Lost Video Island

[Dojh167]

Okay, so I am currently in the process of creating my first video, and I am encountering some difficulties.

Last night I downloaded/imported about nine videos from zshare that I plan on using (into Windows Movie Maker), but this morning when I woke up they were all gone. They couldn't be found in the file where they had been before, and inside the program they were Xed out and would not play.

I thought that for some crazy reason somebody else had gone through and deleted them, so I went through and diid the whole thing again. However, just as I was finishing up the same thing happened again, and they all disappeared except for the one that I had placed in my timeline and the one I was viewing at the moment. The next time that I opened the application, the same had happened to those two as well.

I have no idea what this means or why it is happening, but if anybody else does and could help me, I would be very much appreciative.

[Fan4Lost]

Not sure about this one but I'll check on Google and see if anyone had any similar issues. Sounds spooky!

I do need to know what operating system you are running though, XP or Vista?

And I'm not seeing anything except another person having the same issue but I can't see what the response is because it's blocked to visitors.

[Dojh167]

Yea, I'm on Vista.

I have looked at a couple of things (like the guide to WMM on here) but I can't find anything else like it... I feel spooked.

[Fan4Lost]

I'm finding some people with the same issue but no solutions.

No solution: http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-6697-can-t-find-downloaded-files-usng-vista-o-s
Some speculation: http://forum.notebookreview.com/archive/index.php/t-102633.html

Seems its a Vista issue from what I'm reading but no one knows how to fix it. I'll talk to my boyfriend tomorrow and see if he's ever heard of anything like this before (he has had about every nightmare involved with Vista so far).

Also, what browser do you use?

[Dojh167]

Hmm... This is tough.

This may or may not be the same problem that I am having - I'm not sure. The one thing that I found was here: http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=171641. The red X's described are what appear over my imported icons when the file disappears elsewhere. However, I am relatively certain that I did not move/rename/delete the files, or anything that the mod there thought the problem was.

It pretty much looks as though these files are lost every time that I close WMM. I may well have to end up making the full vid in one sitting... should be fun.

Thanks for the help, and I really hope we can figure this out... eventually.

The browser I use is Mozilla Firefox.

[Fan4Lost]

I'm going to suggest trying something that may or may not work, but hey its worth a try.

I spoke to my boyfriend and he feels it might be Windows Defender which is Vista's lovely little built in virus protection (which might explain why they are there one minute then gone the next). Turn off Defender then re-download the files and see if it still happens.

Let me know.

Also, what was the file extension for the files? .wmv or something else?

[Dojh167]

Well, I did what you said and I thought that it worked out - I must have spoken too soon, however.

I still didn't close the window because I didn't want to take the risk, and all the files stayed there for most of the afternoon/evening. When I came back from eating dinner however (my computer having gone into hibernation mode or whatever), they were almost all gone again except for the couple that I had most recently downloaded. Those three still appear as icons, although when I click them only a blank screen appears. When I closed and opened the window again, those were gone as well.

I am kind of wondering if it had anything to do with the hibernation thingy, but I really have no idea.

I was able, however, to finish over half of the vid today, so I am hoping that we can figure this problem out and I can get the video finished. It is going really well, except for this deadly annoying problem...

By the way, yes - they are .wmv files.

[SarraSurvivor]

I think I know your problem - I'm also on Vista & often encounter the same problems.
When you import things onto WMM there are, I think, 3 places the clips can go -
* Onto a folder (Under imported media , where you put together a movie) that you MUST SAVE as soon as you fill it with clips. ( Or else it and everything saved in it will go poof)
* Into your basic files, the ones under desktop, documents, music etc. that you import into your video files.
* A isolated file thats located in no particular place.

The 3rd place is what I like to call 'cue scary music' the BLACK HOLE OF NOTHINGNESSES. I think thats where your files have dissappeared to.
Unfortunately there is only one way I know of that you can access these files. Since they aren't found under any particular folder the one good way to track them is to send another folder there.
You do that by downloading a file with no tracible URL ( like any links button, ex. right click the FAQ button on this pg, push save file and you nay get taken to a files screen, filled with rubbish.
The rubbish files may look something like this - gmkdmfhn345m, or WTFVNB.
Files go to this place if they aren't saved right, its like a makeshift rubbish bin.
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In The Next Life....

[SarraSurvivor]

To recover these files to see if they're good click & drag them to the left side column bar - the one with all your actual folders. Scroll around 'till you find a more common folder, and put that folder in that one in the bar.
Then PLAY that clip.
zamzar is a great site for converting clips so you can play them on WMM.

The other solution to this situation is to back track near through all your files hstory, that could do MUCH more harm then good, I wouldn't reccommend that unless its a last resort.

Hope that helps you!

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In The Next Life....

[SarraSurvivor]

BTW, your videos awesome!
Just had to mention that......

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In The Next Life....

[Fan4Lost]

I hope SarraSurvivor's advice works, I sadly have no experience with Vista yet, I'm still hanging onto XP. But I'm still looking around and it does seem to be a WMM/Vista problem.

I'll let you know if I find anything. Sorry I'm not being much of a help.

[Dojh167]

I took your advice, SarraSurvivor, I just didn't get back to you right away because I wanted to see if it worked. Apparently it did, and the files are now staying there - which is odd, because I swear I tried the same thing when I first started having the problem. Maybe I just had to do it before I imported them... I really don't know, but it looks like it is working for now (finally!).

Thank you both so much for helping me out... this has been quite strange/troublesome.

And, also, thanks for the compliment on my video, SarraSurvivor. It is hard to get people to watch it because it is only my first one, and on that note I daresay it is a tad too soon to be saying that my videos are awesome... we shall see.

I'll post here if the problem appears to be unsolved again (although I'm keeping my fingers crossed).

[SarraSurvivor]

I'm glad it worked for you.
_________________
In The Next Life....

[Fan4Lost]

Yes, I'm also glad you found a way around it. ^__^ Computers can be so annoying something.