video mode dropdown if you do not see the HD4600 GPU as an option then it may have been disabled by the GTX 745.

For the display issue with the Photo Explorer pane try changing the Video mode setting to CPU.

If this does not work, we need the MediaInfo data of the file(s) you are importing.

John EB

RebeccaC wrote on 8/24/2023, 8:56 AM

@johnebaker

Hi,

The HD4600 Integrated GPU is disabled in the Bios startup. I enabled it yesterday, which makes it so I have 2 graphics cards going at the same time. I read that this process could bottleneck the system. Even with both of them enabled the program would not load completely, so I disabled the HD 4600 again, which is the way it has always been. I did not think of going into the program to do anything.

So, are you saying that the Photostory program has to use the HD4600?

I have uninstalled the prorgam again, but will install it again if the problem is within the program device/video options. I thought I looked into everything the program had, but I have done so much to try and fix this that I don't rememeber.

The mediaInfo would be regular picture jpg files and video MP4 files, if I am ever able to load them. That is the thing the program is not completely loading and the photoexplorer portion doesn't load, so I have been unable to bring any files into the project.

I am very frustrated and dissappointed with this program. I have used other Magix programs (Vegas Movie Studio) before and have not had this kind of problem. I very much want to use this program as it looks like what I want and I am familiar with the set up. . . . but very unhappy!

Rebecca

johnebaker wrote on 8/24/2023, 11:24 AM

@RebeccaC

. . . . are you saying that the Photostory program has to use the HD4600 . . . .

Reading the system specifications for Photostory, the program requires an 'onboard' GPU ie an Intel integrated GPU, there is no mention of a third party GPU ie Nvidia or AMD.

The performance you get will depend on the encoding format and resolution of the videos you are importing.

If the imported video is encoded h.264/AVC and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 then the HD4600 with the downgraded driver, in the article I linked to, should provide hardware acceleration and display the media pool correctly.

However:

If the video is higher resolution, eg 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 h.264/AVC encoded, then the HD4600 does not support this resolution - this was the reason I had to replace my old laptop which had the same processor and iGPU as your system. The GTX 745, AFAIK also does not support this resolution either in its decoder/encoder module.

If the video is encoded h.265/HEVC, you should have been requested to purchase the h.265/HEVC codec, however the system will struggle as neither the HD4600, nor the GTX 745, support decoding or encoding this format for hardware acceleration and the program has to rely on the CPU alone, given the amount of processing power needed for h.265/HEVC it will struggle with video at 1920 x 1080 resolution.

HTH

John EB
Forum Moderator

emmrecs wrote on 8/25/2023, 10:40 AM

@RebeccaC

The mediaInfo would be regular picture jpg files and video MP4 files, if I am ever able to load them

You don't need to "load" them anywhere in order to get the MediaInfo data!

Refer again to John's post (above) which explains, in a tutorial, how to access and use MediaInfo, then copy and paste the resulting data to a future post in this thread.

Jeff
Forum Moderator