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Forced upgrade to Windows 10 changed Movie Maker 2.6 file

Anonymous
2016-05-30T22:13:38+00:00

Despite my not consenting to an upgrade, Windows 10 appeared on my computer overnight about a week ago. Formerly, I used Windows 8 and was happy with that program. Windows 10 was one problem after the next, including the disappearing cursor that took me forever to fix.

My bigger problem is a movie I have that I made on Windows 8, MM2.6.  It worked fine there. When I opened it in 2.6 in Windows 10, I couldn't render the file-kept getting a message "cannot save."  Finally fed up, I recovered Windows 8. Although I can almost fully load my movie again there in MM2.6, it won't open. Instead I get a message that says "unspecified error."

I'm now stuck between both programs and unable to open or render my program in either. It appears to me that after I transferred my movie to Windows 10 and saved it there (as well as another short video file that I made with MM2.6), something in Windows 10 changed both of those files that no longer allows me to open it in Windows 8.  I can still open all my other video files made with MM2.6 in Windows 8, just not these 2.

And someone else with Windows 8, MM 2.6, that I sent my video file to, also cannot open it in Windows 8.

Something changed with these 2 files with Windows 10 and I need to change it back so I can open it. Compatibility scans show nothing.

I also thought about setting a restore point before the Windows 10 upgrade, but Windows 8.1 doesn't allow the administrator privileges to manually do so. It only allows a preset restore point of a few days ago which is not enough as the Windows 10 upgrade occurred about a week ago.

Such a mess.  Please help.

Windows for home | Other | Music, photos, and video

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-05-30T23:44:08+00:00

    Here's a short list of the versions of Movie Maker you might encounter:

    • Windows XP -- Windows Movie Maker 2.1
    • Windows Vista (insufficient GPU) -- Windows Movie Maker 2.6
    • Windows Vista (GPU capable) -- Windows Movie Maker 6.0
    • Windows 7/8.1/10 -- Movie Maker 2009/2010/2011/2012.

    Versions 2.1, 2.6 and 6.0 create a project file with an extension of .mswmm.

    Versions 2009 to 2012 create a project file with an extension of .wlmp

    A project file from 2.1 can be opened in 2.6 or 6.0

    A project file from 2.6 can be opened in 6.0

    A project file from 6.0 can be opened in 2009-2012.

    A project file from 2009/2010/2011 can be opened in 2012.

    But project files aren't *backwards* compatible. In other words, once you open a project file from a newer version and save it in that version, it can no longer be opened in an earlier version.

    You didn't explain exactly which version you have loaded on Windows 10. For example, you could still load Windows Movie Maker 2.6 on Windows 10 and it should open/save the project without problem.

    But if you have a newer version (e.g. WMM 6.0) the saved file would not be able to be opened again on the older version.

    Basically all you need is the backed up copy of the project from WMM 2.6 and it will still be able to open in WMM 2.6 on an older system (assuming you have all the same source files also still on the computer).

    So can you explain exactly which version of Movie Maker is on each PC and whether you saved in that version or not?

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-05-31T18:47:51+00:00

    WMM 2.6 was really designed for older systems prior to Vista that couldn't handle GPU rendering. So I'm not sure why you'd still want to be using that on Windows 10. But if you do, try reinstalling WMM 2.6 under Windows 10 and then the project file should open. If it doesn't please provide the exact error message along with details on when you see this error.

    If you still want a "classic" version of Movie Maker that is compatible with WMM 2.6, I would install Windows Movie Maker 6.0. It can read project files from WMM 2.6.

    If instead you are looking to use the latest version (Movie Maker 2012), it won't be able to directly read your WMM 2.6 project files. So you'd want to use WMM 6.0 anyway.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-05-31T00:02:22+00:00

    There's only 1 PC and only 1 Movie Maker Program--2.6--used on Windows 8 (originally) and then on the upgrade to Windows 10.   Same PC, Same 2.6 Movie Maker program on both versions of Windows, on same computer.

    I did save the movie on Windows 10 in MM 2.6.  Then recovered Windows 8.1, tried to open the saved movie on MM2.6 in Windows 8 and it would load but not open.  Unspecified error.

    Something changed in my movie when it was saved on Windows 10 that prevents it from opening on the recovered Windows 8--even though both programs used MM 2.6.

    I don't have a backed up copy from when it was on Windows 8 only 2.6.  Thought I had saved it to an external hard drive but later found that didn't occur.

    What I need is to understand why the same WMM2.6, used on both versions, changed with Windows 10, now preventing opening on Windows 8, so I can somehow still open on Windows 8 MM2.6 again.

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