While rendering Studio just stops or hangs

There is more than one type of render hang problem. To identify the solutions you need to try, please look at the 3 failure modes below and follow the troubleshooting steps under that heading. The failure modes are:

• Case 1. Rendering stops immediately after it starts
• Case 2. Rendering stops randomly in a project. It typically does not stop in the same spot if rendering is attempted multiple times.
• Case 3. Render stops at the same spot in a project no matter how many times rendering is attempted.

There is more than one cause of this failure mode. Before proceeding with the troubleshooting of any type of rendering problem it is important to start with the most current possible version of the Studio software. You can also download the patch directly from the Pinnacle web site.

If you have Studio Version 16,download the latest version here.
If you have Avid Studio ,download the latest version here.
If you have Studio Version 14&15 there is no update currently.
If you have Studio version 12, download the latest version here.

How to download and install a patch:

• When downloading the patch make a note of where it is being saved to. We recommend saving the patch to the desktop.
• Before installing the patch, make sure that you do not have any other programs running. Studio must not be running.
• Once it is fully downloaded, double-click on the patch to begin the installation.
• Follow any on-screen prompts to complete the installation. Reboot the computer after applying the patch.

Case #1. Rendering stops immediately after it starts

If the hang is immediately after pressing the "Create" button, then there is a configuration problem (or problems) on the system. Try rendering the demo file(sample clip). If this fails, then the problem is confirmed as a system issue. (We have not been able to reproduce a render problem with the sample clip with our in-house testing).

Solutions

1. Uninstall andRe-install Studio,
2. See this FAQ: Uninstall/Reinstall procedures for Studio 12
3. See this FAQ: Uninstall/Reinstall procedures for Studio14 and Studio 15
4. See this FAQ: Uninstall / Reinstall instructions for Avid Studio
5. See this FAQ: Uninstall / Reinstall instructions for Pinnacle Studio 16
6. Uninstall other software that might conflict with Studio. This would include and other video editing software, video codecs, etc. A fresh installation of the Windows OS is most favorable.
7. Try rendering to other file or disc type in Studio. Example try to create an MPEG 1 file, MPEG2 file, AVI DV format file orDVD. Knowing what works and what doesn't, usually gives support a better idea of what direction in which to troubleshoot the problem.
8. Make sure that you have installed any Service Pack for the version of Windows you are running.
9. Re-install Windows on top of itself.

Case #2. Rendering stops at random places.

If the render hangs are random, even on the same project, then this failure may be due to background tasks, power management or a thermal problem in the computer.

Solutions

1. Check the hard drive for errors and defrag it. See this FAQ: Windows Hard Disk Defragmenting Information.
2. End any background tasks (i.e. virus checkers, fax modems, etc.) See this FAQ: How do I turn off background programs that are interfering with system performance and software installation?
3. Install cooling fans in the computer case. A system that is running too hot can be a very unstable environment for the Studio software.

Case #3. Render stops at the same spot in a project no matter how many times rendering is attempted.

If the render hangs at the same spot on a particular project you can try the following:

3A. Try different projects. If only one project hangs, the project may have become corrupt.

3B. If other projects also hang, what are the similarities between these projects.

Solutions to this type of failure depend to some degree on if the user can identify the item in the project that is causing the render to stop. Removing the item or trimming it (if it is a video clip) may allow the rendering to complete. Some users will have the render now stop at some other spot in the project.

1. Carefully scan through the video clips in the project for corrupt video frames. They may show up as gray, black, blocky or distorted frames. If any clips are found to have distortions, they should either be removed from the project entirely, or they should be trimmed to exclude the damaged frames. Recapturing the original footage might also remedy the situation.
2. Defragging your hard drive. See Case #2 item 1.
3. Making sure you have plenty of storage on your video disk. It is good practice to allocate as much free space to the Studio software as can be possible. Rendering may take up large amounts of storage and running out of disk space (or running low) may cause the render to stop. Free space which consists of two to three times the size of the entire project would be ideal.
4. If you have a separate capture disk, make sure to move the Aux/render folder to the capture disk.
5. If the location of the hang is consistent, trim or remove the video located at that position. Remove any special effects, or transitions at the point where the rendering stops. Be persistent, the project may simply fail further along.
6. Copy the entire section where the render stops and paste it into a new project. 30 to 45 seconds or more before and after the point where the render stops should be sufficient. If this part of the project can be rendered to an AVI file without problems, the new AVI can be used in the main project in the place of what was removed.
7. Remove all DVD authoring, and render the entire project to an MPEG2 file. Then create an new project and import this MPEG2 file. Now a DVD can be authored, and the render process will have significantly less to do.
8. Sometimes it can be helpful to split up the project, render the segments to MPEG2 format, recombine the project using the new MPEG2 files, and then try and output. This may help to identify what problem areas may exist in the project if a certain section still fails to render. Click here for an FAQ on how to do this.