Losing display while editing audio in Vegas - help!

whr wrote on 8/6/2003, 12:39 PM

I have Vegas 3c and have been using it since the upgrade came out. (hope to ugrade to 4.0 soon.) Just in the last few days I have experienced a monitor problem. While editing audio in Vegas, after about 15 minutes, the buttons turn black and meters and plug in screens become unreadable even though play will continue. Once I got a message that said I was out of memory. When the problem happens I have to reboot, and sometimes am unable to even shut the computer down correctly.

Does this mean I had a video card ram go bad or maybe a video card itself?

Specs:
win98se
850mghz
512 ram
Gadget Labs 8/24 sound card

Comments

MJhig wrote on 8/6/2003, 1:39 PM

Try first checking the Mfg's website for updated display adapter drivers (Video card) and follow the their directions for installation.

If there are no later released drivers than you have installed (check in Device Manager for version and date) then reinstall the version you have.

The best procedure for 98 is to right-click on the desktop > Properties > Display > Advanced > Adapter > Change button > Next > Display a list... > Next > Show all hardware > Highlight "(Standard Display Types)" > Highlight "Standard Display Adapter (VGA) > Next, then OK out.

This installs the standard (generic) Windows VGA drivers and when you reboot you will be ready to reinstall your video card's drivers.

If you are not prompted to install the stock drivers or Windows doesn't do it automatically upon reboot, go to Device Manager and highlight your adapter > Properties > Drivers > Update drivers. Have your video card's CD or the location of the drivers ready.

I'm assuming you have minimal processes running in the background and if this PC is used on the net, you're sure you have no parasites by running Ad-Aware or Spybot.

MJ

whr wrote on 8/6/2003, 1:49 PM

I appreciate the instructions and will try it. However, I noticed that the condition doesn't seem to come up with any program but Vegas. Should I maybe try reloading it first? Or is there some settings that I could look at in the preferences?

MJhig wrote on 8/6/2003, 2:11 PM

You should keep all your hardware drivers up to date anyway. Also general housekeeping such as scandisk and defrag, deleting everything in Windows\Temp (immediatly after a start up or reboot) and if this PC is used for internet, deleting Temp. internet files (Internet Options) and running a parasite app. as I mentiond above (FREE and very effective). Parasites are becoming a huge problem these days and are causing the majority of problems reported in the MS Newsgroups and the PC's I service.

Reinstalling Vegas is an option but I wouldn't say "first".

"I noticed that the condition doesn't seem to come up with any program but Vegas"

Are the other apps. as system intensive a Vegas? Unless they are audio multi track and video apps. I doubt it.

You could also try deleting the shelliconcash file (Show all files in Folder options) in the Windows directory, Windows will regenerate a new one upon reboot solving icon corruption, but you say it's only in one app. so I don't think you will gain much with this.

Preferences? No.

MJ

whr wrote on 8/6/2003, 2:17 PM

I ran scandisk and defrag last night. Didn't help. I us a internet washer tool to keep my internet and temp files cleared out.

Other apps I use are Sound Forge and Cakewalk pro audio 9. I do very little audio with cakewalk though. It is used primarily for MIDI.

I do need to update hardware drivers.

Could you give me more instruction on deleting the shelliconcash file. I'm not familiar with this.

MJhig wrote on 8/6/2003, 2:32 PM

Sorry, spelled it wrong it's ShellIconCache, forgot the "e". Anyway it's in your Windows folder. Either C&P ShellIconCache in Start > Find > Files or Folders "Named" field and set My Computer in the "Look in" field or use Windows Explorer to look for it manually. When you see it, right click > delete or cut and paste it to the desktop if you're scared and when you reboot, Windows will regenerate it when it is not found in the Windows folder. If you cannot find the file (it has no extension) using either method, you must go to Folder Options > View > Show all files. This is probably the least likely fix though.

The first two things I would do is go to Ad-Aware and install the free version, IMMEDIATELY after installation, launch it > check for updates and install the latest definitions > scan your PC and get rid of EVERYTHING it finds.

Then upgrade all your drivers.

MJ

whr wrote on 8/6/2003, 3:06 PM

The scan found 26 objects. With some of those being in the registry do I dare delete them? Could I posibly be deleting objects that would render some programs useless? I am new to this.

MJhig wrote on 8/6/2003, 3:34 PM

You absolutely want to delete them, especially registry entries and folders. If you did not change the defaults, Ad-Aware will quarantine them. If you find you can't run something you feel you must have like a hijacker toolbar, pop-up app. or resource robbing phone home tracking app. after deleting you can do a restore, although anything that required spyware/parasites on my or any system I'm responsible for to run is gone.

Also be sure you have no more than absolutely necessary processes running in the background (systray icons, ctrl + alt + Del and msconfig). If you have more than, say, 7 icons in the systray, that's too many.

MJ

whr wrote on 8/6/2003, 3:42 PM

I will delete them all. Thanks!

I keep my systray as clean as possible. I run MSCONFIG about once a week to check my start up and shut down anything I don't need.

You've been a great help. I am pretty prolific at running programs but am not an expert by any means in doing my own maintenance and upgrades.

MJhig wrote on 8/6/2003, 4:01 PM

Just want to say if you can disable the systray icon from within the app. that puts an icon there, this is the preferred method. Msconfig is really a diagnostic tool and should be used to disable a startup process ONLY as a last resort. That said, these steps may or may not solve the problem and should be used to eliminate possible problems anyway.

Now for identifying hardware, hunting down and installing drivers. If you have one of those proprietary systems such as HP, Compaq, Dell, Gateway etc. or especially a laptop, DO NOT get your drivers from the hardware Mfg.'s website, check the PC Mfg.'s site. Often if not always these systems have drivers written specific to the installation.

Since you are running 98x and I assume hardware that it came with, this will be a fact of life for you.

MJ

whr wrote on 8/6/2003, 5:37 PM

I deleted all the files ad-aware found and have worked for about an hour and a half trouble free. This seems to have solved the immediate problem.

I have a pc custom built for audio editing. It is three years old though and in need of some updates. I keep as current as finances will allow.

I am unfamiliar with disabling the systray icon. I would like to hear more about that.

Thanks again.