Premier elements - recording is getting cut short

I have had this issue multiple times now...

Wen I record (via my webcam) in permier elements, the video keeps getting cut off, but I don't know this until I finish recording. 

I just recorded a 9 minute video (and it seemed all good while I was recording), then when I hit "pause" to stop the recording, only 2.5 minutes uploads to my timeline! This has happened multiple times. 

I thought maybe it was a fluke, but now I think it's an issue with the software. 

Anyone else have this problem? Help!