: By: Derek Moran; In: FAQs; Published: 11 March 2012; Last Updated: 02 September 2022

Q: Why does Vegas Pro and Vegas Movie Studio crash when I try to Import a Video ?

Answer: There is no easy way to answer this question and one particular sized shoe definitely will not fit everyone in regards to the solutions. The only way I can enlighten you about this error, is to ask some questions and give you some tips. Hopefully you can then narrow down which element is the problem child.

Have you installed the latest build version for Vegas ?

Magix is continually releasing new build version updates for Vegas Pro and Vegas Movie Studio. Each time a new build is released, it will contain many bug fixes and new features. Sometimes updating your software will fix annoying crashes.

To find which build version you currently have installed, open Vegas and go to Help/About.

You can download the latest build versions directly from Movie Studio Zen in the FAQ section here.
https://www.moviestudiozen.com/component/tags/tag/software-updates

Do you know which Video Codec/Format the Video is in ?

The number one cause of failure to import video is due to non-compatible video codecs with Vegas Pro or Movie Studio. Vegas Pro and Movie Studio do not support every video codec in the known Universe. The main reason is because many specialized video codecs have licensing fees attatched to them. If Vegas supported every video codec, it would add greatly to the cost of the software. There are two solutions to this problem.

#1 Convert your video into a Vegas friendly codec/format.

#2 Record your original videos using a different codec/format.

Click here for another article which explains more about which codecs/formats Vegas Pro and Movie Studio support.
Do you know why I can't Import some .avi files to Vegas Pro or Movie Studio ?

Try Re-booting your Computer first !

If you have been doing a lot of editing over many hours, then it is often a good idea to SAVE and do a RE-BOOT of your computer before you attempt to Render a Video. This will clean out your memory and give you a clean slate.

Clean the Vegas Pro or Movie Studio Platinum Program Cache

Sometimes mysterious alien artifacts can build up inside the hidden program cache and caused bizarre behaviour. Do the following to clean out the Cache and Reset the program. Please note that this will reset the desktop display for the program.

Hold down the CTRL and SHIFT keys on your keyboard, and at the same time double click the program icon on your desktop to boot the program.

Select Delete Cache and Yes

The cache is now cleaned.

Are you using a bought copy or pirated copy of Vegas ?

If you're using a pirated copy of ANY version of Sony Vegas, then go no further - you've probably just discovered why Vegas is not working properly. Over the last 18 months, I have noticed that Sony Creative Software has become a lot more vigilent in updating all current versions of their programs. Vegas Pro 11 for example has already had four different free Build Versions released in the last four months at the time of writing this article.

Are you running the latest Build versions of Vegas Pro or Movie Studio ?

Over the last 18 months, I have noticed that Sony Creative Software has become a lot more vigilent in updating all current versions of their programs. Vegas Pro 11 for example has already been updated 4 times now since release in October 2011 with tons of bug fixes - it is the beginning of March 2012 at the time of writing this.
Here is the link to Sony Vegas Updates

Are you using the 32bit or 64bit version ?

Trying to edit 1080-30p or 1080-60p HD Video on a computer only running a 32 bit Operating System, can push the computer to breaking point if it has a slower and older Processor (CPU) and not enough memory.
Using the 64 bit version of Sony Vegas Pro on a 64 bit Operating System, with a 8+GB's of memory installed and using a fast 4, 6 or 8 Core CPU will make a dramatic difference in what Vegas can handle with ease. I personally use an Intel i7-2600k CPU with 16GB's of memory - this setup has been working well with Vegas Pro 11 and Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11.

Which version of Windows are you using ?

Windows 7 64 bit Operating System is defintitely the best and most stable version of Windows that Microsoft has ever built. If yoo are still trying to use Windows XP, then it rreally is time to update now !

Do your Project Properties match the video you are importing ?

If the frame rate set in your Project Properties doesn't match the frame rate of the video you are Importing, it can cause big problems "sometimes". If you are Importing 50 or 60 fps video and set Vegas to 25 or 30 fps, then that's OK because it's a neat halving of numbers. However, if you import 30 fps and have Vegas set to 25 fps, this can cause a big slow down in the Preview Window. Keep the numbers neat and Vegas will work well.

Do you have the GPU Acceleration turned ON or OFF ?

Many people that have reported problems with using the new GPU Acceleration feature in Vegas Pro and Movie Studio, have simply turned off the GPU accelerator in the Preferences - Video TAB. I will explain more below.

Is you Graphics Card capatible ?

Only particular Graphics Cards "GPU's" are compatible with the new Vegas Pro rendering engine.
If you go to this link here at Sony Creative Sofware, it gives a full explanation of what works and what doesn't.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro/gpuacceleration

Have you installed the latest Driver for your GPU ?

Go to the manufacturers website for your Graphics Card and make sure to download and install the latest stable Drivers. Most websites keep a history list of all the different versions. If you install one particular version and it then makes your PC do weird things, the you can always restore Windows or your Driver back to the previous version that worked.

Newest
- Best
- Popular
- Newest
- Oldest
Collapse All Expand All

You are a guest ( Sign Up ? )

or post as a guest

Loading comment... The comment will be refreshed after 00:00.

Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
Kaleb · 07:42 28/10/2021
I'm trying to use Movie Studio Platinum 15 and it keeps crashing. I've attempted to clear the cache and my GPU is set to off. Any more recommendations for how to fix it? Or if not, what is a different version that I could buy? I tried upgrading to Movie Studio Platinum 18 but it was a "bait and switch" that was nothing like the old versions.
- {"set":null,"list":null}
- Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 13:24 28/10/2021
  
  If you would like help in diagnosing the crash, please copy and paste your message into the MSZ Forum.
  If there is an error message when it crashes, select "Show more details" in bottom corner of error window, then copy and paste INSIDE part of message into your forum post.
  If you don’t have an account, press the LOGIN button, then create an account.
  I will have to approve your first message, before it goes public, then it will be answered.
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/forum/index
  Now that Vegas Movie Studio has been retired and replaced with a completely different program, most Vegas Movie Studio users are upgrading to VEGAS Edit 19, which is the fully functioning base version of Vegas Pro 19. You qualify for the upgrade which is only $119. If you are interested in upgrading, press this link:
  https://zen3.me/us-vegas-upgrades
  Regards
  Derek
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  mcmillankaleb
  
  Member
  
  · 10:08 29/10/2021
  
  Problem Description
  Application Name: Movie Studio Platinum
  Application Version: Version 15.0 (Build 146)
  Problem: Unmanaged Exception (0xc0000005)
  Fault Module: C:\Program Files\VEGAS\Movie Studio Platinum 15.0\FileIO Plug-Ins\so4compoundplug\So4Reader.dll
  Fault Address: 0x00007FFC6972FC65
  Fault Offset: 0x000000000045FC65
  
  Fault Process Details
  Process Path: C:\Program Files\VEGAS\Movie Studio Platinum 15.0\MovieStudioPlatinum150.exe
  Process Version: Version 15.0 (Build 146)
  Process Description: Movie Studio Platinum
  Process Image Date: 2018-07-17 (Tue Jul 17) 00:51:34
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
Ken · 10:29 02/10/2019
I am attempting to assist a collegue with Movie Studio Platinum, v16. He is running it on a Windows 10 laptop, a Razer "Blade", 16GB RAM, 64-bit OS, x64 based processor, i7-7700HQ (8 core) 2.80GHz.

This configuration was working for him, and at some point began crashing the program every time a render is attempted. Rendering has been tried in various ways, from the menu: [project]->[render as...], also via the dashboard "Make Movie" selection, and from there we have attempted by selecting "save to file" and other times selecting "burn to dvd". In all cases, no message or error dialogue is presented, the Movie Studio windows simply close with no warning or explanation. This occurs not only on his project, but even when attempting to render/"make movie" from the "welcome" project provided with the Movie Studio software. One would assume that a sample project would be one known to work correctly, yet it still crashes.

We have done multiple searches online for potential causes, repairs, etc in a number of discussion groups, and all suggested fixes have made no difference in the behaviour at all. I would suspect hardware incompatibility, except that it *did* initially work fine for him, through a number of projects; but no longer.

We are grasping at straws at this point, wondering if anyone here might have an idea where we should turn next. Thank you....
- {"set":null,"list":null}
- Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 10:59 02/10/2019
  
  Hi Ken
  There are two things I recommend you check first.
  1. Make sure the computer is not overheating. If the cooling fan and fins are caked in dust, rendering video always puts the most stress on a CPU and thus creates a lot of heat, which can cause a crash.
  2. Do a full program reset, to rule out a problem with the Temporary files cache. Sometimes just doing this will fix a problem.
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/doctor-zen-faq/573-how-to-reset-sony-software-to-default-settings#a1
  3. Have you tried turning off GPU Acceleration?
  Go to Options/Preferences/Video - GPU Acceleration
  Set to OFF then re-boot Vegas.
  Does it work now?
  
  If none of these suggestions work, post your message on the MSZ Forum, where we can look at other things. https://www.moviestudiozen.com/forum/index
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
  
  Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  
  Ken · 12:13 02/10/2019
  
  Derek, thanks for the quick reply. I will try to address each of your points.
  
  1, overheating - I cannot say with absolute certainty, but I don't think so. Even when the computer is cold booted, we immediately run Movie Studio and open the welcome project and send it to render, it pretty much instantly closes the program. That does not seem like it would be enough time to generate the heat necessary to force close a program.
  
  2, full program reset - thank you for the link to the correct instructions to make that occur. We have attempted to do it on a number of occasions, but we have apparently been doing it from the wrong icon, and therefore never getting the dialogue from which to select the reset.. I will follow this new path and see if we can get some new behaviour.
  
  3, gpu acceleration off - this was one of the first suggestions we discovered, and that feature has therefore been turned off for quite some time now.
  
  I should also mention that we have upgraded Movie Studio to the latest build as of approximately two weeks ago. We were hoping that that upgrade would address the problem, but it has not.
  
  I will post back after we've had a chance to try the proper instructions to reset.
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
  
  Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 15:04 02/10/2019
  
  I can assure you that there is no bug in the program. Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 16 is rendering OK for myself and everyone else. As I said before, if you can't get it to work, post a message on the forum and then we can look deeper into the problem.
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
  
  Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  
  Ken · 00:49 10/11/2019
  
  Sorry for the delay here. Just to catch up: we have followed the proper way to reset, no difference. We completely un-installed and re-installed Movie Studio, and still it closes when asked to render - even on the simple little sample project included in the installation. I believe that something in his computer has been altered in some way (some system setting, an "updated" DLL, maybe a new virus, who knows...). Since I am not a windows guy, I've suggested to him that it would be a good idea to have a windows-versed person check out his laptop to be sure it's clean and properly set-up.
  
  So at this point, Derek - thank you for your time, attention, and suggestions. After following each one, I am convinced that the problem lies with his OS setup and/or hardware, and the problem is no longer mine to worry about anyway.
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
  
  Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 14:24 10/11/2019
  
  It sounds like one of the Windows programs that Vegas uses to compile and render has become corrupted like .NET Framework. Something like this happened to me 5 years ago with Vegas.
  A clean re-install of Windows would be the best thing to do.
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
dog · 06:14 02/09/2019
recently evaluated lots of video programs, almost like everything on the market, and i liked Magix tools the most, but they freeze all the time. All of them, as i checked all their variants: VegasPro, VegasX, MovieEditPro, MovieStudio, Fastcut. If they put their efforts to make programs stable instead of creating many variants, that would help. Until then, there's no chance i buy any Magix software. Peoples reviews don't lie after all.
- {"set":null,"list":{"2":2}}
- Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 10:09 02/09/2019
  
  That is a very general statement.
  There is nothing wrong with any of these programs. If you are experiencing problems like this, there is a reason behind it and it isn't because of the program. There are many reasons why a video editing program may freeze; type of video, wrong settings and incompatible hardware, to name a few. If you would like help with this, post a message on the forum and I can guide you through it to find what the problem is.
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/forum/index
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
jesse · 06:17 24/06/2019
Vegas 15 closes any time up try and add a video to the program, everytime I have done all the steps in this post.
- {"set":null,"list":null}
- Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 09:43 24/06/2019
  
  I have replied to your email and asked that you post this problem on the MSZ Forum please.
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/forum/index
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
James · 00:07 07/02/2019
To add to my previous post, i think i just found out what was causing the freezes, Acronis Active Protection.
- {"set":null,"list":null}
- Reply
Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
James · 18:33 06/02/2019
I recently had a problem where a couple of bigger files, in the 2GB and 11GB range would cause Vegas to freeze, i thought it stopped working but leaving it run about 5 minutes it actually did import. I have a pretty fast system too.

It seems to have fixed itself recently and I'm not sure what happened that fixed it, because i did uninstall the program and reinstalled it and that didn't seem to do anything, unless it was something else that changed or a program got uninstalled that was somehow causing this to happen.. anyway those files import pretty much instantly now.

This is on Windows 10 by the way.
- {"set":null,"list":null}
- Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 19:27 06/02/2019
  
  Hi James
  It sounds like you have experienced an X-file ! :?
  Also make sure you have installed the latest build version for Vegas.
  I have download links for the current versions of Vegas here:
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/component/tags/tag/software-updates
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
HeyThatOneGuyIHateMy · 05:40 27/09/2017
Hi.

To anyone here that uses ShadowPlay or programs that save recordings in AVC format, that's the problem. I imported AVC ShadowPlay recordings, immediately crashes. Then I tried dragging in a Fraps .avi file and it worked. Seems like Sony Vegas 14 doesn't like Shadow Play.
- {"set":null,"list":null}
- Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 11:10 27/09/2017
  
  I do not use ShadowPlay, but do know that this problem was widespread and caused by Nvidia.
  There are many threads about this all over the Internet.
  Make sure you have the latest Nvidia Drivers installed and also latest GeForce Experience installed.
  I recommend you read all the replies on this Nvidia forum:
  https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/869135/shadowplay-recordings-won-t-open-in-sony-vegas-after-the-latest-update-2-5-13-6-/
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
Ryan · 08:03 04/09/2017
Hey Derek! I have a question for you. I've tried your steps below and could not solve this problem. I've been working in Vegas for 10+ years and have never experienced anything like this. Whenever I go to import a video or picture of any type the system freezes and shuts down. It won't let me drag and drop a clip or import it. I tried updating my computer and clearing the cache. I'm not really sure what do to here. I'm running Vegas 12.0.
- {"set":null,"list":null}
- Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 14:51 04/09/2017
  
  Hi Ryan
  If you have definitely cleared the cache, it sounds like something inside of Windows has changed or the program has become corrupted. I recommend you do a [b]clean install of Vegas[/b]. This involves doing a deep removal of all Vegas files and then re-installing a fresh copy of Vegas. I have instructions here for Windows 10. If you are not using W10, there are links at bottom of FAQ to W8 and W7.
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/doctor-zen-faq/570-clean-install-sony-vegas-windows-10
  
  If this does not work, I suggest you post your problem on the official Vegas Pro Forums:
  https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/vegas-pro-forum/
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
  
  Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  
  Ryan · 16:08 04/09/2017
  
  Appreciate it, Derek! I don't know if I even remember my old serial number to re install it sadly. Would there be a way to find this?
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
  
  Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 16:35 04/09/2017
  
  Open the program without loading a project.
  Go to Help/About and here is your Serial Number.
  Which exact version of Vegas are you using?
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
Silicone Gaming · 02:56 27/08/2017
Hi, I crash whenever I do absolutely [i][b]nothing[/b][/i], what am I supposed to do when Movie Studio just crashes even when I am doing nothing?
- {"set":null,"list":null}
- Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 12:00 27/08/2017
  
  Which exact program and version are you using?
  Which version of Windows are you using and is it 32 bit or 64 bit?
  Is this the first time you have ever used the program or was it working OK in the past?
  I recommend you reset the program first. Instructions here:
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/doctor-zen-faq/573-how-to-reset-sony-software-to-default-settings
  After reset, does it work now?
  If not, go to Options/Preferences/Video/GPU Acceleration and set to OFF.
  Does it work now?
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
Drew · 10:57 11/10/2016
Hi Derek, I was hoping maybe you could help me. I have Vegas Movie Studio 10 on my Windows 10 laptop. Vegas has been worked just fine in the past, though I have used it in a couple of months. Recently, I tried to start a project but the program won't let me import any media. At first I tried uploading mp4 files, then I tried previous video files I imported from previous projects, then I even tried images. Every time I try to import media the program has "unexpectedly crashed". I was able to import the videos I need by dragging them into the program but now the problem is every time I click on the video, it crashes. I'm not sure what to try any more (I've already tried rebooting my computer) so any help would be greatly appreciated.
- {"set":null,"list":null}
- Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 12:37 27/05/2016
  
  What is the File Extension of the video you are trying to import ?
  What size is it in GBs?
  Example mymovie.mp4, mymovie.avi.....
  Have you tried creating a new project and just importing the problem video ?
  Have you tried re-naming the video to something slightly different ?
  There may be something actually wrong with this video, which means it will never work. Create a new 1 minute test video using the same settings and see if that works.
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
  
  Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  
  The Dude · 07:42 13/08/2016
  
  Hey Derek, is there a limit to the size an .mp4 file can be? I have the same problem where if I try to import a 4 GB .mp4 file it crashes, please help!
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
  
  Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 14:40 13/08/2016
  
  There is no limit to size of a file you can import.
  However, it you are only using a 32 bit computer, running Windows 32 bit and Movie Studio 32 bit, that may be one possible reason. 32 bit computers have a memory limit that is quite small. 64 bit is far superior - this is what most people use today.
  The other possible reason may have nothing to do with file size. It may be that the Video Codec being used is not compatible with Sony Software and this is causing the crash. Try converting the video using a Video Conversion program. Convert to H.264 .mp4 then import.
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply
- Your comment will be reviewed by a moderator before it is published on the site.
  Derek
  
  Member
  
  Moderator
  
  · 14:01 11/10/2016
  
  Hi Drew
  The first thing you should do is reset the program. This will clean the temp files cache and default all settings. This should fix your problem. Instructions here:
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/doctor-zen-faq/573-how-to-reset-sony-software-to-default-settings
  If that does not fix problem, did you upgrade to Windows 10?
  If you did, you need to do a clean install of Windows 10 to remove all crap from older version of Windows, which stops many video editing programs from working properly. Instructions here:
  https://www.moviestudiozen.com/free-tutorials/computers-and-video-editing/548-how-to-do-a-clean-install-of-windows-10
  
  {"set":null,"list":null}
  
  Reply