Member Avatar for jokumoku

i got windows xp computer and have been having problem with windows movie maker. so a lot of time when i make a movie it stops working after a while. so i have to restore my computer to original factory condition using the recovery cd that came with the computer. does doing this too often can be damaging to the computer? thank you.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by maui_mallard

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Brief answer up front for : repeatedly running the factory recovery is unlikely to "break" the CPU or motherboard, but it is a blunt, time-consuming cure that can hide the real problem and risk repeated data loss. The practical downside is lost settings, repeated reinstalls of bundled software, and (on SSDs) extra write activity — not immediate hardware failure, but unnecessary wear compared with targeted fixes.

To get to the root cause without a full wipe, collect reproducible facts. Try editing a very small test project and note whether the crash follows a particular clip, transition or effect. Create a fresh Windows user account and test Movie Maker there to rule out a corrupt profile. Temporarily disable background utilities/antivirus to check for conflicts. If a specific DLL or exception is listed in error reports, use that name when searching for a targeted fix.

Do a few basic health checks before reflashing the image. Verify the disk (run chkdsk /r) and check SMART status with a small utility, run a bootable memory test like memtest86+ for RAM errors, and monitor CPU/GPU temps under load. If hardware looks healthy, try a less-drastic Windows repair (an in-place "repair install" of XP) or export/import the project into a different editor as a diagnostic step.

Tie-ins to earlier replies: build on by saving the exact faulting module and error code so searches point to codecs or runtimes; follow by validating RAM before buying upgrades; and apply 's GPU idea by testing with hardware acceleration reduced (Display Properties -> Advanced -> Troubleshoot on XP). Always back up personal files before any restore so repeated recoveries don't turn into permanent data loss.

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Member Avatar for hughv

You can't do any significant damage, but it would make sense to try and solve the problem.
Make sure you have the latest version of movie maker and your graphics drivers.
Look in event viewer and see if there are any entries related to this problem.

Member Avatar for Michael_Knight

I would add, that if your movie maker program is causing problems, either upgrade the PC with more RAM, or change your video editing software.

If your PC stops working, reboot it a couple of times. Although, restoring it won't cause any harm, it seems a bit drastic to have to keep doing it.

Member Avatar for maui_mallard

Do you have any video card software like Nvidia Control Panel?

If you do you can change a setting to pick whether you would like Performance, Mixture of Quality...

When I watch movies, edit movies or play games I put the setting on Performance

When I Show pictures or Im doing any type of picture editing I use quality

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