Movie Maker 2012 - Black screen on playback

Anonymous
2012-09-06T08:55:39+00:00

I recently installed Windows Essentials 2012 on my Windows 7 laptop. I went into Movie Maker and tried it out. Unfortunately when I wanted to preview something text or photos I had selected, a black screen appeared in the player. I can add text, music, photos and videos, but when I hit the play button, all I get is a black screen in the player. Is this something other people have experienced? Is there any way to fix this?

Thanks!

Previous title - Movie Maker 2012 Problems

Windows for home | Other | Music, photos, and video

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2013-01-04T20:11:14+00:00

Uninstall your version 2012 and then get the 2011 version from....

Movie Maker 2011

Was this answer helpful?

30+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2013-03-08T15:06:29+00:00

Had the same blank screen problem and converted back to Essentials 2011. That didn't work at first either, until I realized I had recently installed a Microsoft update (KB 2670838) which updates Direct3D components among other things. Once I uninstalled that Microsoft update, the 2011 version worked fine again. More info on that update here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2670838?wa=wsignin1.0

Was this answer helpful?

20+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2013-11-21T23:51:50+00:00

Hi KübraDurgun,

Thank you for posting here. It seems that you're also having the black preview screen issue in Movie Maker. Let me assist you with your inquiry above.

To uninstall the KB 2670838 update, please follow these steps:

  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Programs, and then click Programs and Features.
  2. Click View installed updates.
  3. Click Update for Microsoft Windows (KB 2670838), and then click Uninstall.

Please get back to us if you have further questions.

Thanks!

Was this answer helpful?

4 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

188 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2012-11-26T02:11:30+00:00

    Hi Brian,

    Have you already done the troubleshooting steps that is indicated in this thread. If not, please follow these steps first:

    1. Ensure that you have the latest version for Windows Movie Maker. You can download the latest version here.

    2. Check that the files you are using are of a supported format – Some file formats are not supported by Movie Maker. A list of supported formats can be found here.

    3. Ensure that you have the proper codecs to play your videos and audio files.  Audio and Video require codecs to play the file and it’s important to have the right codecs installed or updated in your PC. 

    ·         Try running the Microsoft Fix It tool for codecs.

    ·         Media info will be able to identify the codec required for your audio and video files, and will provide a link to the website for the required codec. You can get it here. 

    Note*: If you can't find the codec you need you may convert the video to a supported format (eg. wmv) and then add it to your Movie Maker project.*

    4. Ensure that your video card drivers are up to date. Movie Maker makes extensive use of the video card GPU (graphics processing unit). The display driver affects the reliability, performance, and compatibility of the video card with various software.

    To determine the version and video card driver date, run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag):  

        a. Click on Start button and type dxdiag in the Search programs and files box and press Enter key on the keyboard.  

        b. Click on the Display tab and you will see the driver details including the driver version.  

        c. If your video card driver seems outdated please go to the video card driver manufacturer and see if a newer version is available. 

    If in case the issue persists, please provide us the log files for Movie Maker issue. I have sent you a private message for the instructions. After uploading the logs, please notify us in this thread.

    Thanks!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-26T01:15:38+00:00

    I'm unable to get video to play in Movie Maker. I can hear audio, but video preview screen stays blank. I have the log files ready to send. Please let me know how to do so.

    Thanks,

    Brian

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments