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 Having an outdated video graphics driver.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
    2013-05-06T20:15:24+00:00

    There is a difference between being able to decode video in your Media Player (for playback) and decoding video in Movie Maker (for editing). It's not a given that a file that decodes in your media player will also then edit fine in Movie Maker.

    My suggestion would be to check your graphics driver using the steps in #2.  If that doesn't remedy the situation, convert the file as noted in #1 above.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-05-06T19:51:19+00:00

    I have the same problem, but I don't believe it's a problem with the codec. I have an HD MP4 video from my mobile phone. I can view the file without any problems with the video player, which implies that I have the correct codec installed. It's only when I load the same file into MovieMaker that I can't see the film in the viewer. Most likely there's some sort of software bug in Movie Maker.

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