“Error code: c945000e Sorry, Movie Maker can't start …” when I start Movie Maker

Thanks for that reply Winston. It explains the issue quite well.

However, it also inspired me to reply to this thread again, to address the Movie Maker team:

Guys, this is ridiculous. Returning a hexadecimal error code is bad enough under 'normal' circumstances, but in the case where a user has two GPUs it gets completely nuts. It's user hostile. How is a user who is not a complete video-driver nerd supposed to figure this out? The error message gives no indication as to *which* graphics chip WLMM is trying to use, it gives no indication as to which graphics driver is not up to date, and this makes fixing the problem even harder.

If WLMM had an option to use just one of the graphics chips (user selectable somehow) that would make the problem tractable. Or if the error message indicated which driver was unacceptable that would at least make troubleshooting possible. As it is? Guess and go.

This error code makes WLMM unusable on many laptops for many people because of the difficulty in diagnosing and fixing the problem (driver upgrades are particularly tricky on laptops).

I think that adding this requirement was a huge mistake. I find it hard to believe that the benefits justify the ill-will and trouble that you have caused your loyal customers.

I eventually gave up on WLMM. I bought Premiere. That means, by the way, that I now have one less reason to stay on the Windows platform, one less reason to recommend Windows, etc.

Fyi....

 Laptops that have an Intel Video adapter (onboard) and supplemented with an Nvidia add-on card may provide dual operative environments.

 - By default Windows uses the onboard graphic card to ensure backward compatibility with earlier programs that run and require DX9 and some DX10 applications.

 - The Nvidia add-on card when installed provides the ability to deselect (via the Nvidia Control Panel) the Intel card and use the Nvidia card.

 - Optionally to the Nvida Control Panel method the user may have the option to right-click an application/shortcut icon and choose the NVIDIA driver.

It is, as you noted, important when Movie Maker is installed on dual graphic card systems (one onboard, the other add-on) to ensure that both drivers are the latest version and just as important ensure that all appropriate Windows Updates are installed (the latter since updates and hotfixes for Movie Maker have been released for both forward and backward compatibility.

Doing so ensures that:

 - Intel latest driver (if capable of meeting Movie Makers system requirements) functions properly when used as the primary display driver

or

 - Nvidia latest driver(if capable and meeting Movie Maker system requirements) functions properly when optionally configured or optionally used as the driver for Movie Maker

In certain cases, one user may find that either of the latest drivers (Intel or Nvidia) will function while another may find that only one (Intel or Nvidia) with latest drivers will function for Movie Maker.

i.e. Update Windows and update both drivers then configure or optionally temporarily choose (when 2 cards are present) the other video card.

In the majority of cases its always preferable to use the 'higher horsepower' video chipset since it is more likely to meet Movie Maker's latest requirements.

Your Intel CPU comes with Intel HD Graphics (onboard GPU), but you then have a more powerful discrete video card.  It seems that Movie Maker must be using your onboard graphics and that is why you need the updated driver for it.  I always recommend that people run dxdiag and look at the Display tab(s) to determine their GPU and their drivers.  Depending on your configuration you may need to update the Intel drivers (from the Intel website) or the NVIDIA or AMD/ATI drivers from their respective sites.