Talk:Windows Movie Maker

Deleted "Criticism" section

This section really said nothing that wasn't covered in earlier sections. The "POV" flag was also inappropriate; I don't really think saying something to the effect that: "for a piece of freeware, it can give remarkably good results" is really POV. All that's really saying is "don't assume that because it's freeware it must be useless"

Sure Movie Maker is limited in some respects, but it's also free. Save the criticism for software people want you to pay for. Yes it's true, fancier packages use more compression and so use up less disk space but if you want quality images, you need a lot of disc space; there's no way around this. Second-hand 60GB hard drives can be had for next-to-nothing these days; why not just put another one in?

For the price, WMM is outstanding value; but neither it nor any other software package will do all the work for you, which seems to be its main failing for a lot of people:-) No matter what system you use, editing video is still HARD WORK.

For the record, WMM rarely crashes on my PC, certainly no more than any other windows program. Elekas 11:36, 27 December 2006 (UTC)

For the record, WMM isn't free. It's bundled with MS Windows, but that's not the same as free. A part of the cost of MS Windows is the cost of WMM. // Liftarn

You're splitting hairs; WMM was not included with earlier versions of XP, but you could (and can still) download it for free from Microsoft. You could presumably do the same with a MAC or running Linux, although it wouldn't actually run.

But it still wouldn't cost anything. Elekas 00:56, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

You could conceivably run it with Wine... I'm not too sure though, because I don't use Wine. - 68.228.56.158 19:37, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

i and a lot of people who tried using it couldn't because of the everpresent crashes, but aside from that, a referenced criticism section is always needed in an article of a widely used/distributed software. --AnYoNe! 21:13, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

critisism is needed - why would they remove the feature to capture video using a webcam? i can't find any other program in vista to allow you to do that. what were they thinking?! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 203.27.231.250 (talk) 05:19:49, August 19, 2007 (UTC) windows movie is not as good as imovie. windows s**ks..

The USB information is incorrect

I can import video from my Panasonic GS150 at full quality using the USB 2 interface. Perhaps this section of the article is out of date.

The vast majority of cameras still don't support USB 2, but I have altered that part of the article. The main advantage of IEEE1394 is that unlike USB it doesn't require special drivers, which are plagued by software conflicts when used for video transfer. Elekas 03:24, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

Windows Movie Maker makes Firewire image capture from Panasonic PVDV900 stop working

Has anyone else had this problem? Before installing WMM on XP SP2, Firewire (IEE 1394) image capture worked on my Dell 8200 laptop. (BTW, it still works on my W98 2ndEd desktop.) I prefer Pinnacle's Studio Plus for making movies but cannot get either Studio or WMM to capture images. Both programs control the tape motion, rewind, sense the camera's presence okay, etc.

Is there another Firewire driver for WMM????

MPG. Files

How come every time i want to put a .mpg file into my timeline or select a clip it tells me the usual "Movie Maker has encountered an error and needs to close" please help me i have a big movie project i wanna do and this isnt helping Metlover21

WMM doesn't work very well or at all with MPEG files. You need to convert them to AVI or a similar format.Elekas 04:47, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, pretty specifically if you're crashing in MPEG, that means you have an incompatible third party codec installed. If you report the crash to Microsoft, that may lead you to further data - or you can check the fault event in Event Viewer, which may reveal the name of the afflicted codec. Preppy 09:08, 28 April 2007 (UTC)

I have a couple of .MP3 files I want to import, but I keep getting an error message "WMM can not import this file." Yet, the other .MP3 files that I have on my computer have imported just fine. The Original Grunge (talk) 17:18, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

Corrupt collections file

How come when i open movie maker it tells me that my collections file is corrupted and tells me i have to close it Help me please Metlover21

How do you put music in your movie?

On the "Capture Video" section, click on "Import Audio or music" This will give you a file selection box where you can select a music file on your hard drive. (I don't think you can directly import off a CD, you have to import it as an MP3 file first). When you click "OK", the music file will appear in the "clips collection" in the middle of the WMM screen. Then just click and drag it down to the "Audio/music" timeline. You can move it around on the timeline, shorten it, or cut it into segments. Right-click on it to alter the volume etc.Elekas 04:45, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

im tryin 2 make a movie w/ some video footage i got with HyperCam. i am tryin 2 get some of my favourite songs in it, but i cant and i have been usin this thing for years User:Jesusfreek2 20:36, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Have you perhaps downloaded the songs from iTunes? WMM won't import the M4P format. You may have to burn the songs onto a PCM CD and then re-rip them to MP3. I know that MP3 importing works; I've made heaps of DVDs with my own soundtrack.Elekas 01:05, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

External link outdated

http://www.wmmarchive.tk/ is now located at http://wmmarchive.6.forumer.com/ thank the internet wayback machine for figuring that one out.

cheers, klotski

Add to comparison list

Someone familiar with this program should add it to Comparison of video editing software. AxelBoldt 21:51, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

HELP PLEASE

Windows Movie Maker did not come with Media Center edition, so I had to download it. Then if I was on it more than five minutes a error report would appear and I would lose everything, even if I saved it, I would only be on it five minutes more. Note that I was on a labtop.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.193.100.178 (talk • contribs)

The right place for asking such questions is Wikipedia:Reference desk/Computing. utcursch | talk 15:25, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

"Loss of unsaved work"

"The program has also been known to crash frequently, resulting in the loss of any unsaved work."

I can comfirm that under certain circumstances, the above sentence isn't true, as I have had Movie Maker crash several times, but have been able to recover my work by switching the computer off-and-back-on at the mains socket. I don't know if this is of any help, but I thought it was worth a mention. 194.83.164.22 15:40, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

WMM has a similar autorecovery system to Word and other packages. After all, the actual project file is simply a very small "script" that tells WMM which bits of the original camera file to copy to produce the output file, so auto-saving it is pretty easy for the computer. To reduce the liklihood of crashes, shut down all other programs before starting WMM, and consider getting more RAM. Some crap photoediting software such as Kodak Easyshare will cause trouble even when it's not running, because it has an autoloading "stub" file that keeps trying to access the USB port. Incidentally, this can also play havoc with both iTunes and Sony's diabolical Connect-Player and SonicStage software:-)

To check this, click start - run - then type in "msconfig" (without the quotes) followed by the enter key and then select the "startup" tab. If you see anything that looks like easyshare or "no-name" MP3 player loading software that you may have forgotten about, unclick it and see if that helps. (Make a note of what you have done of course) Elekas 11:57, 27 December 2006 (UTC)

Crash

I was just wondering if many people experience crashes on it. iMovie doesn't crash and I use both wmm and iMovie? Samaster1991 10:37, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

My version of WMM with a brand new PC with loads of RAM and the minimal amount of software running in the background crashes all the time with every 30 second video I import. I save with every additional command that I give it but it takes a whole day to make a 2 minute movie. I send error reports with every crash but Microsoft offer no feedback or resolutions to the problem and I have found that my friends also suffer the same, except those with a Mac AsparagusTips 06:33, 2 June 2007 (UTC) AsparagusTips

I had problems with crashing--many problems--in XP, but the Vista version is much better. Amazing, really :). 206.248.133.136 17:31, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

My Saving Problem

If you actually acknowledge my existence then you know I make comics on my website. So far 5 of them are animated. I use the Windows Movie Maker program. I tried making my 6th animated comic(which was 0:00:34.53 long, and contains 140 .png frames made in paint and has 4 mpeg audio files) and I finished and tried saving it to my computer but it said it couldnt. The computer is an XP, theres sufficient memory, what is wrong with my program? -King SweaterHead 19:39, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

Its a stopgap freeware program? I would suggest not asking for help on Wikipedia, but I do suggest snooping around video editors in Wikipedia for a better freeware program without a nag message, or a open source one such as Blender. - 68.228.56.158 19:40, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

Crashing...

This program crashes almost every time I use it. My friends use it to, and they have experienced the same problem. My Windows XP is real and genuine.

Forums around at the internet have topics of the same problem.

There should be a section in the article about problems with this program.

There should also be a section in this article pointing to alternative software effecting the same result AsparagusTips 06:35, 2 June 2007 (UTC)AsparagusTips

This sometimes happens, and there seems to be no easy explanation. I've been using the program for nearly three years on a 2.4GHz PC with just 512M RAM, and I've had very little trouble. I also use it on my newer Compaq laptop and I've never had any trouble with that either. However the 3.1GHz machine with 1G of RAM I use at work doesn't want to know about it! Similar problems occur with the special software needed to load music onto Sony Network Walkmans - it simply will not run on some PCs.

Often the problem is some piece of event-driven software that you may have forgotten about that sits there waiting for you to plug something into the USB port. If your friends are having the same trouble and they are using different computers, it's possible you're all running the same piece of software.

But WMM is definitely capable of working, and working well.

Talk pages are for discussions of the article, really, per the talk page guidelines. If you're going to talk about crash analysis, you really need to provide adequate data - this points out that the Event Viewer data is the absolute minimum for any coherent or useful conversation. Lots of third party codecs that plug into Movie Maker aren't well-written (IMHO) and will bring Movie Maker down. Generally making sure you avoid codec packs (at all costs) and have the latest versions of the codecs you do use (direct from the appropriate vendor) is the best way to keep Movie Maker stable. Preppy 21:23, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

Editing videos from YouTube and others

Is it possible to open and edit a video downloaded from YouTube in this application?

No, youtube uses a special format. I'm not sure what it is, but there is a way to change the format with a converter. There are guides for it on youtube itself, maybe you should try checking those out. 80.42.162.117 20:26, 24 July 2007 (UTC) 75.162.1.187 05:25, 10 June 2007 (UTC)

Youtube uses .flv files, which MM can't handle. You can download a video converter (SUPER is a good one) to turn it into a compatible format like avi. 206.248.133.136 17:30, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Very common type of simple video editor

I can think of several video editors which are very similar to Movie Maker (almost the same, some even with more features). From the top of my head: AVS Video Editor, Honestech Video Editor, Colorful Video Editor which are exactly the same as Movie Maker. Websites below:

AVS Video Converter

http://www.colorfulsoft.com

These work on Windows 2000 (unlike Movie Maker which only works on Me, XP and Vista). I thought it could be worth mentioning (does this type of video editor have a name, like Movie Maker clones or something?).

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.57.16.139 (talk • contribs) 190.57.16.139

avs video editor is 2003/xp/vista, NOT 2k. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 142.68.66.250 (talk) 19:33, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Windows Movie Maker 2.1 for Windows 2000

I need someone to add version 2.1 for Windows 2000 into the table of Windows Movie Maker versions because I do not know how to. Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.94.192.90 (talk) 04:20, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Problems section

I think the problems section is POVed, OR and non-notable. One review doesn't count as "generally low". Others are user opinions which are bound to be more biased and anti-Microsoft. Things such as uninstallability are too trivial since it doesn't break any other app/component nor does it take up even 20 MB of space. Some particular issue or bug is present in any software. More citations are needed to claim it is unstable. - xpclient ^Talk 06:47, 25 May 2008 (UTC)

Agreed, on every point. Forum threads and download.com anonymous comments are definitely not reliable sources. I've just rewritten the section from scratch with some proper citations. -- simxp (talk) 13:05, 25 May 2008 (UTC)

i was actually pleased to see that the "doesn't save" issue was mentioned in the article. this program has a widespread reputation for not-letting users save. i have experienced it myself on two different machines --both with plenty of memory. i'm not a computer beginner either. it would be hard to find conventional RS since microsoft sure won't go saying anything about putting out the bugs. it is in user forums where one learns of the extent of such issues. for software, some forums perhaps should be considered worthy. Cramyourspam (talk) 04:34, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

seems like all criticism has been wiped away. ?by microsoft corporate toadies? removal of the 'does not save' section / criticism section seems POV / ADVERT to me. Cramyourspam (talk) 17:07, 7 January 2013 (UTC)

Supported file formats

Microsoft's official stance is that Movie Maker does not support MPEG4 or .MOV formats. The WMM version 6 (officially version 2.6) help file states:

You can import files with the following file name extensions into Windows Movie Maker to use in your project:

Video files: .asf, .avi, .m1v, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpv2, .wm, and .wmv

Audio files: .aif, .aifc, .aiff .asf, .au, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .snd, .wav, and .wma

Picture files: .bmp, .dib, .emf, .gif, .jfif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tiff, and .wmf

However, it also states:

You can also import files into Windows Movie Maker that have a different extension from the ones listed above, but not all file types will work when you try to use them to make a movie.

This has caused great confusion among WMM users as evidenced by the number of returns to the simple Google query "movie maker import mov".

Apparently, it is possible to import .MOV files (sometimes as simple as drag and drop) in WMM 6 on at least Vista Home Premium (and perhaps others) with no additional codec installations needed. [1]

However, .MOV files do not seem to be supported in at least the latest XP version of WMM (version 2.1).

Also, the Flip video camera which records in MPEG 4 format, [2]evidently contains software from 3IVX [3] which can make WMM recognize and import MPEG 4 files per this article by a Flip user: [4]

I have attempted to install the trial version of the 3IVX software on XP to endable MPEG 4 support in WMM but it did not work.

Is Microsoft's lack of acknowledgement of Movie Maker's (2.6) support for MPEG 4 and .MOV formats a competitive stance against Apple and has demand and the ubiquity of these formats driven Microsoft quietly to included support for them without advertising it? Bradnana (talk) 21:27, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

[[Media: ]] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.249.160.48 (talk) 16:48, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

I have found a way to make Windows Movie Maker support .mov files. The solution is to muvee AutoProducer. I know it works because I used Windows Movie Maker and was importing .mov files. Then, I uninstalled muvee AutoProducer and it stopped working. Then, I downloaded it and installed it again and Windows Movie Maker once again let me import .mov files. I don't know why this works but it does. I will say the program crashes like every 20 minutes or less it seems. I don't know if that's just normal or if it's a result of the .mov files. But, if you save your work every couple minutes, you won't lose too much and at least you'll have a program that works. StatisticsMan (talk) 13:51, 10 July 2009 (UTC)

Correction, it this muvee program came preinstalled on my computer. Until I uninstalled it, Windows Movie Maker worked with .mov. I even burned a DVD and it came out great. After uninstalling muvee autoproducer, I could not even import .mov files. After installing it, I can import them but the sound is crappy. So, perhaps this is something to try but may not work. StatisticsMan (talk) 04:00, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

Another problem I found in the Vista Movie Maker

I'm not sure if this should be mentioned in the article, but I and some few people are having a problem, that when publishing a video, the still pictures come out with a red tint. I don't know how to fix it, but if anyone wants, feel free to make a reference to this issue in the article.

You can watch this video I made for more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOxpKZT1Bk&fmt=18

--mysterious singing springs needs to be shut down 06:43, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Chris —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tomballguy (talk • contribs)

Audio Editing Software

In the article, Windows Movie Maker was categorized as a Video Editing Software. However, can't Movie Maker also be considered an Audio Editing Program? It has the ability to edit just soundtracks with some basic effects and the ability to export those soundtracks as .wma files with various different quality settings. I think we should mention at the beginning of the article that Windows Movie Maker can also be considered an Audio Editing Software. General Heed (talk) 04:25, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

I woudn't think that's too special, because most video editors do have capabilities of audio editing programs. I mean Sony Vegas has a pitch change feature. So to put it simpily, all video eitors are like that.

Pgj1997 (talk) 17:12, 11 August 2011 (UTC)

Movie Maker file has a virus

Hi guys

I am new to Wikipedia. I don't want to edit text for now. However, the Movie Movie file available via the download link contains a virus. Checked with Comodo antivirus. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zerowk (talk • contribs) 15:42, 17 March 2010 (UTC)

windows movie maker

It is noted on the home page that this is a component of microsoft Windows. I assure you it is not. The web site is windows movie maker.org, it takes you to the wikipedia web site and is making out like they are, But this Free download is corrupt,and when you try to save your movie, it is impossible. They send a pop up saying you have to buy the full version. You can do nothing with your movie project. Microsoft spent 13 hours on it today, and could not get it to work. The web site you give payment to ends up as "PRIMUS" as an authorized seller of windows-movie-maker.info (org) as per their website. But at this point, they have already taken your banking information, and it is too late. Microsoft informed me today that their product downloads are free. BEWARE, microsoft researched PLIMUS while I was with Tech Support and informed me they were a scam. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.102.111.21 (talk) 07:02, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

16:9

@ Damaster98, this new version of Movie Maker has the main feature of 16:9 inclusion; a feature that was not functional in the previous build (Windows Live Movie Maker)[[5]]. Yes, 4:3 was there, but a major complaint from users was that one could not export a .wmv file in HD/fullscreen.69.146.144.86 (talk) 00:22, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

• The link you provided is talking about Windows DVD Maker, which has nothing to do Windows Live Movie Maker (or Windows Movie Maker). From my use of Windows Live Movie Maker (the old version), I could always export to 16:9 videos. --Damaster98 (talk) 04:32, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

• Read ALL of the complaints in the forum! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.146.144.86 (talk) 11:27, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

• • I have read all comments in the source page you provided and it relates to an issue with Windows DVD Maker, not Windows Live Movie Maker. You are being unreasonable to expect someone to read all complaints within the entire forum. Further, a support forum where users can post anything or complaints is not a reliable source for Wikipedia, given it is possible that the problem lies with the user and not the software. --Damaster98 (talk) 12:16, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

Windows Movie Maker running under XP

I've noticed that several users continually remove XP from the Infobox Operating Systems. This discussion is to resolve this conflict.

First, I am continuously told by said uses that Windows Movie Maker is not supported under XP, despite the fact that the main article for Windows Movie Maker makes several mentions to the contrary. Second, I am running Windows Movie Maker on my notebook PC which was OEM installed with XP SP2 and Windows Movie Maker, and currently operates with SP3.

I have published videos to YouTube using Windows Movie Maker Version 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp_sp3_qfe.130503-0418 : Service Pack 3), Copyright © 2007 Microsoft Corporation, Windows ® Movie Maker Version 2.1.4028.0

If necessary, I can take video footage of my PC's screen, proving that WMM works perfectly fine on my PC without the aid of special software.

With that having been said, I request that either the reasoning for deleting the XP references be explained, or ceased. Alternatively, I would suggest changing the wording of "Operating Systems" with the deletion of XP, but not one without the other.
Christopher, Salem, OR (talk) 05:48, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Hello, Chris. We don't care. Wikipedia does not care. Our policy here is Wikipedia:Verifiability, which says every assertion needs a reliable source. Microsoft source says Windows Movie Maker 2012 is only supported on Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. That is what will come into the article. In addition, self-published sources like YouTube are not reliable. Last but not least, your discussion does not seem to pertain to Windows Movie Maker 2012. You mention previous versions.

That said, you are engaged in edit warring. In Wikipedia, we resolve conflicts based on BRD rule: An editor (like you) makes a bold change, a reviewer (like User:Damaster98) reviews and potentially reverts the change, then they discuss if the editor is not convinced. You were not allowed to reinstate the contents without consensus after Damaster98 reverted them.

Best regards,
Codename Lisa (talk) 06:03, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Side topic aside for the moment, the real discussion is whether WMM is or is not supported by XP. It has been suggested that the reason behind the deletions is because the source link (http://download.live.com/moviemaker) says WMM is not supported on XP. I have visited this link, and the site clearly states that WMM is supported on XP, but WMM Live is not. Further, it says that WMM is no longer available as a stand-alone product, so while I have it on my XP machine as part of an OEM (with installation disc), others can not access it. So in a way, we are both right, which sets up a confliction in regards to the article.

Thus, I suggest the following resolution which I will leave to others - changing "Operating Systems" to "Current Operating Systems," or some other similar suggestion that would satisfy both yes and no answers to the question in hand.

On the side topic, I believe Codename Lisa is reminding me that using my own proof is irrelevant because I would then be the article's source, and self research is not permitted. Thus, she would be absolutely correct.

Christopher, Salem, OR (talk) 06:28, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Hi. The source here clearly states that Windows Movie Maker (part of Windows Essentials 2012) is only supported on Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, so not sure where you are seeing it is supported on XP. As mentioned by Codename Lisa above, your discussion does not seem to pertain to Windows Movie Maker 2012, but rather older versions. In regards to your suggestion of changing "Operating Systems" to "Current Operating Systems," that would require a change to the {{Infobox software}} template which is a completely separate discussion that needs to be raised at the template's talk page. Thanks, Damaster98 (talk) 10:12, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

The link I provided in the discussion, download.live.com/moviemaker, is the same link provided within the Infobox. It was my understanding that the article was about Windows Movie Maker in general (pertaining to all versions), and not just the 2012 version. If the article pertained to all versions, then I would be correct as I'm running WMM version 5.1, which is consistent with Windows XP as an OS. However, the article has been written as pertaining to only the 2012 version, hence my suggestion of changing the Infobox to reflect this. I will raise the change on the {{Infobox software}} template's talk page as you suggest as I feel the change would be of great value to Wikipedia (thank you for providing the link).

Christopher, Salem, OR (talk) 12:31, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Renewed discussion

I have yet to see a single valid argument for removing the older operating systems from the infobox. The infobox is not merely a representation of the current version of the program, but of all versions, and the source I provided clearly states that older versions of the program ran on those operating systems. Dogmaticeclectic (talk) 13:20, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

Hi. The infobox is a representation of the current version and Chris didn't deny it. He only insisted that Windows XP is listed on his source which is not true. I even visited that page with computer running Windows XP. Infoboxes offer time sensitive information; the only exceptions are the infoboxes of family articles.

Best regards,

Codename Lisa (talk) 08:00, 1 October 2013 (UTC)

It seems quite clear to me that you are yet again attempting to rewrite Wikipedia policy article by article. Infoboxes do most certainly not "offer time sensitive information", as can clearly be seen at numerous other articles. Dogmaticeclectic (talk) 09:03, 1 October 2013 (UTC)

You are a liar! "It was my understanding that the article was about Windows Movie Maker in general (pertaining to all versions), and not just the 2012 version." How does it feel to be caught red-handed? Dogmaticeclectic (talk) 09:15, 1 October 2013 (UTC)

Since the infobox originally mentioned these versions, I am now going to restore them per WP:BRD. Remove them again (without obtaining consensus here first, of course) and you're basically guaranteed another report to administrators. Dogmaticeclectic (talk) 09:23, 1 October 2013 (UTC)