Premiere Elements 2022 freezes when editing and playback and won't even close down

Report · Dec 07, 2021

All I am trying to do is clip a few GoPro videos together along with a few pictures, then narrate my story. Should be easy, right?

Well, with a more than capable laptop (see below specs) and after a few minutes of adding a clip or trying to, you know, edit and build a project it simply freezes. It doesn't appear to be stressing the laptop (see below screen shot from the task manager) and it won't even close down unless I use the task manager. It simply gives the hour glass.

I've cleared the cache, etc. Any help? Or is the new update that bad as I've read on here?

Lapto

CPU Usage:

I am beyond frustrated as it seems this is literally useless.

Again, any help would be appreciated.

Report · Dec 07, 2021

I'm sorry you are frustrated. I don't know where you see that "the new update that bad as I've read". It runs well on my laptop. I think that the vast majority of users never show up here because it runs well on their computers too.

Usually, when there is trouble, a setting or some other adjustment needs to be changed.

Send me one of your GoPro clips so I can see if it works on my computer.

Since it is a current version, you can get help from Adobe techs here: https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen

Report · Dec 07, 2021

Thank you for the reply, Bill. And apologies if I am grumpy. It seems I don't have permission to add a video, so here is a link that you should be able to use. It is a random sample.

Below is a .png file I want to clip and then narrate. I can get about two or three things started before it freezes. Take narration - I may get one piece done and either want to add it in or delete & redo. Once I do that, it simply stops.

Hope this can help.

Again, apologies as before the 2022 update things worked fine.

Report · Dec 07, 2021

I wish I understood what you are trying to do. I'm not sure I can help. I don't know what you mean by "clip" a .png file.

Report · Dec 08, 2021

Hey Bill. Here is what I am what I am doing:

I am in expert view and putting together a project/video. My content is a combination of pictures (jpeg and png file format) and GoPro video clips. After putting them together I want to narrate a few parts of the final video clip.

Does that make sense?

When I try to do all of that, after putting one or two GoPro video clips into the timeline, than trying to narrate the application freezes. It won't playback, etc. When I go to close it down I just get the hour glass and it won't even close down. I have to use task manager to close it.

Once I go back in, it all repeats. I add one GoPro video clip... and frozen. Can't narrate, can't edit, etc. I've cleared the media cache and even uninstalled/reinstalled the program. Same results.

From my screen shots above it doesn't seem to be a hardware issue as 1) My laptop should certainly be able to handle what I am doing and 2) Adobe is only using ~17% of the CPU.

Thanks again for replying. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

Report · Dec 08, 2021

Please understand that without being in front of your computer, I'm doing some guessing.

During video editing with any editor, what you see in the monitor is real time generated previews to match the project settings. It is pretty easy for the computer to "render" the previews for most common images and video files. But, the GoPros tend toward using uncommon video files to achieve some of their special results.

Again guessing.... You're starting your project with stills. Premiere Elements is designed to automatically establish the project settings when you put the first file on the timeline. So, it is establishing good settings for a "slideshow", not a GoPro video.

My guess is that Premiere Elements is balking at stuffing the GoPro footage into a project with mismatched project settings. It is like putting a square peg into a round hole. Can you look at the project settings page in your project?

My first attempt would be to start a project with a GoPro clip being first on the timeline. Move it to the right and put your still photos where you want them. That may work!

Do you know if the HEVC codec is installed your computer? It costs $.99 at Microsoft. It does not come with Premiere Elements.

If that doesn't work it might be that your computer is balking at the unique GoPro file format. GoPro even gives away software specialized for their formats. If it were me and my first attempt didn't work, I would install the (free) Handbrake conversion program and make new clips with a more standard format. (The technical explanation is that GoPro uses the H.265/HEVC codec. It is wonderful for what GoPro is trying to accomplish but more difficult to process. Handbrake will create an H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video in a MP4 container. )

Report · Dec 08, 2021

Excellent advice, Bill - thank you! I will try your above tips and circle back. It may be a day or two to follow up from here as I will need to investigate what you've said and then put it into practice.

Report · Dec 09, 2021

Hey Bill,

I hate to say ... but nothing has worked. I tried to simply add a video clip as the first on the timeline. Then added two (2) pictures..frozen. Adobe won't playback and won't even close unless I use task manager. I've tried to unintall/reinstall with the hopes it may work. Nope.

Yes, I have the HEVC codec installed. Windows Media player will play the videos just fan.

As for Handbrake... That makes zero sense that Adobe can't handle H.265/HEVC. Zero. Google "best video editor for GoPro video" and guess what is listed as the top choice? That is why I bought it.

Can you please confirm that what you're saying is true, and Premierc can't handle H.265/HEVC format? If so, I will just stop wasting my time with Adobe and try something different.

Please know I do sincerely appreciate your help, and am not tyring to be difficult. I just don't understand.

Report · Jan 06, 2022

having the same problem.. works well then freezes up.. really ready to trash the whole program..wont even do simple tasks ..

Report · Jan 06, 2022

Vance,

You've tagged on to an existing topic. So any suggestions would be wild guesses. Premiere Elements is mass marketed software with a lot of users. Only a few show up here with problems. That suggest to me that hardware variables will cause some odd issues.

In order to help with guesses, can you post what you've done, the source of footage, settings you've changed, computer details and anything else that you think might apply? And, have you tried a support "chat" with Adobe?

Report · Apr 29, 2022

Ahhh. So it's not just me who's having issues with the program repeatedly freezing on me.

I know this thread was months ago and has ended now but I've been reading this whole thread and I am having a similar issue. I've recently bought a new laptop with specs that are definitely capable enough to handle the light video editing that I do (1 TB SSD, 16GB of memory, Intel 12th Gen processor, Intel Core i7 CPU, Intel Iris Xe GPU, running on Windows 11). I've already edited, rendered and exported multiple videos using Premiere Elements on the new laptop with excellent preformance.

I've just finished editing my latest video and as soon as I clicked "render" the video rendered to four percent and then just froze. I cancelled the render and after that the whole program was frozen and I got a "no response" message, so I had to force stop the program in order to close it. I tried multiple times after that to start up the program again and render the video and everytime I clicked "render" the video would render anywhere between 2-4 percent before freezing. I then tried to just export the video, skipping the rendering process but I got the exact same results when trying to export it.

Very odd considering I've already edited multiple videos on the new laptop without any issues. I don't know if the freezing happening is a result of specific settings I have enabled, specific effects I have applied to my video/audio clips, etc. I'm leaning towards it being an issue with the program though instead of an issue with my laptop since I'm seeing other people having this issue around the same time I'm having the issue, early 2022. That, and like I said, the specs on my laptop are without a doubt capable enough to handle the light video editing I do.

Report · Apr 30, 2022

What version of Premiere Elements Joisah?

Report · Jan 25, 2022

I am actually having the same issue as well. After editing for about 5 minutes the preview window freezes. Everything else works that I know of, but both preview windows freeze also in the Source Monitor. Also, when I shut down Adobe Premiere everything freezes. It always says (Not Responding), and I have to force close the program and restart.

I'm not sure if it's the sony footage that's causing this problem, but it doesn't happen when I have Panasonic GH5 Footage.

Report · Sep 12, 2024

Is this Fixed ? Its 2024 and if i try to edit an OBS HEVC video premiere elements 2021 and trial 2024 hang both. RTX 4070ti gpu

Report · Sep 25, 2024

Youre not alone. Premiere Elements does the same. Even just importing 4K video to the organiser causes it to slow to a crawl then crash. Cant even get the task manager to run. Have to power off. Its never worked. The ksptop is a Dell Alienware with i7 2.9Ghz, 8 GB RAM.

Other video editing apps run ok it's just this Adobe that crashes. It also does it on my desktop which has a faster processor and 32GB Ram. Given up on it.