Windows 7 movie maker, has black screen but has audio

Anonymous
2013-04-16T05:33:22+00:00

I have windows 7 movie maker and the preview screen is black, I can here audio but can't see anything. How do I fix this?

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

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Anonymous
2013-04-16T16:20:01+00:00

The most common causes of black video (only audio) are:

  1. Not having the correct video codec to decode the video file.  This can happen with certain file types. While it might be possible to remedy this by figuring out what exact codec the file needs and then getting that installed on your system, this can be fraught with peril.  My recommendation in these cases is to convert the source video file to a supported file type (preferably .wmv).  I've used Freemake Video Converter for this task, but feel free to research your options.
  2. Having an outdated video graphics driver.  The solution for this is to run dxdiag and go to the Display tab.  Find out the make/model of your graphics card along with the installed driver version.  Then go to the manufacturer's website and find and install an update.  Alternatively, you may have to go to your PC manufacturer's website to get a graphics driver update, if they prevent you from installing driver updates directly.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-04-09T08:24:22+00:00

    I have had the same problem. I have a Lenovo G770 running Windows 7. OS and drivers are up to date and relevant codecs are installed (as far as I know). I want to use Movie Maker with AVCHD files. AVCHD files were playable in all applications except Movie Maker. In Movie Maker, I could hear audio but preview screen was black. I tried all solutions suggested by people in forums such as this.

    I have finally figured out how to resolve the issue. My laptop has an AMD Radeon™ HD 6650M graphics processor and an Integrated Intel HD graphics processor. The Radeon processor is more powerful but uses more power, which is relevant if you are using the laptop using battery power.

    The laptop has different modes that determine how applications use the two graphics processors. For example, in one mode, I can configure an application to always use the Radeon processor. In another mode, all applications always use the Intel processor when the laptop is running on battery power.

    The solution to the black preview screen was to change the mode so that all applications always use the Radeon processor. That is, to disable the Switchable Graphics mode on the laptop using the Radeon control panel (details deliberatly fuzzy as I can't remember exactly what steps I took to do this).

    So, if you are having the black preview screen issue with Movie Maker and have tried all other solutions, check to see if your PC has dual graphics processors. If it does, look into whether the problem is caused by the method that applications use the two processors.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-02-23T15:03:37+00:00

    I have this problem but i'm using wmv's or avi's which should be fine. My drivers are up to date. I have windows 7 and it only started when i upgraded from 32-bit to 64-bit. I have re-installed it many times but i am still having the same problem

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-02-15T22:05:27+00:00

    Sorry for delay in replying as I have been abroad. I also cleaned up my computer so may have deleted some of the info you wanted. However I have created the information you requested and this is on my desktop but I don't seem able to attach it to this reply

     I hope that it is as comprehensive as you require.

    Regards Gerry

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-02-02T07:07:35+00:00

    Hi loriellenew and GGlover,

    I apologize for not responding on your query on a timely manner. I understand that when viewing a file it only shows black screen in preview. For us to investigate your issue further I created a private message, kindly provide us the log files there. To collect log files follow the steps on this link.

    Please click on You have a private reply to this message link just above your post to view the message. Don't forget to sign in to Microsoft Community Forum to view the link.

    Your cooperation on this matter will be highly appreciated. I'll look forward to your reply.

    Thank you.

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