Studio crashes and hangs when the Import button is selected or when attempting to import

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There are many different reasons why this might happen. Each of the following steps have resolved the problem for some customers. The different resolutions to this can be divided into two categories:

 


SPECIFIC TROUBLESHOOTING


1.      Documents folder: In some cases this problem is caused by having your Documents folder located on a non-local hard drive. This could be on a Network drive or on an external hard drive. If you do have your Documents folder located on a non-local drive, move it to your main local drive (Usually your C drive).


2.      Importer may be hidden: It is possible in some cases that the Importer is actually available, but it is just "behind" the main Studio window. Try either clicking on the Studio application tab on the Windows task bar or pressing ALT-TAB on your keyboard to cycle through the currently available windows.


3.      USB2 Devices: If the capture device is a USB2 capture device, make sure that it is connected to a USB2 port. You can identify if you have a USB2 port by going to Device Manager and expanding the Universal Serial Bus Controllers category. There should be a listing here that specifically states USB2 or Enhanced and not just USB.

 

4.      Other capture devices: If you have any non-Pinnacle capture devices, try removing/disconnecting them to see if they are causing the problem.


5.      Webcams: If at one point you had a webcam installed but it is now disconnected, try reconnecting the webcam or completely uninstalling the webcam software.


6.      AM Capture(For Studio 15 and Older): Go to Start > All Programs > Studio > Tools > AM Capture. Once it is open, select the Devices menu. Take note of the different capture options listed in the drop down list. If one of the items listed is an old device that is no longer being used try uninstalling that device via Device Manager.


7.      Disable the sound card: Try disabling the sound card in Device Manager. To do this, expand the Sound, video and game controllers section in Device Manager and locate the sound card. Right click on the sound card and choose Disable. Now restart Studio and see if the problem still occurs. If Studio does not crash there are a couple of options:

A. Check with your sound card manufacturer's website and download the latest driver available for your specific sound card.
B. If your motherboard has on-board audio and the sound card you disabled was one that was added. Try keeping the sound card disabled and use the on-board audio instead.


8.      Windows Speaker Set-up:  In some cases it has been found that if you are using your speaker are not set up properly in Windows, this problem can occur.  For example, if you have a 5.1 Surround speaker system, but Windows is set to Stereo, this failure can occur.  To resolve this, set the Windows settings appropriately. 


Windows XP: Go to Start >> Settings >> Control Panel >> Sounds and Audio Devices.  Press the Advanced button.  The Speaker Setup options are at the bottom.

Windows Vista/7/8: Go to Windows Control Panel >> Sound.  Click on the Speakers options and press Configure.  This will open up the Speaker Configuration tool where you can set up your speakers.


9.      Tune Up Utilities 2011: In at least one case it was found that having this program installed caused a hang up when clicking the Import button.  You may want to try uninstalling this application and check if the Importer still hangs.


10.   Start Services:  Go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.  Look for these services:

 


Each of those services should be Started and the Startup Type should be set to Automatic.  Right-click on the service name and choose Properties.  If any of these services are not Started and set to Automatic, you can make those changes in this window.  Make any necessary changes, and then click Apply and OK. Launch Studio and see if the problem is resolved.


 

GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING

1       Get the latest version.

 
2.      Load the correct driver: Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the capture device that is being used. If the capture device is a Pinnacle device, the correct driver can be downloaded here. If the capture device is a USB device, make sure you run the hardware installer with the device disconnected. Then reboot the computer and reconnect the capture device. Check to ensure that the device is properly recognized and displayed in Device Manager.

 
3.      Make sure the source is active: Make sure the camera or VCR is turned on before switching to the Capture tab. If that doesn't make a difference, start playing the source tape before entering Capture mode.

 
4.      Background processes: Make sure that there are not any extra background processes interfering with Studio. Click here for the FAQ on how to do this.


5.      Update Audio and Video drivers: Make sure that you have the latest sound and video card drivers loaded from their manufacturer's websites.

You can determine what sound and video card you have by checking in Device Manager. Right click on my computer, you can select the Hardware tab then click the Device Manager button.

To determine what video card you have, click the plus sign in front of Display Adapters in the Device Manager list. Now your video card will be displayed. To determine the manufacturer and date of the video card driver, double click on the video card name. Now click the Driver tab and you will see all the driver information including Driver Provider and Driver Date.

The process for the sound card is very similar. In Device Manager the sound card is displayed in the Sound, video and game controllers section. You can double click on the sound card to determine the driver information in the same fashion as the video card.

 
6.      Windows Updates: Make sure you have all the latest Windows updates that are available. Click here to download the latest Windows updates.


7.      Set your computer for best performance:

Right click on Computer.
Select Properties.
Click the Advanced tab.
In the Performance section, click "Settings."
Click the Visual Effects tab.
Click "Adjust for best performance."


8.      Re-install the software: If none of the above helps, try uninstalling and re-installing the software.


If none of this helped, please see the Studio Crashing Problems FAQ which may have a few steps that were not listed here.

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