Premiere Elements 7 crashes and freezes ->unusable

[_Pijus_Chanda_]

Hello all

For a long time, I was looking for a programm to cut my AVCHD clips taken with a Canon HF100 camera. In the past I used for DV videos Adobe Production Studio (Premiere CS2, Encore CS2). I have tried AVCHD with AVCHDUpshift to convert the AVCHD clips to MPEG clips and cut it with Premiere CS2. The final video I have tried to burn with NERO 8. But this is very cumbersome.
I recently saw, that Adobe has released the Premiere Elements 7 with AVCHD support. Because of the many negative posts of Pinnacle Studio 12, I expected better stability and performance from Adobe Premiere Elements 7. I gave it a try.

Installation was OK.

I tried to add about 50 clips to the AVCHD project -> takes a long time but OK.

Playback quality of the clips is very bad. Video quality is bad (blurry), audio quality even worse (2 seconds you can hear sound, 2 seconds no sound, 2 seconds sound, 2 seconds no sound ....). With PowerDVD playback of the clips is fine (video and audio).

I have put 6 clips on the time line (total of 1 minute with dissolve transitions). After pressing the Enter key, it takes a long time to render. Why? No smartrendering seems possible.

I tried to add a disc menu -> crash. Tried again OK, tried to remove disc menu -> not possible, tried to drag another template to the disc menu-> crash..

Tried two times to select the blu-ray output medium -> crash. Tried it again -> OK.
Tried to export this one minute to blu-ray -> freeze after some minutes saying, not enough memory (in the taskmanager about 2.2GB of the 4 GB are used, premiere.exe used about 1GB)
Tried with different export option MPEG-2, H.264 ->freeze after some minutes, always saying to low in memory.

Tried to export H.264 to file -> OK. But then I have only the movie, and no disc menu. I don't want another program to create the menu and another program to burn it...
Export to Blu-Ray seems impossible.

I have tried to work for 4 hours. I had at least 10 crashes and freezes, then I gave up and deinstalled it.

The support recommends for example to disable Anti-Virus, running Vista in very basic mode (no glass etc.). This is not what I want and this is not the way users have to do with their computer. Not a single bad program has to define the functionality of a good running PC to the minimum.

The bottom line:
This is the worst program I have ever got from Adobe. I would like to know, if somebody had success to burn a blu-Ray disc.

My HW: New HP DC7800 Quad 2.5GHz, 4G Ram, 1x250G Raid1 C:, 1x750G Drive D: Data, OS Vista Business all latest Driver, Blu-Ray Recorder LG GGW-H20L

[Steve Grisetti]

Rather than tagging on as the 75th post to a four month old thread, I'd recommend you start your own thread, Benjamin, so that someone can find you. You might also explain in that thread how you got MP4 video from a Hi8 camcorder.

[kentRda]

Thanks Paul, I'll start a new thread as you advised.

[kentRda]

Delane, My name is Kent. I've been trying to run PE7 on a Dell with a 2.66 MHZ Dual-core processor, 4GB of RAM, and Vista 32-bit. Like you, I am also (trying) to edit AVCHD. However, I am plagued with crashes to the extent I can't accomplish anything. (I will also be burning to Blu-ray, like you). I know that Vista will only see 2GB of my memory, which is an obvious problem. But, I was wondering if a version of Vista 64-bit might help me. You say you have Vista 64 now, but that you are running PE7 in 32-bit mode. Hmmm, I wonder what's making it work better..., the memory allocation of Vista 64, or the greatly increased processing power of your new computer? Any ideas? Thanks, Kent

[_Dean_Pulsifer_]

Premiere Elements 7 crashes and freezes ->unusable

You can try editing your boot.ini and adding /3GB. Some applications can then get to 3GB of memory. Search Microsoft.com for XP /3GB.

I have done this and it works better, but I still can't get it to encode a Blu-Ray disk of any reasonable size. The largest I have been able to do is about 15 minutes of content.

Regards,
Dean

[kentRda]

Dean, Is this the 3GB switch that I've heard about? If so, are you sure it will work with Vista? Thanks so much! Kent

[Delane_Wycoff]

Reply to Kent Roorda:

To run Blu-Ray projects of any significant size on PE7, it is my experience that you need more than 2 GB of memory (the default assigned by Vista 32. The same is true for Vista 64 since PE7 is a 32-bit application and must run under Vista 64 in "32-bit compatibility mode".

The switch I use was suggested by Adam Contoret way back in post #30 of this thread. What I did was as follows:

I had to access the RUN command as follows:
START BUTTON -->ALL PROGRAMS -->ACCESSORIES-->RUN

What I actually keyed into the box was:
BCDEDIT /set increaseuserva 4096

After than I clicked "OK". I saw a window appear briefly on the desktop which then disappeared before I could see what it contained.

I then rebooted my system and proceeded to burn Blu-Ray 1920x1080 H.264 disks 2 hours long without difficulty.

Keep in mind I have 8.0 GB RAM, so this still leaves 4.0 GB for other processes.

Please note the cautions posted by Paul LS and Paul Goelz. Depending upon what other processes may be using memory, you could impact other applications or even make your system unbootable. Make sure you have a way to recover your system before trying this.

The ability of Vista 64 to use more than 4.0 GB of memory makes it much easier to achieve the needed memory "tweaks"...assuming you have more than 4.0 GB available on your system. The memory switch helps the editing process but the most dramatic improvement (smooth and responsive editing without hesitation, pauses, freezes, crashes) was getting a powerful CPU. (My i7 processor is quad core, dual threaded and using Task Manager shows me eight separate CPU utilization graphs which seems impressive after usually seeing only two.)

Even if you are using Vista 32, you should be able to see improvement by allocating 3 GB rather than the 2 GB default.

Adam Contorat reports Windows 7 works fine with PE7 without any of these issues, so it appears Vista may be to blame for most of these troubles.

[Guest]

I could of course be wrong, but I believe that a 32 bit OS can only allocate 4GB of virtual memory to any applicaiton. This is totally independent of how much RAM the OS can address. It is the virtual memory, NOT RAM that the application sees.

And a 32 bit application can only SEE 4GB of virtual memory, so a 64 bit OS like Vista or Windows 7 will only hand out 4GB to each application.

At least this is how I understand it.

Paul

[_David_H_Smith_]

I am experiencing non-recoverable freeze up's as well, I just purchased PE 7 today and have been trying to create a movie from clip made on a new Sanyo Xacti. My computer is a Sony Vaio with a duo core Centrino chip set running at 2gigHz with 3 gig memory and I have bumped the virtual mem up to 4-6 gig. I installed a free with the camera copy of PE 4 and it was crashing after giving a warning about low memory...so I bumped up the memory. Still no good so I went out and bought a copy of PE7 thinking the newer version would solve the problem. No such luck...I like the features of PE4 and 7, is there any way to make this work? And is it realitivly simple? I am no computer tech, so any responses need to be elementary in nature. I read here about changing the allocated memory to 3072meg, but being careful to "dual boot", what is that and how do you do it?

Any Help will be appreciated...DS

[kentRda]

David,
First, your camera records in a file format called AVCH.264. It is a new format that is being used by most of the major camera manufacturers. The cameras that record in HD use a very similar format called AVCHD. These formats are incredibly data intensive, so having a 'super-computer' is a necessity. By super computer, I mean: A dual-core processor with a processing speed of 3MHz and RAM of at least 4GB. These system requirements are written on the side of the Premier Elements Box as they refer to processing AVCHD. If you computer only has 3GB of memory, then you're low to begin with. If you're running Vista or XP, you most likely are only getting use of 1/2 of your RAM and the other half is dedicated to the operation of the computer and Windows. In this particular forum & blog, you will see some excellent suggestions on things you can do to maximize the efficiency of your computer and Windows. However, with the computer you have, you may continue to be frustrated. If, by some chance you end up upgrading your computer, get a new one that has an i7 Processor, 8GB of memory, and a decent Video/Graphics card. In the meantime, look especially at the suggestions offered (above) by Steve Grisetti (the forum moderator). Last, but not least, keep your video clips 'short & sweet'. Normally, an average clip should not last longer than 5 seconds. Many amateurs just let their camera roll. Not only do viewers NOT want to look at such video, but, when it comes to editing, it will overload both you and your computer; particularly when your computer hardly meets the minimum requirements. There are other AVCHx editing programs available, but, like PE7, they too have a massive amount of data to crunch, and you'll most likely end up with crashes with them as well. In Steve Grisetti's suggestions (above), Steve mentions that you might first try converting your AVCHx files/video to a more universal type of file, before you actually import it into PE7. You can do that conversion with a number of software products which are available - and also suggested by Steve. Right now, you're simply overloading your computer. Look over all the suggestions and then go for the suggestions that might work best for you. Good Luck! Kent

[cponpete]

I have a couple of issues.1) How long should it take to open an "old" project? Each time I try to open a project to work on, it takes up to 3-4 minutes just to open it up, or else it just doesn't open at all, and the program crashes.2) Is it possible to import one project and insert it in another, like I could in Premiere 6.1? Sad to say, I have not used any further program in Premiere since 2000, so I'm limited to my experience with other programs.

[Steve Grisetti]

As your question is unrelated to the current thread, Mick, I'd recommend you start your own topic so that we can continue to work with Pijus here. Thank you.

[kentRda]

Mick,
It depends on the size of your project/movie. The bigger it is, the longer it will take to open - be patient. It also depends on the memory and processor in your computer. Last, but not least, it depends on what movie/file format you are processing. AVCHD takes the longest to load and process.

[elfi_b]

anyone found a solution to the problems of Pijus/Mick? i have pretty much the same issues here... thx

[kentRda]

Elfreide:
Please describe the computer you are using.... What kind of processor, what speed processor, how much memory, and Windows XP or Vista.

[Shaw-n-Shaw]

This Bad software freezes all the time.  If I save any project more then 40min it freezes. I have used Vista, Window xp 32bit and Window xp 64bit.

having the same issues with all.  I called customer service and got a Indian that does not care.  No wonder they have a 20$ rebate that I don't want now.

help help help

[Steve_Grisetti-JFIrXo]

If you're looking for help, shaw, there's not much use in posting 45 posts into an 8 month old thread.

I recommend you start your own threads and post specific questions. Saying the software is bad that you called tech support and "got a Indian that does not care" doesn't really give us much to work with.

[Shaw-n-Shaw]

do you work with Adobe?if you do well here it is.

Installed Adobe Premiere elements 7 on Vista Ultimate

pc specs 2.6 Dual core , 6gig Ram 500gig drive, 512MB VGA Card

very fast pc.

when i load 1 hr 30min video, it loads fine.

when I add audio track it takes it.

when I try to save to my computer in MP4 after 30min is freeze's the pc.

so I tried this 5 times still no luck

then I install the software on XP PRO 32bit and XP PRO 64 bit

both pc dual core with 4gig ram

after 30min of saving to MP4 it freezes.

I called ADOBE tech support and there was no help.

I guess i just return this dame software to Costco and get my money back

[the_wine_snob]

With most Adobe products, there is a 30-day, money-back guarantee. I believe that PE is has the same guarantee. Costco is also very good at standing behind the products that they sell.

Now, when an Adobe programs fails, it's usually one of the following:

1.) System (you seem to have possibly ruled this out, by trying on two totally different machines, but much can be caused by other programs, etc. This can also be due to out of date drivers, or an older copy of Apple QuickTime.) Tell us all about your computer, especially the I/O sub-system (HDD's, their size, free space, controller type and how each is utilized on your system).

2.) Assets (what are you using, and please give the full specs. of all AV files and still images)

3.) Project (which Project Presets did you use, and do they match your AV Assets?)

With all info, someone might be able to see a problem.

No one here works for Adobe. We are all just users trying to help other users.

Good luck,

Hunt

[the_wine_snob]

For the "freezing" of the PC, see this ARTICLE and please report what Event Viewer tells you. If the PC freezes, there should be plenty of warning and error messages to track down.

Good luck,

Hunt

[Steve Grisetti]

And, as I said two weeks ago, you're now over 100 posts down in a very old, unrelated thread.

Are you sure you want to continue this discussion here?

[just wanna edit]

hi Steve - that was not me two weeks ago (first post was only a couple days

ago) but I do want my posts deleted if you can do that, because I do not

want to take up anyone's time further.

thanks

just wanna edit.....

[hdvid99]

I got Adobe Premiere elements 7, about a month ago, to post-produce AVCHD from my Cannon HF-S100.  I loaded it onto my laptop and desktop computer.  Neither worked, but they were both old.

I bought a new PC a few weeks back, and loaded Premiere on it.  It's an Intel i7 quad core with 500 GB HD and 8GB DDR3 Ram.  Top of the line right now.

I went to edit my first video with Premiere.  Cut two clips from my camera and clicked on the translation widget in the timeline view and Adobe Premiere froze up.  I had time enough to search for this website, register and respond.  And guess what Premiere is still frozen.

I see tons of the same problems listed on this forum, but no resolutions.  Maybe Adobe should say don't waste your time and money on our product because it wont work.  Or they could just refund my money. 

PS - I am using WIndows Vista 64-Bit OS, if that helps anyone.

[Steve Grisetti]

hd, as we've said several times in this thread, this topic is nearly a year old and has 120 posts. No replies will be posted if you post to this thread.

Please begin your own thread and someone will respond to your post soon.

If, on the other hand, you have a comment or complaint and don't really want help, that is available too. We have a sub-forum here now called No Response Needed Posts, and I'll be happy to move your post to it.

And you should be able to get your money back from whoever you bought the software from if you are truly unhappy and don't believe that adjustments to your system or video will fix your problems. We on this forum do not work for Adobe, however, and we can not refund your money.

[alianddrew2]

I am a  dell and windows vista user..... and i have these same problems the program crashes on me all the time..... and it pops up a box that says somtin like adobe premiere elements has stopped working..... and then gives you 2 options...... close program or close program and check online for a solution,..... and no... i cant just hit the X button and aavpid the proble.... :/...... it crashes every time i do something too fast.. or after  about 30 seconds of editing a video.. or everytime i try to export it...... halfway trough it say that!!!!! drives me crazy

i think it has to do with the memory usage but how do ?I free my memory on the program.... I have a link to a website where i have posted the problem and a similar one... i need help immiediatley!!! check it out ... http://www.videoforums.co.uk/adobe-premiere-premiere-elements-after-effects/25628-help-adobe-premier...

after the second [age i gave up sso has anyone found a solution to this problem yet!!!!????reply quicly!!!

[the_wine_snob]

Your post is likely to not be seen way down here. This is an extremely old thread and many different problems and machines have been discussed.

Please start a new thread, and completely list your:

System

Project

Asset (your Video and still files)

See this ARTICLE for some tips. Users will see your new post and begin to help you. Here, only a few are ever likely to find it.

Good luck,

Hunt