How does one accomplish that? =)

Look for "Process Monitor" (procmon) from Microsoft's Sysinternals.com web site. Run it, ask it to include vegas.exe (or whatver the exact executable name is) and run Vegas. When it's hung, look at the output of procmon and see what it's getting hung up on and there might be enough information for you to figure it out.

Other than that, you could try System restore as suggested. If you've disabled it (like I have), then you can go to Windows Update, look at recent updates & find the ones that were installed recently. Then got to Add/Remove programs, make sure to check the box that says "Show updates" and search for the updates that were recently installed, and uninstall them - one at a time - and try Vegas after each one to see which one resolves the problem.

If you do find an update that killed Vegas, let us all know!

If you don't feel like trying all this, you can try to reinstall Vegas itself.

but unfortunately, my windows restore monitoring was shut off. Thus, I cannot go back in time..only from this point forward.

If there are any other possibilities out there, please let me know. I can't do anything if Vegas can't load.

Thx

Can't really use Process Monitor because my attempts to load Vegas freeze the entire system, except for the mouse/cursor, strangely enough. I have to reboot everytime. i.e., i have to turn off my PC. control/alt/delete, task mgr, etc., are all disabled at that point.

I also noticed that the exact same problem happens with DVD Architect. They both lock up when the panel reads "initializing external monitoring". So I'm currently convinced that it's a Sony thing. But what? I haven't a clue.

And I also uninstalled the last Windows Update to see what that did. No dice.

And I've reinstalled Vegas several times.

All my other programs work fine. This is too weird.

Any other help is just as greatly appreciated.

A no-fun-at-all situation and I don't have an answer
but got some wild guesses to toss in...

I'm wondering if some Service related to Sony got turned off from Manual or Automatic to disabled. Also, maybe your error message freezes showing its related to an external monitor issue but it could be a split second before it (some background stuff goes so fast you can't catch the names going by as a prog like Vegas loads). Long ago I solved something kind of similar by checking all the Services related to Sony in any way were set right.

Last, have you looked at the contents of that Windows Update and what it was supposed to affect? Is there something in there that has to do with anything that could affect Vegas, Media Manager, your video drivers, etc.?

Again, wild guesses, but better than nothing.
Good luck.

for what it's worth I read this thread before doing my Windows XP update today and it made me nervous. I am running XP (SP3) and Vegas Pro 8c. I bit the bullet and installed the updates and everything is fine. "External Monitoring" processed without a hitch.

This just occurred to me and it's just a thought...are you using Firewire for External Monitoring? I am using a dual monitor video card with no hitches.

Best of luck and sorry I couldn't be more help.

You are not the only one to have this problem. But I haven't seen a solution. If it was me, I'd get a clean harddrive, do a fresh install of my operating system, load my system drivers, video card drivers etc, then install Vegas and see if all is well. If everything works in Vegas and DVDA then you know that it is not hardware related. You could then reinstall all your other software and rebuild your system that way .. It is the quality way. You'd still have your old C drive to restore any missing data. It's worthwhile to know how to do this --- so if you DON'T know how -- my advice is to take this opportunity to LEARN how to rebuild all the software in a system with a fresh install. Your old C drive will still boot in case anyone has a brilliant idea on how to solve this with something simple. Sometimes the LONG way is the best way!

Well, I thought I didn't have this problem...but...after leaving SONAR on for an hour without using it I came back to the studio to see monitor #2 out! Not only was it out the machine had frozen up.

I did a reboot and all seemed well but when I signed on to the internet all of my sign-in cookies had been wiped. So I had to re-sign in to my most freq. visited sites. Hmmm. Maybe something to do with Microsoft's "malicious software tool?" I recevied no notices.

I booted Vegas...all ok. I closed it and booted SONAR - all okay as well. The "windows update" shield came up for a second at one point - then disappeared. I checked their website and I was up to date.

Monitor 2 seems fine now.

So...the adventure continues...

Quoting sosohot.com:
Can't really use Process Monitor because my attempts to load Vegas freeze the entire system, except for the mouse/cursor, strangely enough. I have to reboot everytime. i.e., i have to turn off my PC. control/alt/delete, task mgr, etc., are all disabled at that point.

It's still worth a try. You'll see Procmon reporting everything until the system hangs, which is what you're looking for. And, it may be possible that the application keeps running while the system isn't responsive to the mouse/keyboard. You may want to use the "/Backingfile <log file name>" option to save the log file which may be around when you restart your system.

You may also try PsKill from another computer to kill Vegas.exe once it's hung and maybe that might bring your PC back to life.

BTW, do you have an external monitor? How about removing that temporarily to see if that makes Vegas happy? Any other applications that are able to use the external monitor in the same way as Vegas?

No other suggestions except to open a support call with SCS. Good luck.

I still have the problem, but I'm convinced that, somehow, my last Windows update created a more major problem...maybe a virus as strange as that sounds.

now, my iTunes locks up when I load it, too. So, repair shop time =)

i have a couple of clients who are having hard times with xp after loading / updating itunes.

personally i wouldn't touch itunes with a 10 foot barge pole (anyone know where i can pick one up nowadays?).

leslie

They both lock up when the panel reads "initializing external monitoring".

Two things to try:

If you have any fire external monitor/camera or card installed, disable it or unplug it.

Hold Down Shift+CTRL when you start Vegas. It will prompt you to clear all prefs. You should let Vegas reset its prefs. (Yes, you will loose any settings you have made.)

Peter

the latest two updates I got were a security update & the malicious software removal tool. What were yours?

Those were my last two updates as well.

Just installed Security Updates 969947, 971486, 956572, Malicious Software Tool 890830, and Explorer Update 976749, and no issues at all that I can see, certainly not with Vegas. Running XP Pro SP3, Vegas Pro 8.0c.

What version of Quicktime are you running? If you recently upgraded that too, you shouldn't have . . .

> ...but unfortunately, my windows restore monitoring was shut off.

This is an accident waiting to happen and unfortunately for you it did. Never, ever, never have Windows Automatic Update turned on for a production system and Restore Monitoring turned off with a daily backup. You should update you system on YOUR schedule not Microsoft's. Always make an incremental backup of your system before running windows update manually. Shutting off restore monitoring without having any backup is asking for trouble and now you know why.

Microsoft broke my system the day before NAB one year. I was rushing to get updates done to our Ultimate S product and after a windows update my compiler stopped working. I had no way to build the final release version. I actually had to install all of my development software on my kids PC which hadn't been turned on and updated yet that day to get a working system. After that, Windows update has been off on all my production systems.

I know this doesn't help you now, but hopefully it will help you in the future. If you don't have backup software that runs once a day (and you should... I have Acronis TrueImage make an incremental backup every morning) then at least keep windows restore monitoring on. Also turn off automatic updates and run them manually once a week after you have done a backup. Sorry to hear that Microsoft got you too... but they only got me once. Hopefully you'll be ready for them with a backup the next time.

For now, turn Show Updates in Add/Remove Programs on and uninstall the last updates. If you go to the Windows Update site there is a way to see all of your updates in chronological order.

~jr

I usually update my production systems the day I build then, and then only apply servicepacks if updates to my production software demands it. Before updating to new SP's I make an image with True Image to external harddrive to be able to restore if I must.

/Ulf