Premiere crashes when using external monitor

[AlaskanNomadProductions]

Hey all.  I'm trying to switch from Mac to Windows for the second time in two years.  The first time didn't go so well. This time... not so much.  I'm beginning to wonder if it is, indeed, possible to use Adobe products on Windows machines.  ANYONE out there have any luck?  Ha!

So here's the deal.  Whenever I go into the Playback settings in Premiere and turn on my external monitor, Premiere locks up and the video in both the Source and Project monitors freeze.  The external monitor goes black, doesn't display anything.  When I try to shut down Premiere, the software locks up and I have to force quit.  I found a similar posting about this here Crash when trying to use external monitor , but I don't have the Sonic Suite installed.  Realtek Audio does power my microphones, speakers, headsets, etc.  I have tried disabling everything Realtek I could find, but it does not help.  I have tried turning off CUDA, using the software only option, no dice.  To make sure it's not some weird codec thing I have been using Premiere's "Bars and Tone" as the footage.  I have tried to do a clean re-install of the software and it has no effect.  I'm going straight out of the HDMI port to make sure it's not an adapter issue.

I would be happy not to have to send back yet another Windows machine.  If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate the help!

Specs:

Dell Alienware Laptop 15 r4, 15.6-inch display

Premiere Pro CC 12.1.2

Windows 10 Home 64-bit

8th Generation Intel i7-8750H

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 OC with 8GB GDDR5

32GB DDR4-2666MHz RAM

[excited_Genie16B8]

Two things I would change are the machine, and the connection.

Build your own desktop.  Laptops just aren't well suited to the task of video editing.

Use a proper I/O device, such as the Intensity from Blackmagic or the T-Tap from AJA.

Under those conditions, your Windows editing experience should be much improved.

[AlaskanNomadProductions]

Thanks Jim.  I get hired on a bunch of remote editing jobs so solely using a desktop isn't an option (though I am looking at getting a super powerful desktop built to "live" permanently in my office). 

As far as an I/O device... I feel with the price I'm paying for this unit, it should work without me spending hundreds of dollars more.

I've been using MacBook Pro laptops for video editing for over 10 years and rarely have any problems. Like maybe one every year or two.  However, I feel like Apple is making moves away from Pro users, so am trying to switch now because I can, instead of in 5 years when I have to.  This is my second time trying to make a switch from Mac to Windows.  So if I have to send this laptop back and buy an overpriced MBP because it's going to work out of the box, that might be what I have to do for this go around.

[R Neil Haugen]

I've been using multiple monitors on pc with PrPro, SpeedGrade and AfterEffects for years without trouble.

All on desktop though.

What's the native pixel count on the laptop and the attached monitor? Is any scaling turned on?

Neil

[AlaskanNomadProductions]

Hi Neil thanks for reaching out.  Encouraging to hear that you've actually gotten Windows to work!  There is hope...

The last time I tried to switch, I bought a laptop with a 4K monitor.  Though I never could get Premiere Pro to work correctly, I suspected that the monitor probably had something to do with one of the major the bugs I was experiencing.  So this time the laptop screen is 1920 x 1080 as is the external Samsung monitor. 

I'm new to Windows so I'm not sure if there are more menus that I'm not aware of, but in Windows 10 Settings ->System -> Display I have the "Scale and layout" option set to 100%.  If there are other places where the scaling might be off, please let me know.

I should have noted that in general and with other programs using the external monitor works as expected.  Even Premiere Pro works until I go into the Playback settings and turn on the external monitor, which crashes the program.  I should also have noted that it crashes After Effects in the same manner (i.e.; program works great until the external monitor option is turned on).  Also, Premiere Pro and external monitor work flawlessly when plugged into my aging MacBook Pro.

Thanks for any insights.

[R Neil Haugen]

I know many working multi monitors in Windows,  and actually many folks that have left Macs to get both more options and more oomph for less cash. Successfully. Actually there have been more Mac-centric troubles posted here over the last year then Windows-centric ones.

Your scaling sounds appropriate, and I hope you have Windows set to extend onto the second monitor.  I have noted that laptops with the ability to disable on-board graphics chips (with full GPU cards installed) seem more successful with PrPro than those with both functioning.

Neil

[leohjulio]

I was going crazy with this. Even downloaded Davinci as apossible substitute. But after reading some forums I saw this comment and others talking about disabling the on-board GPU. It seems to work with this chance. Thanks a lot!

[rodneyb56060189]

I'd try to get it working without using premiere right away. Get it to work properly just as a 2nd monitor using normal windows programs to see if it's OK first. Looks like your laptop is 1920x1080 max and your 2nd monitor should be same ( 1920x1080, probably 60Mhz max ).

Use your windows control to set up the monitor ( right click desktop, choose display settings, etc. ). If you have a control panel for NVidia, for now just use default settings and turn off NVidia ( choose 'let applications control graphics' or some such setting if you have the option).

After those settings are done, then open PPro and set your preferences there, starting with software only. Then try OpenCL etc.

: )

[rodneyb56060189]

P.S.   using display port rather than HDMI would be better.

[AlaskanNomadProductions]

Hi Rodney, thanks for the help. I might not have made it clear previously, but the external monitor works great except when it's turned on for Premiere Pro.

I will check the Nvidia control panel.

I have tried to run Premiere turning off CUDA and having it be software only but it still crashes.

I've tried running the monitor through the display port with an adapter and I get the same results. I thought by removing the adapter it would be taking another variable out of the mix.

Thanks and let me know if anything else might come to mind.

[rodneyb56060189]

That would be a setting in his BIOS, right ??  If he's new to win 10 I wonder if he knows how to get there during boot ? What to look for ??

I would also stress just for fun that making sure the 2nd monitor is set to 1920x1080 60 MHz (refresh rate) is a really good idea.

[AlaskanNomadProductions]

Well, as if things weren't strange enough already...  but hopefully this might provide a clue?  I stumbled upon this by accident, just because I'm trying everything at this point.

If I "switch" my monitors, and make the external monitor the one that has the Premiere Pro program on it, and then click to display full video on my laptop screen, it works.

If I pull Premiere Pro back to the laptop screen, and try to display full video on the external monitor... it crashes.

Hm.

[rodneyb56060189]

hehe, that is strange isn't it ?  Sounds like maybe a solution. When you say "put program into 2nd monitor" I assume you mean 'start windows and all programs in 2nd monitor' ?

I have no clue if you've tried any of the above suggestions, like, turning off on board GPU in bios (if present). Making sure 2nd monitor is set to full HD ( the limit of your card according to my looking up your model and card combination, which may or may not be correct because internet is full of misinformation these days ).

But I'm glad you are making headway and wish you luck !

[AlaskanNomadProductions]

Hi Rodney ~

With the 2nd monitor thing, what I mean is that I actually drag the Premiere Pro program itself to the second monitor (the whole program like would regularly be on your 1st monitor with the Source Window, Project Window, Timeline, etc... the actual Premiere Pro interface).  Then when I export video to the 1st monitor (my laptop screen) it works.

Could you walk me through turning off the onboard GPU in BIOS?  Or maybe point me to a link that describes it?  I'm not familiar with how that works.

I have both monitors set to 1920 x 1080 with a 60Hz refresh rate.

Thanks for any help....

[rodneyb56060189]

ahh, thanks. So basically with 2 monitors connected PPro starts OK, in laptop screen, and then you drag the GUI to 2nd monitor and it is still OK. And THEN you 'export to 1st monitor', what exactly do you mean by that ??  I have no clue what export to another monitor means at this point.

: )

[AlaskanNomadProductions]

Hi Rodney.  My monitors are set-up like this, with "1" being the laptop screen and "2" being my external Samsung monitor.

When I drag Premiere's GUI to the "2" monitor (external Samsung), then go into the display settings and turn on the "1" monitor (my laptop screen) in preference panel like in this, it will show full-screen playback on the "1" monitor (my laptop).

However If I want to have it like pretty much all of us do, where the GUI is on the "1" monitor (laptop screen), and then in preferences I turn on playback on the "2" monitor (external Samsung), then Premiere crashes.

Thanks for any help, it's most appreciated.

[R Neil Haugen]

I know it may sound weird,  but what happens when you go into the Audio Hardware preferences and set default inputs to none?

Neil

[AlaskanNomadProductions · Accepted solution]

Thanks Neil.  That didn't work, but you were on the right track!  Just spent an hour on the phone with Alienware Tech Support... I gotta tell you that guy did an awesome job.  After several troubleshooting steps, he opened up the System Configuration, clicked the "Services" tab, then disabled a bunch of services.  All of a sudden my external monitor was working as expected.  After I got off the tech support call, I went through all of the services and turned them on/off in batches until I was able to narrow down to the one causing the error.  It was called "Nahimic Service", here it is in a screen grab:

After performing a web search I found it is an audio service that gives you virtual 7.1 sound through standard stereo equipment. What the website didn't mention is that it also seems to crash Premiere Pro.  Odd, this similar problem was also caused by a sound service Crash when trying to use external monitor  I wonder how the eternal monitor and sound are linked?

Anyway, it's been a hassle but I hope this helps someone else in the same situation.  Thanks Neil and Rodney for your help along the way, it was much appreciated.

[R Neil Haugen]

Great job of follow through and sleuthing there. And thanks for posting that back.

It would be especially helpful if you posted that on the UserVoice system they have now. That way the engineers could get a direct take of the interaction of that service and PrPro.

There are a few known things like that, such as the MS dll file for their OneDrive system that can break PrPro though I forgot exactly what it did. But on some systems, having that as an active dll file prevented proper operations of PrPro. And as it wasn't obvious,  drove many users nuts.

Until one hardy user spent part of a day deleting one dll or driver file at a time, rebooted and tried PrPro. Got to that one about 30 files into the process and suddenly PrPro worked. Reactivated it, crash.

Loaded all the other files back, no problem. Added onedive.dll, Deadsville.

So ... yea ... file that in the UserVoice system linked to the Overview page of this forum.

Neil

[AlaskanNomadProductions]

OK, thanks Neil.  I posted at UserVoice... not quite sure how it works or if I formatted it correctly, but they'll get the gist of it...

[R Neil Haugen]

Thanks!

[rodneyb56060189]

Wow, that's amazing !  Great going !  Yippeee !

: )

[mschwindt0098]

I just want to personally thank you for this, you just saved me from literally throwing my laptop at the wall, and potentially quitting Premiere for good. Disabling the Nahimic Service solved my problem immediately.

Here's some of my observations that could help find the root of the problem... before finding this thread I was able to get playback in the Program monitor on my external monitor, but only through the MiniDisplay Port. HDMI monitor would crash immediately. So if I had HDMI unplugged I could work without crashing Premiere until I tried to look at footage in the Source monitor, which would always crash Premiere. I could never figure that one out. And in regards to your question why audio drivers seemed to interfere with external monitors, my laptop seemed to default sending audio through my HDMI and MiniDisplay Port to my external monitors, to the point where it would play out the speaker of my BenQ 2k monitor (which I didn't even know it had), and I had to disable the audio in the monitor settings. So my theory is that's why it would crash on my HDMI monitor and not the Benq MiniDisplay Port monitor. So maybe there is a way to disable sending ANY audio through your video signals, which could be a second solution to the problem.

Also, Jim Simon's reply came off as extremely elitist and extremely unhelpful. Thank you for being resilient and solving this issue with your PROFESSIONAL laptop manufacturer, and not taking comment's like Jim's too seriously. I too have a laptop and desktop for editing work, both serve their purpose and both are $2k+ and should do the simple task of supporting external monitors. Hopefully Adobe will patch this issue so us video editing professionals keep coming back to use their product.

[R Neil Haugen]

Thanks for posting that information!

The way our programs and gear run into each other at times ... it's complex, isn't it?

Neil

[rodneyb56060189]

Not that it helps much to hear this.. but I also have had major hurdles to get monitors working (2 computer and one video out of BM SDI) with win 10, using resolve now. I got CS6 and haven't checked that out yet, but will soon I guess just for heck of it.

Nvidia has DVI outputs (2) and HDMI output. For some reason I had to put primary (eizo calibrated) in DVI and 2nd junk HP monitor ( use just for scopes and stuff, not program monitors ( source, timeline) into HDMI to make it work right. Like, the primary is used to boot computer and get all my windows stuff on screen ( shortcuts etc., desktop ) and it works only if I use the DVI for THAT and then HDMI of second one.  It's crazy.

Then I have a BM card ( SDI out ) to a video monitor. The calibration of the eizo and the video is ANOTHER can of worms...

It's like CLOSE just using sRGB but I work in Rec 709 2.4 now.. and there's all sorts of nuances with settings that have to be addressed to get those two monitors correctly representing the timeline ( regardless of source material .. S log, Cinema DNG, DNxHD, Pro Res, etc. )…

It turns out that the video monitor is more 'accurate' than the Eizo, even after a few days of this final effort to get everything sorted out. I'm an idiot so partly the problem was learning a lot of stuff along the way about various things.

It's so close now you would have to be a total freak to 'complain' that the stuff isn't right on.  But, in the event there is a freak in the room, there are controls on the video monitor to quickly adjust that to the Eizo… Just say, " Oh, you have great eyes, is this better ? "

So once you get multiple monitors connected, and working, it then becomes a thing about " making them all the same" color, which reflects what you are really working with and what you export.

It does, as Neil so rightly points out, 'complicated'.

hehe